Weapon's Waltz
by Strata-Assassin
Summary: A unique runaway flees her world of peace to enter the chaos of war. Who knew she'd have to kill friends and forever debate what it means to be "human." Original characters in the events of Gundam SEED. ZAFT POV.
1. Prologue and Lunar Eclipse

_**A/N:**_Hey guys. This is a new story of mine. I haven't gotten as far along it as I would've wanted to, but I'm getting there. This is both the prologue and the first chapter. The prologue wasn't long enough to stand on its own so I just combined the two.

I decided to put it up and get some feedback, so let me know how it is. Constructive criticism is always appreciated. Like all my other stories, it may take a while for me to post up new chapters. I have a lot going on in my life right now and unfortunately writing isn't as high as some of the other things. I'm sorry about that and I'll try to get chapters out as rapidly as I can. Thanks!

I do not own anything related to Gundam SEED or Gundam SEED Destiny.

Strata

* * *

  


"You are a tool of war; a weapon. Nothing but a shadow; a shadow of death."

Prologue

_I switched divisions today. Well, switched training programs would be more appropriate. I just spent the past three months perfecting my fire arms and self defense skills, but it looks as if I'll never even get to sit behind the controls of a mobile suit. _

_I just arrived at Januarias 4 to begin my new training. It's an "experimental" program so I guess I shouldn't have been surprised when none of the others in my group were chosen. Most of them were sons of Councilmen or others in authority. One of the fathers threw quite a fit when he found out that his son was among the first to be chosen. The boy was a perfect candidate, but apparently the "pickers" forgot that he was the son of Patrick Zala. _

_They were obviously lying._

_So, I guess to make things short, I was chosen instead of the others, probably because I'm just a runaway. Obviously the fact that I'm a girl caused a huge fuss, but it doesn't matter now. _

_I'm stuck here._

_I don't know what's in store for me, but I'm sure I'll find out tomorrow. _

_Yikes! Room checks. I swear this is just like a prison._

A girl, no older than fourteen, capped her pen and tossed it, along with her journal, under her bed. She switched off her bedside light, fixed the covers, turned her head towards the wall and shut her eyes.

Her door slid open without so much as a knock by the ZAFT soldier on the other side. He walked through the doorway wearing a green military outfit, took a long look around, and stopped momentarily on the redhead asleep in her bed. He fixed his rifle strap and closed the door. Four short beeps and a loud "click" announced that she was stuck there until morning.

With a sigh she rolled onto her back and stared at the ceiling. "There's no one to blame but yourself, so stop pouting. Just take it one day at a time." A warm tear trickled down her cheek and melted into her pillow. "Just remember that you're becoming stronger. Soon you won't cry like this anymore."

Lunar Eclipse

"Today begins your first day of training." Captain Vindur was a large man with black scraggly hair and a beard that was surprisingly well-trimmed. He stood to be a little over 5'6, but he was obviously not a man to be messed with. No doubt he earned that captain position for a reason. He stood with his legs shoulder-length apart and hands clasped behind his back. He looked cocky standing there, even though this was obviously a demoted position. What high-ranking officer would be the head of such a program? "This won't be anything like you've undergone before. Here is where we teach you all to be weapons of war. For the next two years this facility will be your home, the word "home" used figuratively of course." A smile caressed his lips, almost too sadistically. He seemed to be enjoying himself. "I'd imagine by now you've all realized the strict schedule that you must hold to everyday. Severe punishments will be issued to anyone who disobeys such regulations. None of you are sons of any councilmen or aristocrats so we don't have to worry about any governmental interference.

"All of you will be assigned a codename that you will be refereed to from here on out. You will all most likely be taking this name down to hell with you so you'd better come to like it. Your original name is of no significance now, so I suggest you just forget it altogether. "

"Lexi Rymyr?"

Lexi stopped admiring the split ends of the boy in front of her and looked up at the soldier. Like the one that checked her room last night, this one wore a green uniform. If it wasn't for the circumstances, she may even have found him to be attractive. The long brown hair actually suited his six foot stature and muscular build, but aside from looks he was obviously a private. What commanding officer in his right mind would ask a soldier who she was? Underlings are commanded with orders, not questions.

"Sir."

"Here are your group assignments, training schedules, and facility password. I suggest you memorize them by midday."

"Yes sir." Lexi saluted and grabbed the folder. The private moved on to the boy next to her, offering a half-assed salute on the way. Lexi rolled her eyes and looked at the top of the folder. "Lunar Eclipse," she whispered, liking how it sounded in the air. She looked around the room, wondering how many different codenames her superiors had to come up with, but surprisingly there were only about 30 others like herself. She zoned out so bad during Captain Vindur's speech that she never noticed.

"Alright recruits, this'll be your last ounce of free time for the next two years so I suggest you don't waste it. I want you to meet back here at 12:00 hours. Dismissed." The others saluted and made their way towards the exit. "Oh, Lunar Eclipse," Lexi turned. "I need to speak with you."

She groaned to herself and swam her way back through the crowd, offering a few "Excuse me" statements on the way. "You wanted to see me, sir?"

"Yes. I'm sure that by now you figured out that you're the only female among your fellow recruits." She nodded while the captain stroked his beard. "That doesn't mean that you're getting any special treatment though. If anything you'll be treated harsher than the others." The corner of Lexi's eye twitched, but other than that she didn't flinch. Somehow she figured that. "Obviously you have your own room with lavatory and shower. You will not be allowed in anyone's room past 21:00 hours, and no one will be allowed in yours past the same hour. Understand?" Keeping to her "bobble head" demeanor, Lexi nodded again. "Well, now that that's all taken care of, you'll be assigned to some advanced courses as well as the basics."

"Sir? Why is that?"

"Silence. You have been in basic training for the past few months correct?"

"Yes," Lexi said, merely to mix up her responses.

"Obviously you have learned most of the skills that the others haven't so I'd like you to take some more advanced courses. Is that clear?"

"Yes sir. Anything else?"

"Yes. We never wanted you here, Lexi Rymyr, but it seems as if we're stuck with you. Just remember that. Women have no place in this program."

"It seems that we feel the same, sir. In fact I really don't want to be here, but just to prove to you that women are just as good as men, I'll become the top soldier in this facility."

"I'll hold you to that. You are dismissed." Lexi saluted and left without another word.

"We should keep an eye on that one." The Captain filed through some papers sitting on his lap, stopping at Lexi's portfolio. "It says here that she was ranked the lowest in her group, but then again her comrades were among those with the highest potential that we've seen in years." The Captain stroked his beard again.

"She certainly has some fire in her, sir," said the private next to him, taking the papers. "Let's just hope that we can spark that fire into an inferno."

"I'm counting on it."

Lexi closed the door after her, trying to get her breathing under control. Furious at the Captain for holding her up for so long, she ran back to her room once she was clear of the audience hall.

She tossed the folder onto her bed and knelt on the cement floor to look for her journal. Finding the pen first, she grabbed it and tossed it over onto the desk near her window. Returning to the floor, she grabbed her leather journal and walked past her duffle bags to the desk. Pulling out the chair, she sat down, grabbed the pen and opened to her last entry.

_Sorry I ended so abruptly last time. It seems as if things are going to be terribly different here than my last training center. Not that I'm surprised, but it'll just take some time getting used to. _

_As I suspected, I am the only female among the others. I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad one. I really enjoy showing up the male population, but that also means that I'm going to be ridiculed to no end, among other things. Well, it'll be interesting to say the least._

_I planned on writing some letters to people so I think I'd better get on that before my free time is over._

Lexi paused, staring at the empty space below the entry. She glanced over at the folder on her bed before returning to her journal. Positioning the pen two lines below her last sentence, she signed her name. _Lunar Eclipse._


	2. It Begins

It Begins

Just like the old cliché goes, "Time flies when you're having fun," Eclipse's break seemed to end earlier than expected. Even though she spent the whole time writing letters to some close relatives and a friend, the warning bell still surprised her. After a few choice words, she glanced over her schedule before tucking it into her pocket.

"Hurry up, girly, you're going to be late!" one recruit mocked as he pounded on the door. Eclipse was going to shout her own mockery, but decided against it when she realized that the kid was right. She was going to be late if she didn't hurry. A few more curses and she was running out the door.

"Well, at least none of you are late," Captain Vindur said as soon as they were all lined up in the audience hall. "For some reason I expected at least a few more of you to be out of breath." His gaze landed on Eclipse who was obviously breathing hard. She just held his gaze until he looked away, determined to prove to him that she really did belong there. She had been having a few doubts, especially when she was writing to her cousin on earth. They were like sisters, her and her cousin, but the only main difference was that while Eclipse wanted to save the world by using violence to get rid of war, her cousin wanted to just end it by diplomatic means. That was probably the only thing that they didn't see eye-to-eye on.

"…off to your classes."

"Shit!" Eclipse cursed and pulled out her schedule. A few kids purposefully bumped into her as they walked by, sending the piece of paper flying out of her grip. She cursed again and grabbed it before heading off towards her first class. "I really have to stop zoning out so bad during speeches." She found the classroom labeled 45B and walked in, taking the last desk available; the one right in the front. A few chuckles and smirks met her as she sat.

"Welcome to your firearms class; I am Lieutenant Kross. I'll learn your names throughout the class so no need for introductions." Lieutenant Kross was a man in his thirties. He had curly brown hair that was cropped short with attractive crystal blue eyes. His talk and demeanor was strictly rigid, but Eclipse could tell that there was a warm atmosphere around him. That was almost comforting. "Your first lesson will be on the basics of the common handgun. We'll start with the mechanisms."

_You have got to be kidding me, _Eclipse thought, stifling a yawn. _I already went through this introduction and three other months of material. Do they honestly think that I have to go through it again?_

"This is a nine millimeter bullet, one of the most common for the handgun. You load it like so."

_I can't believe this. This is ridiculous! Never have I been so insulted. _Eclipse thought as she grabbed her pen and started doodling in the notebook in front of her. _How much do you want to bet that the next thing he's going to say is that you have to face the barrel away from your body?_

"Eclipse? Lunar Eclipse?" She lifted her head up off her hand to see him. "Would you like to teach?"

"W-what?" The Lieutenant motioned for her to stand and she bolted out of her seat, her hurried salute causing a few chuckles. "Sir, I really don't think—"

"You're quite right. What was I thinking? I guess since you seemed so interested in other things I assumed that you'd rather teach. My apologizes." Eclipse nodded and sat down, feeling more angry than embarrassed. "Oh, and Eclipse? I guess this considers all of you, but never pick up the pen unless instructed. Is that clear? I don't want to have to punish anyone on the first day."

Everyone nodded, including Eclipse. Lieutenant Kross smiled, more like smirked, and went back to the lesson. Somehow the warm atmosphere that was surrounding the lieutenant took a sudden shift towards ice. Eclipse could tell that everyone felt it too.

The next class started five minutes after the three hour firearms one. Eclipse could never have been happier to leave the classroom. After her little escapade, she forced herself to pay attention. _I have to learn how to fall asleep with my eyes open, _she thought with a sigh.

* * *

The rest of the day went without incident for the most part. After the firearms class, Eclipse had self defense (which she was able to move up to higher training levels because of her previous training), battle tactics and code breaking, and then ended with the basics of an operating system in a mobile suit. Being a coordinator, like all the others in her class, Eclipse had no problem with working through a typical OS. The only thing that bothered her the most about the class was that it ended sharply at 2:00am. Normally Eclipse wouldn't care, she usually stayed up that late anyway, but because she had to get up at 5:00am the next morning for the mandatory workout, she was a little pissed.

Weaving her way out of the classroom, Eclipse made her way down the hallways to her room. Many of the boys whistled and made a few unwanted remarks on the way back, but she just ignored them. _They're all just immature idiots,_ she reminded herself and slammed the door behind her, hoping to wake up the few that had already gone to bed. She locked the door after the sound had finished echoing throughout the halls.

"This is ridiculous!" she shouted and flung herself on her bed. "What is this place's purpose anyway? We're doing all the same things that I would've been doing at the other facility. What makes this place so special, huh? "Weapons of war" my ass. Aren't all soldiers weapons of war? Ugh!" She hit her pillow with her fist before reaching for her journal.

_The First day wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be. All the classes are pretty much what I was taking before. I guess that's why I'm a little curious as to what are real purpose is for being here. _

_Truthfully, I'm scared. I don't think I've been this scared in a while. I have this feeling that something is terribly wrong here and I just can't shake it. Am I being paranoid? But what am I being paranoid of? _

_I'm getting myself into something that I shouldn't be. This isn't going to turn out good, I just know it. Let's just hope that I can figure out some way to survive this place. _

Her anger quickly turned to fear as she wrote the entry. Surprising herself, a tear trickled down her cheek. She paused to wipe it away. _I really am that scared aren't I? I guess I never thought I would be. _She looked back at her journal and continued writing.

_I wonder how my family's doing. I haven't talked to them since I left. Well, I've talked to my brother Lathan, but other then that there's been no contact. They're probably really mad at me for leaving. Can they really blame me? They've known me all my life and they were surprised that I left? I hated sitting in Orb not being able to do things. I guess being born to a pacifist family is quit discouraging when all you want to do is fight. Does that even make any sense? I mean here I am saying that I don't want to train here, but aren't I doing what I really want to do? _

_I'm just not making any sense tonight. I'll write more tomorrow, hopefully. Let's just hope that my fears don't come true in one day._

* * *

"You're just scared, aren't you? That's how you've always been so I guess I shouldn't be surprised," a boy, no older then herself, taunted. The boy stood, arms crossed over his chest, with shoulder-length grey hair and piercing blue eyes. A smirk literally seemed to dance over his lips.

"She's always been that way, Yzak. Why should now be any different?" Another off to Yzak's left said. This one held more of a cocky smirk, but his violet eyes held a different kind of warmth. It was as if he was trying to show off to his friend. He ran a tan, slender hand through his mangled blonde hair.

"I'm not afraid," Eclipse tried to say, but nothing seemed to be coming out of her mouth. She grabbed at her throat and tried again, but there was still nothing.

"See, Dearka, she's too scared to even defend herself. How sad."

"C'mon, Yzak. You have to give her at least some credit. I mean she did survive the first day after all."

Yzak laughed. "Survived it? There was nothing to survive! What, she sat in a classroom all day."

"Shut up!" Eclipse shouted and sat upright in her bed. She looked around her room, dreading the two cocky looks of her previous comrades, but wanting to punch them off their rich-boy faces nonetheless. She sighed and rested back down when she realized that it was all a dream. She glanced at her table clock and groaned.

4:30 a.m.

She didn't have enough time to fall back asleep and wake up within a half hour. Instead she forced herself to roll out and turn off her alarm. Grabbing her running clothes, she opened her bathroom door and slammed it behind her, wishing that the day never had to begin.

* * *

_A/N: _Hey all! Sorry this took me so long to put up. I pulled one of those "writer's blocks" that you write inserts from five chapters ahead, even finishing chapters, but don't work on what you're supposed to. Sigh I knew this would be the hardest part, because I haven't gotten any of the original characters in yet, let alone the Gundam SEED Plotline. Anyway, as soon as I get along further, things'll get easier and chapters will be coming faster, I hope.

I'm trying the breaks with the long lines, but I don't really like it so I'm going to try something else. For some reason Fanfiction isn't letting me do anything else.

I hope you liked the chapter and thank you CSS.Stravag for the review.

Strata


	3. Fitting In

Fitting In

Eclipse could never remember hating working out so much in her life. She was usually one of those athletic people that thought it was fun to run every morning, but now, after only getting a few hours of sleep and realizing that the last time she ran five miles straight she was dreaming, her view on morning runs was changing drastically. She dragged herself to her room and literally fell onto her bed after shutting the door. Every muscle in her body seemed to just turn to jello and the thought of getting up to take a shower caused each of those muscles to whine simultaneously. "You know you have to move so stop complaining!" she shouted, feeling foolish about screaming at her own body, but the words seemed to have some sort of effect. She flung her legs over the side of her bed and sat up before trying to stand.

The weakness in her legs was nothing compared to the head rush that met her once she got to her feet. "Yikes, that could be dangerous," she muttered and sat back down. She glanced over at the clock once her vision cleared and cursed loudly.

It was 6:50am and breakfast started at 7:00am.

Even though she was a girl, her showers didn't usually take the traditional twenty minute beauty time. Knowing that a three minute shower usually got her through the day smelling nice, she felt a little better, but the thought of running to breakfast still wasn't all that appealing. With a sigh, she heaved herself off the bed and shut the bathroom door.

Breakfast ended promptly at 7:30am, which gave Eclipse about fifteen minutes before her first class of the day began. The meal wasn't particularly enjoyable, only being a small bowl of oatmeal and a slice of toast, but after her workout that morning, that was all that her stomach could handle. She grabbed her books once she got back to her room and then started walking to her first class.

There were only a few others in the room when she arrived and looking much like herself, exhausted. The back seats were open this time and she immediately headed towards them. She got little objection when she sat down, but that was probably because the others were still half asleep. A boy with brown, spiky hair and blue eyes, sat in front of her, avoiding eye contact. She figured that he only sat there because it was in the back of the class. Eclipse really didn't care, knowing full well that she was going to make next to no friends in this facility, but she had to without someone to talk to.

The others started filing in about five minutes before the class started and once Lieutenant Kross arrived, the firearms class began.

The class was almost as boring as the previous one, but Eclipse was determined not to be made a fool of this time. She kept her eyes open at least, but she could never stop her mind from wandering.

The lieutenant announced a break an hour in and called Eclipse, along with a few others, up to talk to him. "I just received your full reports this morning and I'm sorry if I've been boring you with the basics. Even though they are really important, I'm sure all of this is engraved in your memories by now. I've decided that the five of you can use the shooting range while I finish up with the others in here. I want you to remain in the classroom for at least the first half, but after that you're free to leave the room and shoot around." Eclipse and the others saluted, smiling to themselves. It felt pretty good to be getting special treatment because of their past experience as well as the fact that they didn't have to sit through the whole, exhausting three hours.

Eclipse was surprised to see that there we actually four others like herself that had had previous training. In the back of her mind, she always hoped that she'd be the one and only "advanced trainee," but she also knew that was impossible. Instead of dwelling on the details, she followed the others and grabbed her things before leaving the room.

One of the residents directed the group to the shooting range, noticing that a pack of adolescent soldiers was wandering aimlessly through the halls for the past ten minutes. Eclipse set down her things and grabbed a set of headphones, glasses, and a handgun. She examined it carefully, making sure that nothing was loose or missing, and put in a few bullets. Taking the nearest cubby, she fiddled with the computer until the silhouette of a man popped up fifteen feet away. Putting on her gear, she brought the gun up and shot.

It felt good to fire a gun again, the redhead had to admit, but was surprised at how much higher a score the others got than she did. Eclipse remembered the long hours in front of the same type of target at her old facility and couldn't help but feel a tad angry. Her determination set in and she brought up another target to finish off the class.

Liking how the firearms class ended, Eclipse was actually a little excited for the next one. Obviously she enjoyed the special treatment and was hoping that she'd get lucky in her next class self defense. Well, she wasn't always unlucky. There were three others this time that were able to advance with her, making it an even four and perfect for sparring. They fought for the next two hours, evaluating each other carefully and even offering pointers. There was a younger boy codenamed Fire Storm that was the most help to her. Apparently he had been taking some sort of karate since he was really little and knew quite a bit about what worked and what didn't. The three others learned a lot from him before the class even ended.

"Hey Eclipse, what class you got after lunch?" Fire Storm asked as they were leaving.

"I've got tactics and code breaking. What about you? You got the same?"

"Nah, I have current events. One of the more pointless classes I think, but I didn't make the schedule. You headin' to lunch now then?"

Eclipse shrugged, debating whether or not to just skip lunch and take a nap. She wasn't really that hungry anyway. "Not sure," she replied.

"Well, why don't ya? My roommates and I were gonna go down there now and hopefully catch a short nap before class. You don't want to sit by yourself do ya?"

Eclipse blinked, as well as blushed she realized a moment later. "Who said that I'd be eating alone?" she asked, avoiding the boy's warm, red-orange eyes.

"You may think that guys are dumb, but I have to assure you that we're not. I know full well that everyone makes fun of you and what not, so stop denying it and let's go. I'm starved."

Eclipse flinched when she heard his statement. It was one thing to guess that everyone was making fun of you, and another to actually know that it's true. _Thanks for the bluntness,_ she thought and followed him to the dining hall.

Fire Storm's roommates were, to put it lightly, a tad weird. When a person tries to siphon something out of his milk carton with the random comb in his pocket, Eclipse couldn't help but feel a little nervous. "At least it was his comb this time," Fire Storm whispered almost causing Eclipse to vomit up her turkey sandwich.

"What time is it?" she asked instead, masking her disgust.

"About 12:45pm. We only have fifteen minutes until the next class," said the boy to her left. Out of Fire Storm's two roommates, he was the one most normal, if you call a boy with long pink hair and violet eyes normal. She just couldn't figure out why a guy with his looks was codenamed Midnight Raptor.

"Well, it's too late for us to go back and get some shut eye. Sorry LE, I know you were thinking about it," Fire Storm said, turning to the redhead.

Eclipse blinked, not quite sure if he was talking to her or not. "LE?"

"Yeah, you like it? It stands for Lunar Eclipse of course. It's just too difficult to use the full name, so we shortened it. See, I'm FS and Midnight Raptor over there is MR."

"Ah ha!" the other roommate chimed in. He pulled the comb out of his milk carton and pulled the speck off with his fingers. "Got it!" Eclipse wasn't able to withhold the gag when she saw him finish off the milk seconds later.

"Stray, do you have to do that?" MR asked, pushing his tray as far away from him as he could. "Haven't you ever realized that you probably leave hair in there?"

"Hair?" He licked his lips, thinking it over. "So that's what that long and stringy thing was yesterday."

"Enough!" FS shouted, both on the verge of laughter and sickness. "LE, want to get a head start?"

"Head start?" she asked, unable to get Stray's mannerisms out of her head.

"To class, of course. Oh no, please tell me that they haven't fried your brain already?"

"W-what? No, of course not." Eclipse pushed out her chair, grabbed her tray and left the cafeteria.

"I'll see you two later," FS said before following after her.

"Okay!" MR shouted and turned back to Stray, who was now cutting a piece of lettuce with a fork and knife. "Stray, tell me. How were you picked to come here?"

"I'm sorry about my roommates. They're actually pretty cool once you get to know them."

"And not watch them eat right?" Eclipse responded, chuckling slightly at the memory. "No, I believe you and don't get me wrong. It's nice that there's actually others here that recognize my existence." FS smiled and Eclipse quickly turned away, not wanting him to see her blush.

Fire Storm dropped Eclipse off at her tactics class and waved a goodbye before heading off to his current events. She watched him go, feeling a little giddy inside. _Maybe this won't be so bad, _she thought and walked inside, taking the seat in the back.

Eclipse didn't see FS and his roommates until later that night after her own current events class. Given it was late, 1:00am, Eclipse still had enough energy to explore the dorms a little before settling in. There was only one floor of rooms so finding their place wasn't exactly all that difficult. Noticing that their door was open, she didn't hesitate to knock. "Hey, it's Eclipse."

FS opened the door to let her in, motioning for her to sit on the stool in the corner. The room was a little bigger than hers, probably because there was three people in there instead of her one, with a set of bunk beds in the corner and a single bed across from it. There were two study desks near the door and one with a laptop. A closet off to the right was big enough to hold the things of two people, but not three. Eclipse had to wonder where they put all their stuff. "Hey, LE, how was the rest of your day."

"Boring actually," she admitted, moving away from the interior to pay attention to the others.

"Oh yeah, you've gone through most of this before haven't you?" FS asked, sitting Indian style on the floor. Stray was lying on his bed with an arm over his eyes. At first glance he looked asleep, but once she listened closely Eclipse could hear him muttering to himself.

"Yeah, most of it," she responded, shaking her head and turning back to FS, "but I didn't get very far. Only three months."

"Ah, I see. How did you start so early though? Most of us only had a month or even less."

She shrugged. "Luck of the draw I guess. Hey, where's MR?"

"Oh, he was called out of our firearms class, but that was after dinner. I figured he would've been back by now." They both just shrugged.

The three of them sat in the room for about an hour, sharing stories and just doing random things until MR finally walked in through the door. By then they were pretty much hyper so a loud and obnoxious welcome was only appropriate.

Well, usually.

MR was ghost white and shaking so bad that the others could feel the floor shake with him. "Hey Midnight, you alright?" FS asked, getting up to help him into the room. MR didn't respond, not even offering a thanks when Stray got him a drink of water. "Midnight, what happened?" FS prodded again.

"It took me hours," MR said slowly.

"What did?" Eclipse asked.

"I didn't even know what I was doing."

"What do you mean?" Stray chimed in, knelling down with the rest of them.

"They said that I'd get used to it."

"Get used to what? For goodness sakes, Midnight, what happened?" FS scowled slightly, getting a little frustrated with his roommate, but at the same time Eclipse could tell that he was a little scared for him.

"Well, it was easy. I mean I've been shooting guns for the past three years. All you have to do is pull the trigger."

"MR what happened?" FS shouted.

He finally looked up and over at Fire Storm, his violet eyes so distant and clouded over. He didn't even look human at that moment. Everything just seemed off. At lunch he was happy, hyper almost, but now he was like a pale glass doll. "MR?"

"I just killed someone."

* * *

_A/N: _Yeah, this one was a little harder for me to get into, but after I got going I didn't stop. I think it'll be a few more chapters yet before I get the main SEED characters into the fray. Sorry, but please stick with me! I feel like I need to do a lot on this facility in order for some things to make sense in the future. Anyway, here's chapter 3. There might be a few mistakes, so lease let me know. I hope you enjoy it!

There was supposed to be a break after FS took Eclipse to class and when she saw them again later, but for some reason Fanfiction won't let me put my divider in...

Oh, and thank you CSS.Stravag for the support! Dearka and Yzak were actually in her dream, but she was in their division before she came to this one. She mentioned that in her first journal entry. I'm sorry if that part was a little sketchy. I'll work on it.

Strata


	4. True Intentions

True Intentions

Everyone just stared at him, not really sure how to respond. Going into the military meant that this kind of thing was bound to happen, but as they watched MR sitting there shaking and on the verge of tears, none of them were eager for the experience. They paused as each of them digested what was going on, but that digestion was short lived.

"How?"

"Who?"

"Why?"

All three asked at once, feeling no remorse for bombarding him with questions until his violet eyes quivered with the memory. Only then did they pause and finally realize what visions those questions must've stirred. "If it hurts you so much, don't tell us," Eclipse was the first to say, knowing that FS and Stray were thinking the same thing, but if one of them didn't speak up soon MR would break down right there. MR didn't respond, just looked away and nodded. Pushing past them he slowly ascended up to the top bunk. Another silence passed until Stray decided to reach over and grab his rubrics cube. The sight of him completing all four sides in the matter of seconds and then mixing it up to try again made FS and Eclipse a little nervous, but MR's condition still took priority.

Eclipse thought of leaving after watching Stray finish the cube four more times, knowing that there was nothing more that she could do to help MR. If anything, whatever she said probably would've upset him even more. "I think I should—"

"Codename Lunar Eclipse, here you are. Out of all the places I expected you to be, in a guy's dorm was not one of them."

Eclipse couldn't stifle a gasp as well as the full body twitch that accompanied it when she heard the officer's voice. She turned to the door along with FS and Stray who were finally settling down from MR's disturbing entrance. _Shit! _she thought, remembering her curfew and the consequences that most likely went along with it. "Really sir, I have a good reason for—"

"I'm not here to listen to your pathetic excuses, recruit" the soldier interrupted. He looked confident as he stood in the doorway, brandishing his rifle whenever he deemed necessary. The green Zaft uniform seemed to make him feel even more secure, but Eclipse knew that if he wasn't wearing it, the officer probably wouldn't be so cocky. "I'm sure that you went through the rules considering your stay here with the other recruits." Eclipse nodded sadly. "Well then, you have nothing to blame but your stupidity. Now, back to your quarters, soldier. Your punishment will be decided in the morning."

The redhead sighed and got to her feet, saluting briefly after nodding a farewell to her friends. The guard followed her down to her room and then locked the door after she entered. Eclipse showered a few choice words as he walked away, wishing that some of those insults would sneak through the walls and catch his attention, but then dreading the punishment if they did.

After calming down a little and finally changing into sweatpants and a t-shirt for bed, she grabbed her journal and began another entry.

_I actually have some good news this time. Well, some of it. Can you believe that I actually made a few friends today? I know, me neither. It all happened after my self-defense class. This kid named Fire Storm got booted up in training along with me and two others. Did you know that he actually took karate as a kid? I know, I was surprised too. He's really good and really nice too. I expected all the other trainees here to be complete jerks and whatnot, but I'm so glad they're not all like that. _

_FS (that's Fire Storm for short) is a little taller than me, about six feet, and has stunning, light brown hair with red-orange eyes. His voice is deeper than what you'd expect from his looks, but it's not at all cold. In fact it reminds me of a summer evening. Hm, was that kind of creepy? It's not like I'm obsessed with him at all, I just felt the need to describe him. _

_His roommates are pretty cool too. Well, okay, not that cool, but they are really nice. Stray's a bit on the weird side, but I have to admit he's a little attractive. Whitish hair and grey eyes do go good together, but like I said, he's a little strange. Today, he was fishing, for who knows what, out of his milk carton with a comb. Yup, that's Stray. He is really funny though. I went to their room tonight (No, not like that!) and hung out there. Wow, I don't think I've been that hyper in a while. _

_FS has one more roommate named Midnight Raptor or MR for short. He's a little strange himself, although not as bad as Stray. The long pink hair and violet eyes throws me off, but all in all he's a good guy. Tonight though, he scared us all half to death. He looked like a ghost, no joke. His face was so pale and his hands shaking so bad that I could've sworn he'd just seen his little sister die or something (not that I even know if he has siblings or not.). He told us that he killed someone. Can doing that really have that much of an effect on a person? Maybe I just never realized it. I always thought that it was a little more, what's the word, heroic. You know, that the first time I'd kill someone was to save a friend of mine and it wouldn't be so bad because they wanted to hurt someone I loved. I guess that would make me have a rational reason for killing him and that's okay, but the way MR looked, it seemed as if he didn't have anything rational to back him up. That makes me very curious. _

_You know that bad feeling I was talking about earlier? Yup, it's back._

Eclipse signed her name at the bottom and then closed the leather book before tucking it away in her desk drawer. She twisted to turn off the desk lamp and then just lied in her bed with her arms behind her head. It surprised her that she forgot about the curfew. That's just not something that she would've easily forgotten, especially since she was trying really hard not to get into trouble. _Well, so much for that,_ she thought gloomily and turned over onto her side to stare at the clock. It turned from 2:48am to 2:49am, but even though it was so late, Eclipse just couldn't get to sleep. For some reason, she wasn't as worried about her punishment as to why MR was so terrified. With a sigh she turned over onto her other side and tried to go to sleep. _Maybe I'll find out tomorrow._

As soon as the guard and Eclipse left, FS and Stray finished up getting ready and crawled into their beds. Like Eclipse, they weren't able to make their minds shut off. MR had been silent as soon as he jumped into his bed, but he didn't seem asleep, even though that was almost forty-five minutes ago. A look between FS and Stray showed that they wanted to ask MR about what had really happened, but both of them also knew that they shouldn't.

Stray broke the glance first by shaking his head and rolling over onto the other side. FS got the hint and moved onto his back to stare at the ceiling.

"Guys, I don't want to be here anymore."

Stray and FS instantly sat up, Stray having to rub the top of his head after because he hit it on the bottom of the top bunk. "MR?" FS asked, making sure that it was really him who had spoken up.

"Just wait until you have to do it."

"Do what?" Stray asked, finally blinking the tears out of his eyes.

"Kill someone," MR responded. Neither of them knew what to say, but they didn't have to say anything. "What they'll do is pull you from class and take you to the other side of the facility. They'll sit you down and tell you that you'll get used to it, but never really tell you what you have to get used to. The next thing you know, you're pulling the trigger of a pistol and killing a person."

MR paused and his roommates could hear a soft sniffle. "The worst thing is that you don't even know who they are, what they look like, or even what they did. That man could've had a family and a home, but I killed him. I'm not even sure if it was a man. I killed someone that meant the world to someone else."

"MR I—" FS began, but was silenced a second later.

"All they kept telling me was that I'd get used to it. That's all that mattered to them."

Eclipse awoke the next morning a little groggier then normal. She figured it was probably from having only two hours of sleep, but knew that if she thought about it now she'd be late. The clock switched over to 5:15am before she finally jumped out of bed to get ready. Throwing on her sport's clothes, she grabbed a sweatshirt and her running shoes before heading out the door.

She saw FS and Stray in the hallway, but no MR. She was about to go over to ask how he was doing when the officer from last night pulled her aside. "Your punishment has been decided."

Eclipse almost burst out laughing. _That line sounded like it was from some lame game show, _she thought, but held it in.

"Five more miles will be added to your endurance workout as well as three additional towel suicides." Eclipse blinked, knowing that they would take her a long time and wondered if she'd ever get to eat breakfast. "No," the guard answered, as if reading her mind, "you probably won't have time for breakfast." He walked away to join the other officers. Eclipse glared and gritted her teeth, waiting for the command to start their training.

"I'm sorry that you had to do all of that," FS apologized in self defense. He threw a punch at Eclipse, which she barely managed to push out wide, and came around in a roundhouse kick that sent her flying back.

_Yeah right, _she thought. _You can't just say you're sorry and then break a few of my ribs. _She coughed a little before getting back into her defense stance. "It wasn't all that bad."

"Right, five extra miles on top of our six isn't that bad right?" He threw a punch with his left hand, but Eclipse had a sudden burst of adrenaline. The punch landed harmlessly in the pocket of her left hand and she pulled him forward into her right elbow. FS was able to dodge the counterattack quickly enough to not catch it square in the nose, but he did grunt loudly when it bruised his cheekbone. He staggered backwards and blinked his eyes a little to get them clear again before going back into his own defensive stance. "That was pretty good. Either I made you mad or something else did."

Eclipse smiled shyly, glad that she got a compliment, but not really knowing where that burst of energy came from. "Hey, I've been meaning to ask you. How was MR this morning?"

FS took a deep breath and looked down. "He actually wasn't in the room. All of his stuff was there, but for some reason he was no where around."

"Do you think he left?"

"I didn't think he could leave. I mean they lock our doors after curfew, so where could he have gone?"

Eclipse thought it over quickly, but ended up having to block FS's kick when they got yelled at for not training. "Maybe they took him again."

"They better not have," FS scowled, throwing another punch at the redhead who blocked it cleanly.

"There's nothing we could do if they did though."

"Lunar Eclipse? Captain Vindur would like to meet with you," said the instructor when she walked over. Even though she seemed to be just as stoic as the rest of the teachers, something in her golden eyes gave her away. For some reason there was pity in those eyes. Too bad Eclipse didn't register why.

"Yes. Right away ma'am." Eclipse saluted, nodded to FS and then followed the guard out the door.

_This is a long hallway, _Eclipse thought as they turned around yet another corner. The alarm in her head was going off rapidly, but for some reason the redhead wasn't able to figure out why. Another corner welcomed yet another hallway, but this time the walls had changed. They were no longer cemented, but green-colored tiles. They were quite ugly Eclipse had to admit.

"Ah, Lunar Eclipse, glad you could come." The captain adorned his Zaft military uniform with a cigarette lying on corner of his lips.

"What did you wish to speak to me about, sir?" Eclipse asked and saluted.

Vindur smirked quickly, but Eclipse didn't miss it. The alarm went off again and this time she heard it, but there was no way out of the situation now. "Follow me please, Lunar Eclipse."

"Sir."

She tagged close behind, noting that all the other guards saluted and went in the other direction. Her heart began to race then when she passed a bunch of steel doors in the hallway, but other then their feet there was no other sound. For such a large area, it seemed like there should've been some sort of sound echoing throughout the halls or through the doors.

"Sir, where are we—"

"You are not to ask questions, recruit. I figured by now you'd know that."

"I'm sorry sir." She bit her tongue and remained a few feet behind him. Something just didn't see right.

He finally stopped at one of the steel doors and opened the keypad. He punched in a sequence of numbers and waited patiently as it slid open. "Go inside."

Eclipse nodded and walked through the opening, withholding a gasp when she saw a figure tied up in the corner with a black bag over his head. Only then did she realize what was going on. The image of MR as he walked into his room last night raced through her thoughts.

It was her turn.

"Take this." He reached to the back of his belt and handed her his pistol, even cocking it for her.

She took it gingerly, looking at it dumbly and then up at him. "What do you want me to do with it, sir?" she asked, knowing that it would probably get her a slap on the side of the head, but she didn't want to jump to conclusions just yet. Perhaps she wasn't here to kill him, but then again that was obvious as soon as the captain gave her the pistol.

"This, Lunar Eclipse is an execution and you are the executioner."

Eclipse heard the prisoner mumbled something in the corner. If he wasn't gagged she probably could've understood. "You want me to kill him?" Vindur nodded. "But who is he? What has he done?"

"That is no concern of yours. I have given you the command. Your duty is to carry it out." He left the room without another word. Only then did Eclipse notice the large window on the wall. The captain locked the door and stood there watching her.

Eclipse's head was spinning. She was trying to think of some way, any way to get out of the situation. She remembered her journal entry the night before and realized that her first kill might not be as heroic as she had pictured. She mentally slapped herself then for even thinking that she might kill the man. She didn't know anything about him and he obviously never did anything to hurt her so why should she kill him? She looked down at the pistol before looking up and staring Vindur in the eye. He was smiling, obviously amused, but also not planning on leaving until the job was done. The redhead then remembered hearing the door lock and knew that there was no way out.

She turned back to the prisoner. He was wearing a puke green, baggy shirt that looked to be a rag at one point in time. His pants were nothing special and he wore no shoes with ropes around his ankles. His arms were bound behind his back, but his head was still upright on his shoulders, as if looking through the black hood to Eclipse across the room. He started shaking his head, but she really had no idea why. Maybe he was just trying to tell her not to shoot him. "What did you do?" Eclipse asked, wishing that she could understand the loud mumble that left his mouth. She wanted to go over and take off the hood, but didn't even have the guts to do that much. She knew that was why Vindur stood watch. He was ready to come in and stop her if she tried anything funny. But wasn't this man's life more important then her own? If she could keep him from dying shouldn't she try?

"Who are you?" she asked this time, getting a little closer, but kept the pistol low to the ground. "Why are you here? Did you create some kind of crime or did you kill someone? Perhaps you're from the Earth Forces and were trying to assassinate the chairman." Only mumbles came in reply. Tears threatened her eyes, but she refused to let them fall. Something inside of her was keeping her from crying. It must've been the same thing that kept her from taking off his hood and was driving her feet towards the bound man in the corner. If this man killed someone, shouldn't he have the same punishment? He should, something in her mind was telling her. He deserved to die. "Are you a murderer? A criminal?"

Mumbles.

"Answer me!" she shouted, lifting the pistol up and aiming it at the man's head. "Why are you here!"

Eclipse didn't know what had come over her. It was as if something inside had snapped and there was nothing she could do to keep her from approaching this man. Some kind of bloodlust had escaped and was clouding her vision. It was taking over her mind even as she stood there. The scariest part though, was that she liked the feeling. "Why don't you answer me? Can't you see that I hold your very life in my hands? If my finger was to twitch you'd be dead. I've given you all of this time to reconcile what you've done, and all you can do is mumble?" Eclipse thought about MR again, but now she was angry with him and confused. She just couldn't figure out how it had taken him hours to kill a prisoner. She hadn't been in here for long and she was already ready to pull the trigger. "He was weak," she announced, convinced that what she was doing was the right thing. "You're a criminal and deserve to die." The bloodlust boiled again in the back of her mind drowning out the alarm that continued to buzz in its futile attempt to grab her attention.

She walked up to him and rested the barrel at his temple, or at least where she thought it should be. The alarm screamed in one last attempt to regain her sanity, but it went unnoticed. She pulled the trigger and watched as the man fell off the chair and onto the floor. Only then did she finally see a strand of pink hair fall out of the hood.

Vindur just smiled.

* * *

_A/N: _Hey, sorry this one took a while, but it's a little longer than the others so that's kind of cool. It actually surprised me the way it turned out, but I'm pretty happy with it. It'll help me for the later chapters. I haven't really decided on how many chapters she'll be in the facility, but I really don't want to make it too long 'cause I want to bring in the original SEED characters, but I don't just want to say "After two years" kind of thing. Well, I'll figure it out somehow. Oh, I've been going through the chapters and found some mistakes that people were bringing up so I'm working on fixing them.

I hope you like this chapter and thank you all for your reviews!

Strata


	5. True Friends?

True Friends?

"Hey FS, what happened to LE? I thought that she had self defense with you?" Stray asked, setting down his tray next to Fire Storm's and pulling out the seat.

FS stared at his plate, shuffling a few peas around for a small ounce of amusement. He sighed sadly, but never responded.

"Uh, FS?" Stray asked again, even poking him with his fork just to make sure. Unfortunately, he poked a little too hard.

"Ow! Hey, Stray, when did you get here." FS rubbed her shoulder, scowling a little as he did. "It's not nice to stab people y'know."

Stray blinked, looked at the fork and then poked him again.

"Ow! Stop that!"

"Just making sure it was actually sharp." FS just shook his head at Stray's innocent smile, knowing that no matter what he said it'd never sink through his thick skull. "Oh yeah, where's LE?"

FS paused. That same thing had been bothering him ever since she was called out of the self defense class. If he hadn't seen what happened to MR the night before he may have thought it to be just another meeting, but he was a little nervous. "I don't know. She was called out during the class. The teacher said that Captain Vindur wanted to see her."

"Really? I wonder what that was about."

"Me too," FS muttered quietly, pushing his tray a little further away when Stray started eating. His antics always disturbed him and now that there was no one else to distract him, Stray was the only thing he could pay attention to.

"Oh, some soldiers came into our room today and cleared out MR's things."

"Huh?" FS blinked. "Cleared them out? So he did manage to get away?"

Stray shrugged and began scraping the mustard off his turkey sandwich, putting it off to the side. Only seconds later did he take that same mound of sauce and put it on the other piece of bread. "They wouldn't really tell me anything. One of them got a little pale and the other one just kind of laughed, but whether it was at the one who paled or something else I'm not sure."

"Hm, I guess we'll never really know."

"We could always talk to the Captain. I'm sure he knows what happened to him."

"Yeah, he probably does know." FS looked back down at his food, but could only feel his stomach churn. Something was wrong, he knew, but what he had no idea.

* * *

"Very well done, recruit," Vindur praised after he unlocked the door and walked in. "Didn't take you that long at all. Some would wonder if you had even done this before." He placed a hand on Eclipse's shoulder.

Eclipse just stared. The pink strand of hair that fell out of the hood had numbed her to the Captain's words. _MR? Oh please no, did I just kill MR? N-no, that's ridiculous. There are plenty of people around with pink hair right? I mean the songstress—No, that'd be ridiculous too. I mean she's an icon. There's no way. _

"Lunar Eclipse?" the Captain pressed, squeezing her shoulder a little harder.

Eclipse still ignored him, or rather she didn't hear him. _No, there's no way. MR? _Her hands quivered as she slowly bent down and reached for the hood. _MR?_

"Recruit!" Vindur shouted, this time jerking her away from the body to land on the floor behind him. "What do you think you're—" He stopped. The redhead's eyes just seemed to glow as they glared at him and narrowed very, very dangerously. It was as if her pupils had been swallowed up entirely by the grey color. They were cold, terribly cold and as he stared at them, Vindur felt an involuntary chill course down his spine. He knew the myth of the ancient warriors called berserkers who were well-mannered and quiet individuals by nature but in battle they turned into complete monsters. He knew the tales, but never thought they actually existed. However, standing here in front of his trainee, he had a feeling that they weren't just stories. "Lunar Eclipse?"

Eclipse was furious. Vindur had finally snapped her back to reality, but what she came back to was anger and not sadness. She had just killed someone, that she knew, and it was probably one of the only friends she'd ever make here. How dare someone make her do that. How dare they make her shoot someone who had only shown her kindness and treated her like a human in this little world of weapons.

How dare they.

"Who was that?" she asked, a little too calmly.

"There's no need for you to know that," Vindur responded, somehow keeping his own cool. "Now go. Return to your classes."

Eclipse stayed still.

"That's an order recruit!"

"Who was it?" she asked again.

"That kind of information is not giving out to trainees like you. Now, this is the last time I'll tell you. Go back to your classes, Lunar Eclipse."

"No, you will tell me who I killed and then you will tell me why." She slowly got to her feet, brushing off her pants as she did.

"You can't—" Vindur began but stopped when she glared at him again. Those eyes just scared him so much. "Fine. Go and look for yourself if you're that determined."

Brushing past him she knelt down at the prisoner. She grabbed the strand of hair that fell out and rubbed it between her two fingers before using her other hand to pull off the hood.

* * *

"There she is!" Stray announced when he saw Eclipse standing at the keypad to her room late that night. The two had been waiting for her to get out of her last class in order to see what had happened. She seemed normal enough, which came as a rush of relief to FS who was the first one at her side.

"LE, what did the captain want to talk about?" the brunette asked.

Eclipse paused and punched in the last number in the sequence. She watched the door slide open before turning towards FS and the now running Stray. Her eyes were only a little bloodshot and her face slightly pale, but it was enough to make the boys worry. "LE, what happened? Oh no, not you too!"

"Relax, FS. I'm okay. I just need to lie down for a little bit." She turned back to her room, stopping the door before it could slide shut on her. "Really, I'll be fine. It's past curfew anyway."

"I don't care, Eclipse you look awful. C'mere." FS, followed closely by Stray, helped her through the doorway and sat her down on her bed. Stray ran to the bathroom to get a glass of water and then the trashcan a second later when Eclipse started getting sick. Eclipse thanked them weakly for the help and then took the water from Stray. She took a small sip, but spit it out again when another wave of nausea hit.

They sat with her through the whole ordeal. Stray would look outside the door every five minutes to make sure that the guards weren't coming for curfew. "Even if they do I'm staying," FS announced after Stray's sixth time at going to the door. Even though they were warm words to hear, Eclipse knew that he had no choice but to leave if the guard did come in.

She finally allowed Stray to go empty the trashcan into the toilet, offering a few hundred apologizes as he did. She wanted to do it herself, saying that it was her mess so she should clean it up, but Stray just forced her to sit back down and went about the business silently. He tossed out a newly wet washcloth to FS a second later who caught it and gave it to the redhead. She smiled weakly, but ended up blushing furiously when he put it on her forehead for her. "There, doesn't that feel better?" All she could do was nod.

"Hey FS, did you bring any kind of air freshener? It smells like vomit in here."

"I couldn't imagine why," FS joked, trying to lighten the mood a little. "You know I don't care about that kind of stuff. What about MR? He usually liked things smelling nice."

Eclipse's heart stopped. She figured that his name would come up eventually, but she was dreading the time that it did. While sitting in her Current Events class she was trying to decide whether or not to even tell them what had happened. She knew that it might make things easier later on, but after all that they had done for her tonight she was afraid that the news would turn them against her.

"Did he leave anything like that behind? I mean he did take his stuff right?" Stray asked.

Eclipse doubled over and almost wretched again, only the determination of not vomiting on FS kept her from doing so. Not to mention that she didn't have anything else left to throw up. "LE, I thought you were feeling better," FS stated, rubbing her back as she cradled her head between her knees.

"Did you want me to check the room?" Stray asked, coming over to sit on the other side of her. "Or did you honestly want to sit in this stench?"

Eclipse couldn't figure it out. Why were these two paying so much attention to her? Why were they being so nice? Haven't they only known her for a few days? Why? Why did that have to happen? She finally found true friends and then just took one of them away. "Why?" she screamed, unable to keep the tears from falling this time.

The two kept silent, figuring that she was just going to let out all the frustration and sadness that had plagued her for the past few hours. FS kept rubbing her back and Stray picked up the washcloth that fell upon the floor and put it on the back of her neck, brushing away some strands of her shoulder-length hair.

"Why are you being so nice to me? This is ridiculous! No, stop! Just stop!" She got to her feet, pushing them aside and turned to stand out in front of them. They stared at her wide-eyed, trying to figure out what her outburst was about. They looked at each other and then back at Eclipse.

"Eclipse, we—"

"I killed him! You have no right to be nice to me! I killed him! Don't you understand? He didn't leave, he didn't escape!" She was sobbing now; she just couldn't stop herself anymore. They had no right to treat her with such kindness. "It was me. I killed MR."

Only Eclipse's sobs could be heard in the room. It was as if every other person in the dorm had heard her confession and were joining FS and Stray in their shock. Neither of them spoke, which only caused Eclipse to cry even harder. She dropped to her knees and pounded her fists into the floor. "Stupid, stupid, stupid! This place is barbaric! What monsters thought up this kind of program! Why were we picked? No human should have to do that! I had no idea!"

For the first time that night, neither Stray nor FS knew what to do.

* * *

Eclipse debated whether or not to skip the morning workout. Needless to say she wasn't exactly up to doing that much after last night. Turning off her alarm she rolled over onto her side and just stared at the other wall.

Stray and FS left with a few words of comfort, but they were cut short when the guard finally came in and shooed them out. He said that they would all get harsher punishments than yesterday because technically it was the second time that they were all caught past curfew. Even though Eclipse believed that she was the one singled out last time, Stray said that he and FS had to wash the dishes after dinner along with having to finish three miles within twenty minutes. If they didn't they had to do three extra miles this morning. Stray said that neither of them made it.

The redhead heard the other trainees stirring and the loud clicking as the doors unlocked for the day. Many of the boys rushed out of their rooms for the bathroom, hoping to get there before a long line formed. Shaking her head, Eclipse was now glad that she didn't have to worry about anything like that.

She sighed sadly and turned onto her back, knowing that she should get up and change, but her legs just wouldn't move. Her abs were sore beyond belief even as she lie there. Images of last night flashed across her memory and none of them were pleasant. The only thing that she really remembered, besides Stray and FS's kindness, was the pain from dry heaving those long hours. Any other time she would've thought that her sore throat and dry mouth were unnatural, but not now. Drinking a lot of water and just waiting it out seemed to be her only option, but seeing as she still felt a little queasy, even that looked impossible. The crawly feeling in her stomach began to stir again as she thought about it. Turning towards the bathroom she waited for her body to tell her whether or not to make a dash for the toilet. Staring into the bathroom now she remembered how Stray willingly took care of her "mishaps" and then how FS sat next to her the whole time. They were so nice to her that night and she still couldn't understand why. _It must be that comradely in traumatic events thing, _she thought, finally forcing her legs over the edge of the bed once the queasy feeling finally faded away.

She walked over to her bathroom and held her breath, knowing that the smell would probably make her get sick again. There was a small window in the bathroom that she managed to push open, but the air wasn't exactly fresh. Eclipse wasn't sure which one she hated more.

Reaching down to turn on the faucet, she noticed a jar of some sort sitting on the edge of the sink. Seeing as last night was a bit of a haze, she wasn't surprised that she didn't remember putting it there. Turning it to see what it said she saw that there was no name, only instructions. "Take before every mobile suit training class and mission. Only then."

_Mobile suit training class? I don't have any of those, _Eclipse thought, turning the bottle around again to look for anything else. _And missions? What do they mean by that?_

Deciding to figure it out later she turned on the faucet and washed her face before finally getting into her workout clothes and walking out the door. Neither FS nor Stray was among the other trainees that morning. As much as she tried to convince herself that they must've started their three miles early, Eclipse started getting terribly nervous. Yesterday morning MR wasn't around and she ended up—

"LE!" Stray shouted, waving his hand wildly as he ran towards her. FS did the same behind him. They were both beat red and breathing heavily by the time that the reached Eclipse and collapsed upon the floor eager for a break.

"Ah, so you did start early," Eclipse stated, feeling a rush of relief as she did.

"We didn't have a choice," FS muttered, shifting over to lean against the wall. He took one long deep breath before resting both his head and arms on his upright knees.

"Well, that's what you get for staying up past curfew," Eclipse replied lightly, even offering a small smile at the end. Stray matched her smile and FS just shook his head, throwing his arms up in defeat.

"Lunar Eclipse, the Captain asked me to give this to you. It should have your new schedule as well as the key to your locker."

"New schedule? Locker? What are you talking about?"

"Everything should be in there, recruit. Oh, you're now exempt from morning workouts from here on out." The guard saluted and walked off before Eclipse could ask anymore questions.

She blinked, looked at the folder and then turned to her two friends who both offered a shrug. "On your feet recruits! Now's not the time to be taking a break. Maybe this'll teach you not to break so many rules." The boys jumped to their feet and saluted while Eclipse chuckled off to the side. They glared at her before following the mob of trainees to start their real workout.

With a sigh Eclipse punched in the number sequence on the keypad and sat down on her bed. She opened the folder and pulled out the papers inside. "Let's see what's different." She glanced over the schedule, but didn't bother to take the time to memorize it just yet; there was another piece of paper under the schedule that had caught her attention. It was a letter from the Captain himself.

_Lunar Eclipse,_

_Again I'd like to congratulate you on a job well done yesterday. Rarely do we see such protégées even among the normal recruits in the other Zaft facilities. On that note I'd like to specify that the real reason for this program is to strengthen such skills and make you as powerful as you can in both mind and body. That is why I have come up with a new schedule for you to follow. While the other one did stimulate the mind, I now know what you are capable of and feel that these classes will bring you closer to this ultimate goal. _

_Thanks to your current events class I'm sure that you understand what is going on with the war. The only thing that any of us want is to end this quickly with as few of casualties as possible. Hopefully you will be able to do that. _

_Enclosed is the key to your new locker in the locker room. I managed to find you one off in the corner so that you won't disturb the others and they won't disturb you. In there should be everything that you'll need from now on. If you need any other supplies just let an instructor know, but don't count on getting it soon. Most of your classes will be closer to the locker room than to your room so you might end up spending more time there than in your own quarters. _

_I'd like you to take the morning off and begin classes after lunch. I know that you probably have a lot on your mind so please use this time to figure things out because after today, your training will be ten times harder and will require a lot more out of you. _

_Congratulations,_

_Captain Vindur_

"Congratulations?" Eclipse repeated, wondering what she should be congratulated for. "Apparently killing someone deserves such high honors. But wait, did MR get the same new schedule? That would make sense as to why he wasn't at the workout that morning, but then why did he end up—" Eclipse paused, trying to put the pieces together. "He must've tried to escape, but was caught and for the punishment…." Eclipse cursed and threw the folder at the wall, letting the tears fall along with the papers. _MR didn't want to kill anymore people so he tried to escape and just because he wanted to save others instead of destroying them he himself was killed for disobeying. He probably had the morning off like I do and used the time to plan some kind of escape. Maybe I should try that. _

She stopped, knowing that such a thought is suicide and besides, she couldn't leave without Stray and FS. _But wait, that's it. Maybe if all three of us tried—No, No, No! Stop! That's suicide remember? The only thing that we can do is just survive this. Somehow we have to. _She saw the schedule on the ground and slowly picked it up, glancing over the new classes again. _Yes, we have to get through this together._

* * *

**_A/N: _**Hey, hope you like this chapter. I was looking along my little time line thingy and decided that (hopefully) there'll only be two more chapters until she finally meets the main SEED characters. I know that some of you are waiting for them to come in and don't worry, they'll get here soon. I hope this one didn't get a little redundant. It might just be me because my other stories are going along the same route, but if it is please let me know along with anything else that you think might need to be polished up.

Thank you all for your reviews. It really means a lot to me to know that you like the story and keeps me motivated to write more. Things'll start heating up here pretty quick so you have been warned. :)

Strata


	6. Then So Be It Part I

Then So Be It

The new classes in her schedule didn't scare Eclipse as much as the fact that this was probably the last time that she was going to spend any amount of quality time with her friends. She met Stray and FS for lunch, showing them what her new schedule consisted of. The looks on their faces ranged between awe and fear and Eclipse wasn't quite sure what to make of it. Perhaps they were thinking the same thing as she was and knew that seeing their redheaded friend might be next to impossible, but some of her classes were pretty, well, scary. Two of them consisted of torture methods and psychological warfare and the others ones were bound to be more advanced than her other ones. She was finally put into a mobile suit training class and just the thought of getting into the cockpit of one of those machines made those other ones seem indifferent.

It was her dream after all.

After everything that happened recently, Eclipse was surprised by her continued wish to pilot those things. Perhaps the need to defy her pacifist parents was still kicking in and drowning out the fact that if she was to get the chance to pilot one, she'd most likely be killing a lot more people. _But then again, _she thought as she waved good-bye to the others and headed off to her first class, _maybe I need the power. Perhaps I just want to keep the past from repeating itself. I definitely don't want anymore of my friends to get killed. _

Glancing down at the schedule in her hand and then up at the number on the door that she stopped at, Eclipse confirmed it to be her firearms class and stepped inside. Figuring it to be about the same as her previous one, Eclipse couldn't help it when a shocked expression replaced her cool and confident one.

There were only three others in the classroom.

_This is… strange, _the redhead thought and took the last seat next to a tall brunette with green eyes. He didn't look at her as she sat down and neither did the others in the room. Eclipse debated starting a conversation because the teacher wasn't even in the room yet, but the looks on their faces showed her that they really didn't want to make idle chitchat. Their eyes were focused forward and their backs straight up against the chair. Hands were folded out in front of them on the desks and their uniforms were so smooth that Eclipse thought they were nothing more than wax dolls placed in there to confuse her. The only thing that proved her wax theory wrong was the fact that their chests rose with every breath.

"Ah, so we finally have a new recruit in here."

Eclipse turned away from her classmates and almost literally came face-to-face with a short, stocky woman with short, blonde hair and amber eyes. She wore thin-rimmed glasses along with her lieutenant uniform. Her smile seemed so genuine that Eclipse sheepishly smiled back, but as soon as she noticed her coffee-stained teeth Eclipse involuntarily rubbed her tongue across her own pearly whites.

"I'm so glad that we're gettin' new blood in this classroom, and what d'ya know it's the only lass in this damn place. How fortunate. Tell me chica, how ya doin'?"

Eclipse stammered as she attempted to respond. The professor talked so fast that really all the redhead caught was the first and last word. She stuttered a little more before the professor finally turned away and walked back to her desk.

"Well, apparently we have a mute. That's quite unfortunate for any other trainin' program, but actually that's really good here. I mean who wants some lame private tellin' others what to do and mouthin' off to her superiors? And besides, all ye underlin's do are follow orders anyway. Who cares if ya can't do anythin' else?"

"I'm doing well, ma'am," Eclipse spoke up, the echo from her memory finally getting back to her eardrums.

The professor glanced at the girl and cocked her head to the side, as if deciding how to react. She obviously didn't expect the sudden outburst, seeing as the others had been silent throughout the entire exchange and probably had been since the first day of the class. "Tell me, Lunar Eclipse is it? Did I ask ya to speak?"

"Yes you did ma'am when you asked me how I was doing."

"Oh? Did I tell ya directly to respond?"

"Doesn't every question deserve a response, ma'am? Isn't that why you asked it?"

"I think I liked ya better as a mute, Eclipse so I advise ye to either act like one or we'll make ya one permanently."

Eclipse was sure that was just an open threat and even the way her eyes glimmered as she said it showed that there was more humor than realism in the statement. However, the others next to her held their breath anyway. Eclipse heard them gasp as soon as she started the threat. _Perhaps she's more than meets the eye, _Eclipse mused, watching her carefully as she went about getting out a few things for the class.

The class ironically was just about the same as her other firearms class. The officer, named Lieutenant Ameria, started off going through the various kinds of handguns before having them migrate over to the shooting range to try out the weapons that she demonstrated. The other boys remained silent throughout the whole three hours, but Eclipse never really figured out why. The lieutenant never did or say anything to make Eclipse feel the need to be so soldier-like.

"Next class we'll get into rocket launchers," Lieutenant Ameria stated once the time was up. "Good class today, recruits. Even though some of ya are havin' a hell of a time with your aimin', ye all have pretty steady hands." The four of them just nodded, barely hearing what she just said. Eclipse just wished she'd talk slower. "Oh and before ya leave, Eclipse I need to talk to ya."

Eclipse sighed, liking the special treatment before, but this time around she was getting pretty tired of being singled out. Waiting silently for the others to leave, Eclipse couldn't help but smile inwardly. Perhaps the lieutenant wanted to mention how much she admired the way Eclipse stood up for herself before.

"C'mere, kid."

Eclipse nodded and walked up to the woman, vaguely noticing her. Instead she focused on the targets behind her and how one of the professors stepped in to get a little practice of his own. For some reason Eclipse just didn't seem too worried about what Lieutenant Ameria was going to say.

How vain.

Instead of the pat on the back that she was expecting, the lieutenant wound up and slapped Eclipse hard across her right cheek. Eclipse's expression started out as shocked but then quickly changed to fury the moment she figured out what had happen. Once the initial sting subsided she turned back to the officer and just scowled.

That awarded her a whack to the other cheek.

"Someone will teach ya obedience yet, girl. I don't give a damn if ye were asked a question or if ya were spit directly in the face. Unless told, ye are never to speak, got that? I'll never tolerate such behavior next time round so it'd probably be wise to remember that I run a _firearms _class. Ya little brats mean nothing to me so why should I care if one of my pistols "accidentally" went off and hit a recruit? Just remember what ye are, girl. No one likes a talkin' weapon."

Eclipse wasn't sure how to react. So many smart remarks rained into her mind, but none of them seemed to open the floodgate and come out. The lieutenant narrowed her eyes, waiting for a salute, but snorted and turned before Eclipse could even register that she was scowling.

"Go to your next class, girl. I'm through with ye til tomorrow."

* * *

The psychological warfare and torture method classes went about as well as the firearms one. The same three other kids were with her and Eclipse was finally starting to figure out what was going on. Apparently only those who were deemed "worthy" were allowed into these classes. She was surprised that only three other recruits managed to make it this far. It seemed as if there should've been more, but then again they really haven't been in this facility for long.

Learning a small lesson from the first class, Eclipse used the other's methods of sitting still and keeping her mouth shut. However, while the other classes were mainly in classrooms, her next class was in the mobile suit hangar, so being stoic might not work out as well this time.

"We'll start off with you rewriting the OS on these GINNs according to different scenarios. Each of you find a suit and get to work. There should be a total of five so once you're finished just go ahead and come back down. After everyone's finished we'll evaluate your work and then get to the real training." This officer was nothing like the previous once, but then again everyone here tended to be "more than meets the eye".

He only looked a little older than she was.

He stood to be about 6'0 and wore a tight, black muscle shirt showing off his athletic build. If none of the teenage girls in his hometown swooned whenever he came in sight then Eclipse had a poor sense of beauty. She swallowed a few times to keep herself from blushing when his eyes rested on her. Gorgeous golden orbs seemed to make the rest of his figure seem insignificant. They may have locked glances for only a split second, but Eclipse felt as if she had been holding her breath for at least five minutes. Even FS's eyes ranked second compared to them.

She had no idea how she would concentrate.

"Now, go and find a mobile suit and begin. We have a lot of things to get through." Everyone, Eclipse included after a short hesitation, saluted and went to one of the lifts in front a GINN. The mobile suit itself was nothing special. Being one of the very first prototypes, it had all the classic armaments like the MMI-MBA3 machine gun and MA-M3 heavy blade to slice the enemy when the bullets didn't finish them off first. It resembled a standing human (about 70ft tall) with large shoulder guards and wings for the boosters. The head looked like a human wearing both a helmet and a gas mask, at least that's what Eclipse always thought that it appeared to be. There was a large red light right under the helmet and above the mask that was the main camera. She remembered hearing about some traumatized victims not being able to get that horrid orb out of their head even at night.

It was always following them.

The redhead pulled the lever reading "Up" and waited restlessly as it inched its way to the cockpit. Her excitement, no longer feigned, seemed to take over her very being. A small giggle exited her lips once she saw the seat and gadgets inside the mobile suit. Not being able to control herself, Eclipse rubbed her hand over the frame of the opening before turning and sitting on the seat. She giggled again and absently fiddled with the levers and buttons. She never moved any, fearing her punishment if she did, but just took that moment to digest what was going on.

She was finally inside.

A manila folder was slipped between two of the levers in the upper right corner of her vision. After a few more moments, Eclipse grabbed it and opened it slowly, pulling out its contents. The first page held some instructions how to get into the operating system itself and then the others under it gave her different scenarios ranging from desert sands to anti-gravity situations. Each one had an army of Earth forces weaponry and the different forms that they could come in as well as the different patterns that they could be set up. The possibilities were endless. She looked at each of them with awe and giggled again.

"Why haven't any of you started yet? I said hurry up! This is no time to gawk at the machinery. You'll learn how they tick another time. Right now do as you're told!"

Eclipse swallowed before reaching over to her right and pulling down a keyboard. The screen above it flashed blue and then went through a series of configurations on its own. Eclipse watched silently, following the instructions in the folder only after the screen flashed yellow twice, as it was supposed to.

_So the first scenario is swampland huh? And we're sneaking up on a small military base consisting of ten tanks, two anti-aircraft guns, and four rocket launchers. About 100 in the base and I'm alone. Well, this'll be easy, _the recruit thought, placing her fingers on the keyboard after taking a breath to steady herself. _Here it goes._

Her hands moved only as fast as her eyes would allow, but even that seemed unnaturally quick. Then again, she was a coordinator. Each and every configuration of substance flickered in and out of her mind making her feel more like a computer than an actual human being. _The resistance of the pedal and arm levers should be adjusted according to the gravity as well as the booster output. Balance indicators need to be fixed based on the soft ground. Calibration adjusted 1.6 degrees. Night vision offline, but switch the main camera on. Motion detectors and heat sensors activated. Distribute more weight onto the core rather than the feet to keep me from slipping. Joint pressure equal in both legs. Increase both arm and leg speed. Detach the beam saber from the main battery and attach the beam rifle. Decrease the power output on the rifle. I'm not going to need that much fire power if I'm going to snipe most of them. Attach beam saber to spare battery. Temperature in the cockpit stable at 70 degrees. Oxygen levels normal. _

The list continued on and only in a matter of minutes was she finally done with the whole thing. Before she even clicked the "Finished" button on her screen, her mind was going through the next scenario.

Eclipse finished the other four just as fast as the first one and felt a huge rush of pride when she realized that she was the first one done. Poking her head out of the cockpit first, the redhead walked out onto her lift and pushed the lever that would make the machine descend.

"Well done, recruit," the young officer praised. Eclipse saluted, but barely managed to keep the smirk off her lips.

The other three came down in the next few minutes and the officer (Eclipse only then realized that she didn't know his name) went over to what looked like the main computer. She noticed the large electrical chords connecting the machine to the GINNs and figured that was the only thing it could be.

The four of them stood in a line off to the side, watching the man in silence, but the eagerness could still be seen in their eyes. He went through the scenarios of each machine offering only a few nods or shakes of his head as evidence of what he was thinking. It took him about a half hour to go through everything. (Luckily at about fifteen minutes into it he remembered that the recruits were still standing and told them to find a seat.) Once he was finished he walked over to the group, ordered them to stand, and gave them his results.

"Not bad at your first time trying this sort of thing although I'm sure you've all had previous training with operating systems, so I'm a little disappointed. There are two that didn't meet the standards required so you guys will be going through even more scenarios. Hopefully after a few dozen more you'll learn what to fix and what not to. The two that move on will head over to our main mechanic. He may only be an Ensign, but I know for a fact that he can take any mobile suit, tear it apart, and put it back together just the way it was. Once he's done with you hopefully you'll have that same knowledge." The officer paused and turned to respond to a private that had just given him a message. They saluted each other and he had already read through the paper before the private even left the hangar. "I have just been informed that this class will end promptly at 7:30am tomorrow morning. Now, I know what you're all thinking," he continued before the four of them could complain. (Not like they would anyway. They were too afraid of the punishment.) "This sounds really harsh right now, but think about it. When you finally become a real soldier, you will have to endure nights with only a few hours of sleep and even ones with no sleep at all. There is no such thing as an assigned time to attack the enemy so you must be ready for everything at any time.

"This kind of thing will happen every now and then. It's not on a set schedule, so even I don't know the exact days that this'll be extended, but just know that it will happen. Being one of the most important classes, I guess it's not surprising that our superiors decided this. Oh, while we're taking about specifics I guess I should inform you that as the class moves along, we will be getting more and more recruits. I'm sure you all know why each of you have this new schedule and you should know that you are the first group to come here. I realize that two of you have had this schedule since you first arrived, but we needed at least four to start up this class. You'll know why later on." He paused while he scratched the bottom on his chin, as if trying to remember what he was going to say next.

Eclipse wasn't sure what to make of this guy. He seemed too nice to be at this place and way too young, but here he was being the head of the most important class here. She just didn't get it. What made him so special?

"Well, I forgot what I was going to say next so we'll just move on with the rest of the training. I believe I told you that two of you are going to have to do more scenarios correct?" They all nodded. "Good. Well, Crimson Typhoon and Lunar Eclipse can meet Ensign Miato over there." He turned and pointed beyond the computer to two GINNs in the corner. Eclipse even thought she could see part of a BuCUE lying next to them. The machine BuCUE was typically a ground mobile suit resembling a cat. It ran on all fours which made it extremely fast and the rocket launchers on its back along with the beam saber in its mouth made it just as deadly as any GINN. She had never seen one before in person, but had studied enough pictures to recognize the machine when she saw it. "Avalanche and Despair get back in your GINNs and await my instructions." Each one saluted and went to their respective areas.

* * *

Like promised, the class ended promptly at 7:30am. The young officer, now known to be the Captain's nephew Roan, ended up retiring around 3:00am when both Avalanche and Despair finally finished the scenarios well enough to pass. Ensign Miato took over once he left, but slept most of the time instead of keeping an eye on them. He had given Eclipse and Crimson Typhoon instructions as well as tips to get them started on the BuCUE parts, but needless to say they had no idea what they were doing. He woke up briefly to teach Despair and Avalanche a few things, but just went back to sleep after that.

The four of them had had previous experience with machinery in their military weaponry class, but because they left that class early, really all they could rely on were the blueprints provided and their own intuition. Eclipse started getting pissed around 4:30am when she failed to wire the BuCUE's main camera correctly for the fourth time and even went as far as throwing her wire cutters onto the ground at Miato's feet. The Ensign didn't stir which made Eclipse even angrier. She debated waking him up, but when she was going through it the fifth time, she found out that one of the wires was dead. As soon as she replaced that one everything else fell into place.

The others fared about as well as she did and they were beginning to feel pretty good about themselves until Ensign Miato woke up at 6:00am and looked things over. Avalanche welded a piece of metal over a gash so terribly that the ensign pulled it off with his bare hands. Eclipse didn't' even think that was possible. Crimson Typhoon did just as bad when he screwed up the main machine guns. Instead of shooting out, the bullets were shooting backwards into the barrel. How he managed that one no one knows. Despair only missed a few wires when he was attaching one of the legs to the body and even though Eclipse took a few accidental shortcuts, all the cameras would've worked fine in combat. Miato managed to stay awake for the remaining hour and a half and went over a few more basics concerning ammo and how to mount it before dismissing them.

Eclipse went to the locker room to get her things and ended up showering after the other three left. Figuring that going back to her room would be a waste of time, she headed straight for the dining hall instead. Having gotten there so late, she saw Stray and FS as they were leaving and exchanged a few words, but really nothing more than "good morning" and "good-bye." Being on the new schedule, Eclipse's first class didn't officially start until 8:15am while Stray and FS's still began at 7:45am. After a final wave she grabbed a bowl of cereal and finished it before heading off to her first class of the day, code breaking.

She never knew how exhausted she was until she got about a half hour into the class. The other three were dragging about as much as she was, but of course the instructor wasn't about to take pity on them. He continued to threaten them saying that if they didn't finish their sequences within a certain time limit he was going to enforce some kind of punishment. At first they took him seriously, but when the class was nearing the end and none of them got as much as a slap on the wrists, his words just kind of faded away.

Her next class, computer hacking, started at 10:15am. Being one of the "Either you got it or you didn't" classes like the code breaking one, it ended after only two hours. She ate a light lunch and went straight to her firearms class. Lieutenant Ameria was once again in a "pleasant" mood so needless to say, the class was terribly boring. They moved on to the shooting range once she finished talking about the sniper rifle and had them try hitting some targets with both the rifle and the rocket launcher. Once satisfied, Ameria had them finish off the class with the common handgun, determined to make them expert marksman.

By this time Eclipse was nearing a full-body shutdown. How she kept walking she honestly had no idea, but her mind was obviously not among the living. With eyes glazed over she survived her torture methods and psychological warfare classes well enough to not get in trouble. Literally stumbling into class (Who knew that cracks could just jump up at you and make you fall?), Commander Roan took a little compassion and dismissed them at 12:30am instead of 1:30am, confident that they were making progress and that the extra hour wouldn't make that much of a difference.

None of them complained.

Eclipse didn't even bother going into the locker room, knowing that she'd just fall down upon the bench and sleep there if she did. Instead she went straight back to her room. Somehow she found a sudden burst of energy as she was walking and decided to go and visit Stray and FS after her shower since she had a little time before they got back.

Sitting on the toilet with a cold washcloth on her face to keep her awake, Eclipse finally heard the other recruits coming back and rushed out to her door. She paused before opening it, listening for Stray and FS. Even though it was so late, they always seemed to be the ones still talking and joking around.

She didn't hear them.

Eclipse listened harder, but soon the voices were fading away and doors were beginning to shut. Knowing that the guard wouldn't be around for about another hour (Even though technically they were supposed to check rooms at one they never actually got around to it until two or two-thirty.), she slid open her door and walked down to their room.

She knocked softly at first, but after five or six knocks she figured that a little more force was a risk well-worth taking.

Still, nothing happened.

Eclipse started to panic. She hated living everyday in the constant fear that one day her friends would disappear like this, but right now fear was all that she could succumb to. Stray and FS were obviously not in their room so where could they be? There was really only one answer to that question, but Eclipse tried to come up with at least four more in order to calm herself down. _Bathroom. Maybe they're there, or even talking to an instructor. How about someone else's room? I'm not their only friend of course. Hell, they could even be such sound sleepers that they didn't hear me. _

She wasn't convinced.

_I'll just sit here and wait for them. Yeah, that's what I'll do. They'll be back soon, I know it. _She nodded to herself and slid down against the door, sitting on the cold floor and leaning back again the wall. _I'll just wait. _

Eclipse wasn't sure when they came back, only that they did. She had fallen asleep almost as soon as she hit the floor, but of course didn't realize that until it was far past curfew. When she opened her eyes all the lights were out in the hallway and the lights above the doors were red, but only on a select few. She never noticed that until now and even looking down the hallway at her own, she saw that it still remained green. At first she started to panic again, thinking that the green light meant that she wasn't in her room when she was supposed to be, but then remembered that the red light only meant the door was locked. _Do I not have a curfew anymore? _she asked herself, rubbing the last bit of sleep out of her eyes.

After another moment she lifted her arms up and stretched, feeling something slip down them as she did. _Huh? _ Blinking her eyes again, she grabbed some sort of fabric and brought it up so that she could see it. It was a blanket. _Huh? _she thought again and tried to force her sleep-hungry brain to work. Finally she remembered why she was on the floor in the first place. _FS! Stray! _She bolted to her feet and turned to the door knocking loudly once, but then stopped herself the second time. _Should I wake them up? _

Answering the question for her, Stray slid the door open and yawned widely. "What are you still doing here? I thought you went back to your room by now."

Eclipse blinked, looked down at the blanket and then back at the silver-haired boy. "Wait, you put this on me?"

"No, FS did, but I'll take the credit anyway." He outstretched his hand and after a few seconds of hesitation Eclipse gave him the blanket.

"Hey, where were you guys?"

"Huh? When?"

"Just a few hours ago."

"What do you mean? We've been here the whole time."

"No you haven't. I knocked on your door around one and neither of you answered."

"Ah, well we sleep like bricks."

"Then why did you open the door after only one knock this time?"

"Huh? Oh, I was getting up to get a drink."

"Oh." Eclipse paused, thinking that something seemed a little off, but she was too tired to figure out what. "Fine, I'll go to bed then. See you guys tomorrow."

Stray smiled and waved before shutting the door, leaving Eclipse to walk back to her room alone. He leaned back once he closed it and listened carefully. Only until he heard her door open and shut did he finally sigh and walk back to his bed. "How you doing?" he asked, sitting down on the edge and looking over at the huddled figure in the corner.

"I've been better," FS replied, swallowing back another rush of nausea. "Tell me Stray, how are you so calm?"

Stray chuckled lightly and then shrugged. "Perhaps I'm just putting up a front for you, ever thought of that?"

FS paused and chuckled as well. "Well, if you are than thanks."

"Heh, no problem, pal." He smiled warmly. A small silence passed between them before he finally got up and walked over to sit down next to FS, hugging his knees. "Are you sure you didn't want her to come in? Probably would've been more help then either of us could be to each other."

"Yeah, you're probably right, but I really don't want her to see us like this, or at least to see me like this. We're supposed to be the strong ones here."

"Maybe so, but even the strongest people have weak moments."

"She'd never outright say it, but I'm sure she terrified."

"Aren't we all? Think about it. What we're having to go through now, _knowing_ what we're going to go through in the future and then wondering if we'll even be there _for_ a future is haunting each and every one of us. No one is exempt, not even us. You saw what Eclipse's classes were. We'll have to start those tomorrow and I don't know about you, but having a class like torture methods doesn't exactly make me think that we're going through all of this just to end up planting new trees on earth."

"I know, Stray. I'm not saying that I'm not scared. In fact I'm probably more terrified than even Eclipse is, but I know now that there's no way we can get out of here. MR tried that and he ended up getting killed. The only thing that we can do is get through this and I have to show Eclipse that we can do it, even if I have to act."

"So, how do you propose we do that?"

"I'm not sure yet."

"Well, when you find the answer, let me know." The two in the corner looked up to see Eclipse standing in their doorway. They never remembered hearing it open and Stray could've sworn that he locked it from the inside once he shut it. They turned to each other and then looked up at her, but neither of them said anything. Instead she spoke once she shut the door.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"Tell you what?" Stray asked, deciding to get to his feet. He figured that acting normal was his best option since Eclipse was already in the room.

"Don't treat me like I'm some idiot. It may have taken my sluggish brain a while to figure it out, but I'm here now so quit playing games. You didn't think that the green light above your door wasn't a big enough hint?"

"Well, you didn't seem to notice it before," Stray stated matter-of-factly.

Eclipse hung her head. "And for that I'm sorry."

FS sighed and got to his feet as well, getting a little help from Stray. "Eclipse, we're okay, really we are. Please go back to your room and rest. I know you didn't get any sleep last night and even now you're swaying as you stand there. Please, just go."

"No."

"C'mon, Eclipse. You're being stupid," Stray pressed, being a little more blunt than his roommate.

"Being stupid? That's what I told you two the other night, but you still stayed and now you just plan on kicking me out? You left me with all that debt and now you won't even let me help you when you need it?"

"Debt? Eclipse you have no debt to us. We wanted to do that, so please, get some rest you look exhausted," FS pleaded.

"You told me that we were in this thing together, FS. You told me that we had to stick close to each other in order to survive and now you're just telling me to walk away?"

FS didn't remember saying any of that. Somehow, he figured, Eclipse must've mixed her own thinking in with the incidents of the night. Remembering what happened, he wasn't surprised that her facts were a little hazy and didn't hold it against her. Instead of getting into it, the brunette answered her last question calmly. "Yes we are. Don't you understand what it'll mean if they catch you in here again? Eclipse you're in enough trouble as it is. If you get another offense what do you think'll happen?" Stray, using FS statement as some kind of cue, walked toward her, grabbed her arm and pushed her back towards the door.

"I don't care."

"Yes you do," Stray said.

"No I don't."

"Well, if you don't care about yourself then think about what would happen to us. We may not have gotten any punishment last time, but we could get killed this time. Eclipse you could end up shooting us is that what you want?" Stray said it so lightly that Eclipse found herself wanting to slap him across the face. She knew he was right, but she just felt so helpless. They were so nice to her and took care of her, but they didn't even want her to return the favor. They wanted to kick her out. All she wanted was to help.

Because they were all she had.

"Isn't there anything that—"

"Just take care of yourself," FS cut in, moving to sit down on his bed when his legs started shaking again. Of course he'd never let Eclipse notice.

"But—" Eclipse started again, but this time Stray put a finger to her lips and pushed her out the open door.

"Please, we'll be fine." One last warm smile and they were gone.

Eclipse just stood staring at the door, still struggling with whether or not she should break in again. The code wasn't hard and she figured that since none of them had a curfew anymore it really wouldn't matter how long she stayed.

That was until the guard started his rounds.

Eclipse was getting tired of those random appearances which always seemed to be at the wrong time. For some reason she just couldn't shake the feeling that someone out there was trying to constantly get her into trouble. Even though she was sure that the guard wouldn't accuse her of being out past curfew, standing at the door of another recruit's might get her a few miles the next morning.

But the guard turned and walked the other way.

Eclipse just stood there for a second, her mind turning cartwheels as she tried to digest it all.

She didn't get caught.

The redhead wasn't sure if it was done on purpose or just an ironic change of luck, but either way she knew not to waste it. Taking one last look at the door and hearing someone wretch into the trashcan, Eclipse felt her own stomach churn. However, it was because of guilt and not sickness.

* * *

**_A/N: _**Uh yeah, sorry about how long it is. My intention was to make just a huge chapter wrapping up the training and it just so happened that I did. This is actually only part of it. The whole chapter ended up being over 8,000 words and I didn't think any of you actually wanted to sit and read that much so I broke it in half. Actually 6,000 words isn't much better, but there really wasn't any other area to stop it.

Anyway, like I said I finished the chapter so after a few more adjustments I'll put that one up too and then on to the main story! Yay!

Thanks again for all the support. My head has been buzzing with ideas lately and it's all thanks to you guys. A special shout-out to Death-Scimitar because I'd really be no where without her.

Well, enough with the mushy stuff. I hope you enjoyed this chapter and even though it was long, if you didn't get bored that's all that matters to me. Feel free to review and don't worry if you don't like something, or there's a mistake. Just let me know and I'll look into it.

Strata


	7. Then So Be It Part II

Her internal alarm clock taking hold, Eclipse woke up in time for the morning workout even though she knew she didn't have to do that anymore. Her body may have just gone through a sleepless night, but her mind still felt the need to wake her up at such a ridiculous time. She groan loudly, threw her arms up in disgust and flopped back down on her bed after she sat up to see what time it was.

No matter how tired she was or how sore her muscles were, Eclipse could not go back to sleep. She guessed that she had gotten only about three hours at the most and that realization alone made her groan again. She had no idea when her body had gotten used to the lack of sleep, but so far it didn't seem to be affecting her. Before this whole program began, she was getting at least seven hours and sometimes even that wasn't enough. "Who cares. It doesn't matter," she muttered to herself and swung her feet around to land soundlessly on the floor.

Eclipse spent the rest of the early morning in her room lounging around as well as taking another look at that medicine she had gotten the other day. She hadn't taken a pill yet even though she was supposed to during the past two mobile suit classes. The Commander didn't seem to notice or even know since he never brought it up.

Maybe it didn't matter.

She went down to breakfast after the other recruits left and had something light before heading off to her first class. Code breaking was once again another boring and mindless two hours. However, noting their progress, their instructor felt that they would be able to move onto a different subject the next day. Eclipse didn't expect this, figuring that all the classes stayed the same forever, but couldn't help but feel a bit of relief with the statement. "Of course we'll come back to this," the instructor informed them. "We don't want your skills getting rusty now."

The computer hacking class ended the same way. The instructor felt that they were advanced enough to move onto something else. This time Eclipse found it strange. She had only started the class yesterday and they were already moving on to something else. _Coordinators are just that skilled, _she decided at length and just shrugged it off, making her way down to the dining hall.

Neither FS nor Stray was at lunch, but when she saw them in the firearms classroom she felt a smile curl up her lips. They didn't say anything as she sat down and neither did the other three that came in after her. Each of them stayed silent until the lieutenant walked through the door, but exchanged glances when six others followed her in. They took the seats around them and Ameria started the class. Eclipse was surprised by the amount of new recruits that had made it that far and only after one night.

Perhaps her superiors were getting a tad restless.

The class went by as usual. The lieutenant reviewed most of the weaponry that they had gone through previously to get the others up to speed and then took them over to the shooting range to try them out. After about an hour into the practice, Ameria called Eclipse over. The redhead set down her gun, took off the headphones and glasses, and then walked over to her. She was leaning against the only wooden desk in the room, and watching the others carefully. Occasionally she'd shout a few orders and corrections, but she never really got up to help. Apparently she wanted them to figure things out for themselves. "Yes, ma'am?"

"Ah, Eclipse, yes. I want ya to do somethin' for me." Eclipse nodded and took another step forward. The woman stepped aside and motioned for Eclipse to stand next to the desk. "Put a hand on the desk; any hand will do."

"Ma'am?"

"Do as I say, kid."

"Y-yes ma'am," Eclipse stuttered, trying to get some answers by looking into the blonde's eyes, but found nothing. She hesitated a second longer before finally placing her right hand palm down on the wooden surface. "What now—"

Ameria didn't give her chance to finish the statement. She pulled her pistol from its holster at her hip, cocked it, and fired all within the breath that Eclipse took to say those two words.

No one turned to regard them at first, so used to the random firing during the practice. The first one to see was Avalanche. He dropped his gun as soon as he saw Eclipse clutching her hand and nudged Despair next to him. So it went on down the line until FS and Stray got the news and actually ran over to see what had happened.

"I told ya that someone would teach ye obedience yet, girl, and if this doesn't then ye a hopeless cause. Ye are on ya way to bein' an elite soldier so it's about time that ya started actin' like one. When rules are given ya, ye are supposed to follow them. There's no such thin' as stretchin' or bendin' here so what the words say are law. Ya were lucky time. If I coulda I woulda killed ya the first time you stepped foot through my door."

Eclipse didn't hear anything of what she said. Even though she actually took the time to slow down and punctuate every word, Eclipse was too far gone to notice. All she could feel was pain. It was in her very being drowning out anything and everything that tried to penetrate it.

There was nothing but red hot pain.

_What happened? How did it happen? Why did it happen? Pain. Such pain. My hand. Busted. Broken. Ruined. Pain. Blood. Lots of blood. Will I die? What'll happen next? Why did she? Caught. Yesterday. I was caught. Pain. Cold. It feels cold. My hand. My right hand. How will I write? How will shoot? How will I protect? Pain. Such hot pain. Make it stop. White. Dizzy. I'm getting so dizzy. Go away! Make the pain go away!_

Eclipse wanted to scream, to cry, anything to release the hurt that was knotted in her stomach. Anything to feel some kind of release, but she'd never do it. Blinking back tears and biting her bottom lip Eclipse looked up at the lieutenant; glared at her smug smirk.

No, she'd never give her the pleasure of seeing her cry.

* * *

Eclipse spent the rest of the day in the infirmary listening to the doctor's diagnosis and instructions on how to help it heal; apparently the recruits were required to handle all their injuries. The wound was serious by all accounts, but if Eclipse did everything that she was supposed to, she would regain full function within two months. The doctor warned her of possible side effects like limited endurance or frequent cramping, but Eclipse was just happy that she'd be able to use it again.

Walking back to her room, arm in a sling and a club for a hand, Eclipse ignored the whispers that erupted as she went by. It was obvious that they were talking about her, but right now she didn't care.

Roan had let the others out of their class early again after the new recruits all finished their scenarios with "flying colors," so this time it was FS and Stray waiting for Eclipse to get back. She smiled sheepishly at them, but they didn't seem amused.

"This has got to stop," Stray stated and FS nodded.

"I agree," Eclipse chimed in, waiting to hear some announcement of a coup.

"I figured out what we have to do," FS began and Eclipse waited impatiently for him to continue. "We can't keep doing this."

"I think so too. We need to—"

"I'm being moved to a different room," Stray cut in, closing his eyes as he sighed. "Apparently there's some open dorms and they're trying to give each recruit their own space."

"Probably to keep them from doing what we did," FS stated, mimicking Stray's sigh.

Eclipse paused, not really knowing what they were talking about. "Wait, what did we do?"

"We formed a friendship," Stray explained. "Our superiors were afraid of that. They were afraid what kind of a force that we could be in the future so they tried to break it and to keep the others from trying the same thing. Why do you think they pulled that stunt in front of so many people?" His eyes moved to her arm in the sling.

The redhead hung her head, realizing it too. "So, what did you have in mind then?"

Neither of them responded for a moment, but just looked at each other. It was obvious that neither of them wanted to say it. Only a second later did they nod, as if verifying that it was the correct decision. "We have to get through this thing alone. There is no "together" anymore. You see—" FS stopped, almost like he was choking back tears. "It's because of us that that happened to you and we don't want it to happen again."

"No! It was my fault! I was the one—"

"Eclipse listen. We don't want to get you hurt and we don't want to get each other hurt either. The only solution is to split up and do things our own way." Stray sighed again, casting a side glance at FS. He knew that this would be difficult to swallow and even told FS so, but the brunette was convinced that this was the only path open to them.

"No! We'll just be more careful next time. I was careless. I thought that—"

"Please Eclipse. There's no other way." FS reached out and placed a hand on her shoulder, but she swatted it away.

"I said no! We'll escape. Get out of here. We can do it!"

"Would you listen to yourself? Wasn't MR's sacrifice enough for you? Doing something like that would be suicide and I have no plans of dying in a place like this." FS looked at Stray again and sighed when the silver-haired boy looked away. He didn't like this situation either.

"But you guys are the only thing…." She couldn't finish.

"This is good-bye Eclipse, but only for now. Hopefully when we all get out of here we'll hook up again. Maybe even do things our own way. But for now, we have to stay away. Is that understood?" Both Stray and Eclipse nodded but kept their eyes averted.

FS sighed one last time and pulled them into one-armed hugs. "This is the only way. I don't want to see either of you die."

"You'd better both make it," Stray said, giving Eclipse and FS hugs in return. He masked his own sorrow pretty well, Eclipse observed, and wished that she was just as skilled.

The redhead couldn't speak. Her throat was too dry to make any words come out, but for some reason her eyes were flooding with water. If only some of that moisture could make her voice work. She had so much that she wanted to say.

FS and Stray just turned to her and smiled warmly. They knew what she was thinking.

They always did.

* * *

Eclipse left her friends as soon as the guard started coming around for bed checks. She muttered a few soft good-byes and promises to make it through to the end, but she could never convince herself of anything that she said. She didn't mean it when she said good-bye, or when she said that she'd make it to the end alive, because she honestly didn't think that she would.

She just didn't mean any of it.

She walked over to her bed and sat down, looking sadly at her mangled hand. A rough road was definitely ahead and there was no end in sight, only a far off horizon. The next two months were going to be difficult, terribly difficult. If she wasn't harassed for her incompetence before she surely would be now. Learning to use her left hand was her only option.

For the first time in what seemed like months, Eclipse thought about her journal and reached under the bed to pick it up, wincing only slightly when her body folded over her hand. She set it on her lap and flipped through the pages, stopping at each entry momentarily. There were some from her childhood, but as she read through them, she realized how naïve she was back then. Hoping that she didn't have that kind of immaturity now, she found her most recent ones and read them, but realized that the naivety still ran deep. Sighing she turned to the next open page and found a pen lying on her desk. She uncapped it and placed it in her left hand, feeling awkward, but knew she had no choice.

_I know I haven't written in a while and for that I'm sorry. A lot has happened since my last entry. You know how MR was so terrified that one night? Well, come to find out he killed a man and the next day I ended up doing the same thing. But mine wasn't just some random guy._

_I killed MR._

_I'm still really shaken up about that, but I try not to show it. I don't think I'll ever really get over it. Sorry, but I can't write anything more on it yet. It's still a very sore subject._

_I honestly didn't know what I was thinking when I saw him walk in that night. Did I think that he just stubbed his toe or something? How blind I was. I was just as blind to that as I was to this facility. I don't know what possessed me to think that everything would be fine in the end._

_It's not._

_If things continue like they are, no one's going to be the same when they leave and the worst thing about it is, we have no choice. It's our life, our feelings, but none of that matters. We're tools; weapons of war. I guess I never really understood what Captain Vindur was talking about that first day until now._

_We really are going to be mindless machines._

_Anyway, back to more recent events. I broke another curfew rule last night (That made it three times) and for that I was shot in the hand today in my firearms class. It was my right hand so this entry is all with my left. Sorry if it's sloppy. I should get my full motion back, but it'll take a lot of work. I wonder if I'll be killed because I can't do as much as I used to. Oh well, it doesn't really matter anymore. We all live to die right?_

_FS and Stray have decided that the only way we can all get through this thing alive is to go our separate ways. As much as I wanted to just yell in their faces telling them that was the wrong choice, I just couldn't. They're right._

_So now I'm alone._

_I have to stick it out by myself._

_I won't cry, I'll tell you that now and I'll keep my promise. I will become stronger and make it out of here alive, no matter how much I feel like dying at this moment. I promised them that I would survive and I'm determined to keep that promise._

_I will._

_If things are going to be harder from now on, then so be it._

_I won't give in. _

_Lunar Eclipse_

* * *

**_A/N: _**Well, as promised here's the second half of the chapter, and it was put up pretty quickly too! Woot! I envy the people who are able to sit down and write whole chapters, edit them, and then put them up within a day. Truly amazing if you ask me. Anyway, as I mentioned in my other note, now we're going to get into the main story. I hope you all enjoyed the training facility and pray it wasn't either too gruesome or long and boring for your tastes. As much as I wanted to make it shorter, I knew it had to be in there because it sets up the rest of the story.

Well, thanks for reading it and bearing with me. I know there are probably a few people out there that really wanted to get into the real characters so I'll just say "Thanks for hanging in there and your wait will be over very soon!"

Please review if you read it. I know this may sound a little selfish, but I really like feedback. I know that I have a few loyal reviewers out there and I can't thank them enough. I really do take all your suggestions to heart and go back to fix my grammar mistakes if you mention them. I like to now what everyone thinks because every person is different and has different tastes. If some parts were too graphic or not graphic enough, let me know. .

Thanks for reading!

Strata


	8. The Protege

The Protégée

"I'm so glad that you could make it, sir. I must admit that I was getting a little anxious when no one from higher up was coming to observe our progress." Vindur motioned the commander to sit down on the chair provided. The captain was nervous, to say the least. No matter how much he had envisioned how this day would turn and went through every little detail, he still felt that the plan wasn't perfect. He had received a letter the previous week informing him that a commanding officer would be stopping in and since then he upped the training schedules of the recruits. He didn't want them looking as if they weren't well-trained. That would've shown his own failures as well.

Even though the man that the military sent was a rookie commander and just below him in rank, Vindur still feared him a little. This officer sitting in front of him now and looking through some profiles was said to be one of the protégée commanders that ZAFT was pushing out these days. Because of his previous heroics in battles, he had been awarded the Order of the Nebula and now put in charge of one of ZAFT's new space battleships the _Vesalius_. Even though that honor was only given out to superb soldiers, Vindur wasn't exactly impressed when he read about all of this in the report he had received that morning. However, he was too afraid to pull anything as risky as outright showing his disapproval. Vindur himself had been a ship captain prior to the facility and he hoped that his efforts at this place would boost him up to a position such as commander. He knew that this man's report would either allow him to become terribly powerful, or insanely powerless.

Perhaps that was why he was so tense.

"We have some refreshments. Would you like anything, sir?"

The commander shook his head, saying a simple but soft no before looking back at the folders in his hand. He put one aside, scratching his check just below a white mask that expanded snuggly from ear to ear across his eyes. A strand of his shoulder-length blonde hair fell momentarily across the mask, but the commander paid it no heed. "These are your top trainees?" he asked, regarding Vindur with a suspicious glance, but because the eye holes were clouded over, it was hard for the captain to know his emotions for sure.

"Yes. Yes, they are my finest. We have been recording their progress since we began and that was a little over a year ago. I must admit that they are quite impressive."

The man nodded and went back to the portfolios, shifting his right leg over his left to make himself more comfortable. "And this one, Lunar Eclipse, is the leading recruit?"

"Yes, sir." The captain wrung his hands together as he stood before the blonde, feeling too restless to sit down. He looked over at the glass of water on his desk and took a small drink as the commander continued.

"It says here that _he_ is actually a _she_. I remember the council asking specifically for an all boy program."

"No, you are correct, sir. There were some…unfortunate events that forced us to pick the girl, but as you can see it's turned into quite a benefit actually. She has the best marks in nearly everything."

"I can't argue with you there. Her records are impressive to say the least, but papers don't show everything. Is there any way that I can see her in action as well as the other recruits, Captain?"

"Of course, Commander. They should be in mobile suit training as we speak. There is a computer room that overlooks the hangar so we should probably observe from there. That is the safest place."

"I suppose you're right. Lead the way."

Vindur nodded and walked over to open the door, holding it for the commander and then walking through himself. The captain led the way to the mobile suit hangar, smiling inwardly as he heard the sparring going on inside. Glancing briefly through the open door, he motioned towards the stairwell on the back wall. Once they reached the top, Vindur punched in a series of numbers on the door and ushered the commander inside.

The room, holding true to its name, housed an array of computers, levers, and buttons alike. Eight men were seated in front of four different computer consoles as well as the other machines that helped them function properly. So busy concentrating on their work, none of them saluted their superiors as they walked in. The three other soldiers that were roaming around and keeping an eye on the eight, noticed their entry and offered a small salute before going back to their duties.

The two officers walked further into the room and stopped at a large window overlooking the hangar. Down below, a total of four GINNs were fighting amongst themselves using only beam sabers. Noting the amount of power being admitted from the blades, the commander doubted that any of the suits could get seriously damaged.

"These computers monitor each and every mobile suit as well as the pilot inside. We require the recruits to wear certain mechanisms while they train in order to record the data and note improvements. They watch the pilot's heart rate, sweat levels, reaction time, and endurance."

"Impressive, Captain. And who may I ask is training now?"

"Roan?" Vindur called, causing one of the three to look his way. The boy's golden eyes sparkled for a second before he saluted and looked down at the paper in his hand.

"Revelation, Specter, Despair, and Chronos are down there now, sir."

"And who's fairing the best?" the captain asked.

"Well, usually it's our third-ranked Despair, but lately he's been a little off. Chronos has actually scored the most hits while retaining the least amount of damage."

"Hm, Despair. I _do _remember that name," the commander muttered softly to Vindur.

"Sometimes the recruits just have bad days, if that's what you'd want to call it," Vindur countered quickly, noting the suspicion in the commander's voice.

"In this business, Captain, there is no such thing as bad days.'"

"Of course, sir. I only meant—"

"No need to correct yourself. Now, Roan is it? When does the next batch of recruits come in?"

"This cession should be over with soon, sir."

"Will either Lunar Eclipse or Avalanche be in the next batch?"

"Avalanche will be in next, but I'm afraid Lunar Eclipse is doing an interrogation right now so she won't be in until much later if at all. Depends on how things go."

"Ah, I see. And how often are these interrogations performed?"

"We rotate through the recruits and assign them as many as we can, but sometimes there aren't enough prisoners to get through many," Vindur replied.

"So you're saying about two or three interrogations a week?"

"If that, sir. There are times that the same prisoner is seen by more than one recruit, but usually the one who starts the questioning is required to finish it."

"However, you _are_ able to get in an adequate amount of executions, correct?"

"Yes sir. I know just as well as you that we cannot allow them to get soft. If needed, we split up the recruits into two teams and put them through real-life battle situations. Occasionally we lose one, but that _is_ rare, sir."

"Good, I don't want to lose anymore than we already have. I believe we're down to only seventeen now? That's nearly half, Captain."

"Yes, I know sir, but some losses were unavoidable."

"Of course. Oh, by the way, Captain. I trust that your security is top notch?"

"Sir?"

"You do realize what you're breeding here right? These are expert soldiers and I assume that you've trained them to get out of every situation as well as infiltrate any facility. Keeping that in mind, I'd advise you to take every precaution and make sure that nothing will happen."

"Everything's perfect, sir. We haven't had any breakout attempts since that stretch in the very beginning and those recruits we had executed right away. The rest have been too scared to pull anything since."

"Don't underestimate them. Didn't you teach them to let go of their fears? Just be cautious."

"Thank you, sir, but you really have nothing to worry about."

The commander nodded and turned away from Vindur to look out into the hangar once more. Despair, Chronos, Revelation, and Specter were all getting out of their mobile suits looking quite exhausted. Four soldiers went to meet them at their machines, bringing some mechanic tools, seeming to ignore their obvious condition. _Ah, so they know how to fix their mobile suits. That is a unique skill. I can't believe I missed that in the reports. _He smirked briefly before returning to the captain again. "I think I'll stay for Avalanche's match, but after that I'll retire to my quarters. I need to take a look at these portfolios again before I make my final decision."

"But Commander Creuset you just got here. You haven't had enough time to observe—"

"After Avalanche I'll have seen who I wanted to. I want only the finest for this mission. Perhaps tomorrow I can observe them in their classes?"

"O-of course, sir."

"Good. Then would you mind finding me a chair?"

* * *

"Done already, recruit? Did you get the information that you needed?"

The redhead grabbed the towel offered and wiped off her hands. She really didn't look that much different outwardly other than the fact that she had indeed gotten older. Right now she was fifteen, but in a little over a month she'd turn sixteen. Her figure had curved out over the year, making her slightly attractive if not desirable. She had grown to be about 5'8, but knew that she'd probably hit 5'9 by the time she had officially stopped. Instead of the shoulder-length red-brown locks that she had been wearing previously, her hair now had jagged layers and fell to about just below her chin. The shorter hair had made it easier to handle as well allowed her to keep it out of her way during her training.

Taking one final wipe with the towel, she looked down at her hands to inspect her work. They were still a little red from the encounter, but that was to be expected. Contrary to what Roan had said, these were not interrogations.

They were tortures.

"I got a little out of him, but nothing really of substance. I'll go back to my room anyway and look it up while it's still fresh in my mind to see if it's actually worth my while."

"What did you want me to do with the prisoner?"

"Tend to his wounds for now. I may be back later tonight or even early tomorrow morning if I do find something. If not I'll inform you before coming and finishing the job myself."

"Very good, I'll tell commander Roan that you probably won't make it to the mobile suit class then."

The private and recruit saluted each other before the redhead turned and walked away in the other direction. The private opened the door a crack once she had disappeared around the corner and couldn't withhold his cringe. _That girl is a monster, _he thought, shutting it before his lunch got the better of him. _In fact all of them are. I'd hate to be the Earth Alliance as soon as they get out on the battlefield._

Eclipse maneuvered her way down the corridors, knowing the way by heart. Seeing as she was over there about three times a week, that wasn't really surprising. She knew that she probably should attend her class, but because of the information from that prisoner, she figured that her superiors would rather have her at a keyboard than behind the controls of a GINN. The civilian didn't really give her much solid information, but because her other tortures had only provided her with false clues, she was getting a little desperate. The captain continued to pressure her about her failed attempts and she had no desire to go through any more of those punishments.

Rounding the last corner, she punched a sequence of numbers on the keypad and waited for the door to slide open. She locked it behind her once she was inside and walked over to her desk and computer. After quickly flicking the light switch near the desk, she flipped open her laptop and switched it on. While waiting for it to boot up, a small book on the floor in the corner caught her attention. She got up and went over to it, withholding a sneeze when a cloud of dust rose as she picked it up. She flipped through the pages one by one, digesting the words written there. _It's my journal from way back when, _she thought and went to the last entry. It was dated back to the third week of her training. She smirked solemnly and glanced over at her laptop before reading it. It was short, sloppy, and only a few lines, but that was probably because it was with her left hand. Remembering this, she involuntarily flexed the fingers in her right hand and cringed slightly when one of them let out a sharp pain.

_This has got to be quick 'cause I'm late for my mobile suit class. I've finally figured out how to make it through this thing alive. I'll just hide everything and put it away for later. That's my only chance._

_Lunar Eclipse_

She turned the page over as if looking for more, but when she found none she just shrugged and tossed it over on her bed. It had been such a long time since she last wrote that entry so she honestly didn't even know what she was talking about. _Hide everything and put it away for later'? I wonder what I meant by that. _Deciding to forget it for now, she walked back to her laptop.

* * *

"G'morning, Commander. I trust you slept well?" the Captain cooed as the younger officer walked into the room. Two glasses of coffee were placed on the small table in front of the chair that the commander had sat in two days ago. The blonde glanced at the glass momentarily before finally deciding to pick it up and take a sip.

"Did you make your final decisions?" Vindur asked as he pulled his own chair around from his desk. He sat down lightly, looking a little less nervous than the previous days.

"Yes. I'd like Avalanche, Chronos, and Lunar Eclipse to see me as soon as possible."

"Of course, sir." He motioned over to the private standing near the door who saluted before leaving. "They should be here shortly. Would you mind telling me what you're sending them out to do? I think I should have some kind of an idea."

"We received some information about some prototype mobile suits being built on the resource satellite Heliopolis. Apparently the Earth Alliance is involved."

"Heliopolis? Isn't that run by Orb?"

"It seems that they've overstep their neutrality bounds."

"So, if you already know that the suits are there, what do you need my recruits for?"

"You see, we don't know for sure if the information's reliable. I want your weapons to infiltrate the colony and gather as much as they can on the subject."

"Ah, I see, but sir, is it wise to send Lunar Eclipse then? I'm sure you know, but her home country is Orb after all."

"I'm confident that that won't be a problem. Do _you_ anticipate trouble, Captain?"

Vindur paused, selecting his words carefully. If he was to voice his concerns then it could be turned back onto him that he didn't train her well enough and that could be disastrous. However, if he withheld such fears and the worse _was_ to happen, then he could also be blamed for not sharing his opinions. Either way, the outcome seemed bleak indeed. He just figured he'd go with the safest route and believe that Eclipse wouldn't betray her superiors. "No, sir. I'm sure everything will be fine."

Creuset smirked and took another sip of his coffee. Watching the girl in her classes yesterday he didn't think she'd pull anything funny either. He had read of her earlier exploits, breaking rules and all, but when he saw her complete everything so expertly and flawlessly he knew he had nothing more to worry about. He made a point to watch her right hand particularly, knowing of the serious injury that happened earlier in her training, but what he saw only made his confidence soar. It looked as if the injury actually helped her success more than hindered it. Her left hand could do things as equally well if not better than her right hand. That type of ambidexterity was quite a prize among recruits. The commander didn't really know what was going through her head, but judging from the way that she handled the tortures and executions, Creuset was sure that the facility had succeeded in stripping her of such weakening emotions as mercy and love.

He was sure that she was no longer a human being, but a weapon of war.

* * *

The three trainees filed in about a half hour after summoned. Having had another all-night mobile suit training class, they felt that washing up before meeting a superior officer was only necessary. Creuset didn't complain. They saluted briefly when they entered and stood in front of the commander. The blonde got to his feet, smirking lightly as he did, and faced them. "My name is Commander Creuset. I have been sent here to gather three recruits, such as yourselves, and send them out on a recon mission to the resource satellite Heliopolis. You are to infiltrate the colony and gather as much information on five prototype mobile suits as you are able. Their whereabouts are unknown, but we do have a few leads." Turning around, he grabbed a small stack of folders on the desk and handed one to each of them. "In there should have the small amount of information that we do have along with a list of safe contacts within the colony already.

"I'd like you to gather as much as you can including blue prints, weaponry, pilots, and the like. Your means of getting such information is up to you, but I'm sure that each of you realize stealth is the best option. I'm giving you a week to complete this mission, so don't just rush into things." The three nodded silently and Creuset could only smile again.

They really were perfect machines.

"Well, I won't keep you any longer. A shuttle should be leaving this colony shortly and I'd like each of you to be on it. Dismissed."

The recruits saluted again and walked out of the room, offering a small salute to Vindur as they walked by.

* * *

_**A/N: **_Hey all! Yup, its another chapter but it might be a tad more boring then the previous ones. If so then I'm sorry! Like I said the story's finally going to go into full-swing, but it looks as if I was off a few chapters. (I seem to be doing that a lot lately don't I?) Anyway, you'll see in the next chapters.

_LunarRaven666_: Thanks for the review and yup, it does seem that way doesn't it? :)

_Death-Scimitar_: Yeah, yeah don't get so conceited. You know you're lucky 'cause you know where this whole thing is going and how it's going to end. Perhaps you should be tanking me instead of boasting? :P

_CSS.Stravag_: Hah, the wait is understandable then. I have to admit that I pouted a little when I didn't see your reviews. :P Basically some of the officers care about the recruits well-being while others just couldn't care less. They've seen so much in their lifetime that the safety of some brats really doesn't matter to them. I'll take your "lone wolf" comments into consideration. I'm not sure if what I'm going to do later on will remedy your concerns, but I'll see what I can do. It is a valid point.

Thanks again for all the reviews and for sticking with me through the long breaks. I hope you enjoyed it!

Strata


	9. Games

Games

Heliopolis was a small colony (its only function being to ship raw materials to the PLANTS and other satellites) compared to the other two that Eclipse had previously been at. However, since she really never spent a sufficient amount of time roaming around, her observation was more of a guess than an actual fact.

She arrived at a facility in the L3 district right away after signing up for the military. This sudden move barely gave her any time to settle in on Aprilias 2 which was her first decision after fleeing Orb. The basic training that she was assigned to wasn't as strict as the one on Januarias 4, but the length of time that she was allowed off the base was still limited. Once a month, she and two other female trainees would use their free time to go shopping. Eclipse wasn't exactly the "shopping" kind of girl even back then, but the longing to get outside was too great. Mostly the other two girls would look around, try on goofy outfits and spend large amounts of cash. The redhead would tag along, laugh at the jokes, add in her two cents, and even approve of the outfit no matter how much she thought it made the girl look like an over-stuffed piñata. No, Eclipse didn't dislike the girls in any way. In fact she respected them mostly because they had already been there for a year, but that didn't change the fact that while they were like the color pink, Eclipse was like black.

Once she arrived at the facility on Januarias 4, such wanderings outside ceased to exist. For the past year Eclipse had been cooped up in a building with only one small window to keep her sane. At first the longing for the fresh air became almost unbearable, but during those times, the Coordinator would attempt to stick her head out of the small, circular window in her lavatory. Because the facility was housed right next to a junkyard (that sometimes posed as a trash heap), the "fresh air" would often get the best of her and force her back inside after a few short moments. There were a couple of times that she was able to handle about fifteen minutes of breathing, but that was mostly because the wind was blowing the scents away from her. Looking out of the window now at the sights and hearing the various sounds of the satellite, Eclipse found herself taking deep breaths and basking in the noon sun that sifted through the glass.

The apartment was small and quite dirty, but useful enough to the ones staying in it. There were three cots spread out into the corners, each with a blanket or two folded at one end. The bathroom off to the east side of the room was just like the rest of the place, small and dirty, but still served its purpose. The toilet flushed and the sink had running water, but they were positioned so close together that one could literally wash their hair in the sink and sit down on the Jon at the same time. The door swung inward which made things a little snug when someone tried to close it after them, but at least there was a door.

There was only one window that looked out to the northern part of the colony. The apartment wasn't exactly situated in the richest neighborhood that held the most ribbons for the greenest lawns and whitest fences, but the small sense of danger that hung in the air kept people away from each other. That at least allowed the three of them to work without being questioned.

"Hopefully the roof doesn't leak," Chronos had muttered as soon as he stepped through the doorway. Avalanche and Eclipse had readily agreed, but they couldn't exactly _not _be thankful for it. The apartment was free after all. Creuset had given them the address as soon as they boarded the shuttle mentioning something about a man named Stanley Poakia that was meeting them at the harbor in Heliopolis. Stanley drove them to the place, dropped off a small amount of food (Mostly dry foods because they didn't have a kitchen to cook it in. There was a refrigerator, but that was already stocked full of beverages ranging from soda pops to an expensive wine bottle.), and gave them a few more instructions before heading back to where ever he came from.

They had spent the first half hour setting things up and plugging in laptops, but because none of them had any desire to hack into the military system just yet, they found themselves sitting apart from each other and staring into space.

Planning perhaps.

"What should we do now?" Avalanche asked, finally breaking the silence as he plopped down on one of the cots. He was definitely the tallest of the three, about 6'2, which was going to make things a little difficult if they tried to sneak into the base. Neither Eclipse nor Chronos were what a person would call short, but they didn't stick out as much as he did. The redhead had to wonder when Avalanche had his growth spurt though. She could've sworn that he was only about her height when they first met.

Man, did that feel like a long time ago.

He had jet-black hair that made his emerald eyes literally bounce off his face. If he had brighter hair those gems wouldn't have looked half as good and Eclipse had to admit that those eyes were very stunning. Yay for contrast.

Avalanched looked over at Chronos first, as if sizing him up as well as waiting for an answer. Chronos was the youngest, only being fourteen years old. However, if anyone thought that his age made him naïve then he or she was in for quite a surprise. Dark blonde, almost brown hair brushed lightly against his scalp, making it look as if his head was covered in feathers rather than hair. That detail alone made him look even younger than he really was. Or perhaps innocent? Yellow, cat-like eyes threw off the feathery hair theory as well as the innocent one. What kind of cat would have bird feathers for fur? And what cat alive could ever be called innocent?

When neither answered, the boy went on, "At any rate, I think we should do this together. We'd probably get more information that way, not to mention we'd keep each other out of trouble."

Eclipse looked at him then, noting the small glint of humor in his eyes. He didn't mean what he said, the Coordinator knew. To him this was a game.

It was always a game.

Back at the facility, every class, drill, and battle scenario had some kind of prize attached to it; survival and recognition. While the winner received both, the loser (and sometimes losers) was rewarded with some kind of punishment. The fear of that punishment alone caused everyone to work flawlessly if not desperately and sometimes the recruits would even attempt to sabotage each other's efforts. Eclipse had found herself at the end of that ploy many times, but she understood their reasoning.

The punishments were torturous.

Even though Avalanche was used to such rules, Eclipse was sure that this mission had nothing remotely close to the term "game" attached to it. Their job was to try and infiltrate a well-guarded, if not expertly sealed, compound and steal some information. The price of getting caught was most likely death and knowing their position, it would probably be by their _own_ hands. None of them were suicidal, but just the thought of someday returning to Januarias 4 after being released or rescued made each of them shiver. Death was far more merciful than any welcome party that that facility could conduct.

No, this was not a game; never a game.

Eclipse knew that, but still she smirked.

Let Avalanche believe that one of them was going to be the winner and the other two the losers. Let him think that her and Chronos were going to get all the information and then give it to him without so much as a sweat drop from his lazy brow.

He wasn't going to win.

No, because the weapon knew that she would.

* * *

"This is the best time," FS said, covering his mouth as he chewed and talked. Like Avalanche, although not as much, FS sprouted up and now stood to be about 6'3. However, since he was slouching and bending over in his chair, no one would've guessed. If anything it looked as if he shrunk. The rest of him looked relatively the same, but because of the large amount of abuse over the year, his body had definitely shaped out. Muscles were toned and bulky, but not enough so for anyone to be intimidated. His height stretched them out so much that he was more likely to be underestimated before he would be feared.

Bad mistake.

His lunch mate nodded, but said nothing more. While his friend had grown so tall, Stray remained his same old self. His hair had gotten a little shaggier over the year, but was still chopped at his ears as to not be a hindrance. He _did _look dashing even if his muscles weren't as toned as FS's.

Like some of the other trainees, Stray had gotten his share of battle scars. One in particular sliced across his left eyebrow and down into the eye socket, but stopped just above the eyelid. When he got it, the cut ran so far into the socket and had looked so serious, that everyone thought he'd lose the eye for sure. Although, after a good cleaning and some stitches, it turned out to be a one inch deep and four inch long cut that actually never touched the eye. Thank goodness the immediate diagnosis was wrong. After careful observation, Stray had taken a liking to the pinkish mark, thinking it made him look unique, and decided to leave it.

Not like he needed to look any more unique than he already acted.

Looking up at his friend again, the grey-eyed boy just sighed. He honestly didn't think that it was the "best" time to enact their plan, but since hearing about Eclipse's disappearance, he too was feeling on edge and a little jumpy. They noticed her empty seat earlier that afternoon, but knew better than to ask questions. None of the recruits had gotten executed recently, at least not deliberately, so they figured she wasn't dead. Stray had been on the other side of the building for most of the day and knew that she wasn't over there, but other than those two options, the two of them didn't know where she could've gone. The trainees could never be late for classes and the punishment for skipping was immoral and painful, to say the least, so they knew that she couldn't be in her room. The only things that they could think of were that she was either sent out on a mission, or transferred to another place entirely.

"She _is _the top one here," Stray said aloud, continuing with his own train of thought.

"The question is, though, is she coming back?" FS knew what his friend was talking about, having been running through the same options himself. "Because if she comes back and we're—"

"We'll just have to contact her later." Stray lifted the top piece of bread off his sandwich and glanced at the lettuce sitting on a piece of ham. Grimacing at the rotting blotches on the slice, he decided to at least pick off the leaf and stuck it in his mouth. Seeing nothing else he wanted, he just pushed the rest off to the side.

"So you agree?" Stray hesitated, but when he finally nodded FS stretched and got to his feet. "Let's get out of here," he muttered and grabbed the glass plate on his tray. He threw it hard onto the ground and couldn't suppress the smirk when heard the sound of the others getting to their feet.

Their plan was in motion.

_Yes, let's get out of here_.

* * *

"Whose bright idea was this anyways?" Avalanche complained, pulling at the collar on his red polo. "I hate dressing up." He winked at the waitress when she dropped off a glass of water and received a small blush. Only after she was gone did he scowl again and tamper with his shirt.

"Blame the girl. And this_ isn't_ dressing up," Chronos responded, opening the top two buttons of his own dress shirt. "Dressing up is a suit and tie."

_And you're lucky I didn't drag you out in those, _Eclipse thought because she was almost going to do it. Knowing that it was still early evening and since no one really wanted to start digging into the complexities of Earth Alliance databases, the redhead figured that they should at least scout out the area. They really only had one lead as to where the mobile suits would be and as she looked around the colony at the war-oblivious civilians, the ritzy restaurants, grocery stores, and bars she guessed that the high-tech facility called Morgenroete was the only place of its kind on the satellite. They all knew that they couldn't just walk onto the compound without some kind of ID, that would be too easy, so they figured they'd just observe. After all, the first step of breaking in was to learn the security.

The two boys had been all for the idea at first, but when they heard the rest of the plan, (which involved a small café and possibly some role playing) and especially what they were going to wear, they were quick to argue. Eclipse wasn't in the mood to bicker so one stern glance was enough to shut them up.

Ah, the wrath of a woman.

The redhead was about to make a complaint of her own addressing her attire, but she knew they wouldn't understand. For some reason guys seemed to think that all girls enjoyed wearing legless pants. "Yes, I'll have a cup of regular coffee, please." The waitress nodded and turned to Chronos.

"Oh me? I'll just have some green tea." The soldier smiled sweetly before turning to Eclipse, giving her a strange look. Eclipse sighed, wondering how no one could see through their game.

The waitress nodded a thank you and turned to Avalanche. "And for you, sir?"

"I'll just have another glass of water." He watched her, almost too obviously, walk away before returning to the other two. "So why does it have to be _you _two that are dating?"

Chronos and Eclipse just groaned, not wanting to go through that argument again. They weren't sure if Avalanche was acting like a child on purpose or if he was honestly pouting about the situation. Words were rarely exchanged at the facility (other than the threats and curses spewed during the battle simulations) so neither of them knew his true nature, but after everything that happened, the idea that a personality like his was still around seemed impossible.

Was it a ruse?

If not, they planned on kicking the mannerism out of him before the day was over (If they didn't it was going to be a long week). But if it was a show, they were going to attack him for putting them through the torment and then try to kick it out of him just in case.

Either way Avalanche was doomed.

"So why did you bring us here?" Chronos asked, returning to his redheaded companion. Eclipse looked back, but didn't respond right away. "I know we have to eat and all, but I'm sure just some kind of fast food would've been fine."

"Because this café's near--" she paused and took a breath. Did she really need to explain herself? "It's near my aunt's house," she said, hoping that her partners weren't as dumb as they looked. She really didn't want to say the name "Morgenroete" out loud just in case someone overheard and thanks to the confident looks they gave her, she knew she didn't have to. She smiled then, more of a smirk, and reached out to take a sip of water.

The café was the closest place to Morgenroete that had some kind of food and drink. Most of the employees normally took their breaks as well as lunch and dinner here, so knowing that, this was probably the best place to snoop and find information. Many people were dressed in business clothing (skirts, buttoned-up tops, black pants, etc.) so that was the reason behind the outfits.

Well, if anything it was amusing to see the boys squirm uncomfortably in their seats.

Chronos and Avalanche started arguing again over something useless (playing the role of brothers really well) so the redhead just tuned them out. She scouted the tables and kept her ears open. A pair of women at the table next to them were snickering over some little bit of gossip, but nothing of significance. The man at the table behind Avalanche was typing on his laptop. Eclipse could see part of the screen, but nothing of what was written. She sighed and kept looking.

A young lady, probably mid twenties, walked by their table and sat down in one of the corners. Eclipse smiled, catching a glimpse at her purse and the name tag dangling off of it. It said "Kirston McGumery. Office Assistant. Morgenroete." She couldn't believe her luck. The real reason she wanted to drag the boys out here was to find someone like this.

A target.

The Coordinator knew that the only way she'd get into the facility was to steal someone's identity. Looking at the two still bickering, she was confident that she couldn't trust them to help her sneak in so she had no choice. Glancing at the woman now she couldn't suppress another smile. She stood to be about Eclipse's height with short, light blue hair (Eclipse was dreading the fact that she had to dye her own) and gold eyes. Her face was a little more angular than the weapon's but if no one really looked, or if she just avoided all the ones that she knew, Eclipse would be alright. Seeing as Morgenroete was such a big facility, people probably didn't really know each other that well anyway.

Not wanting draw attention to herself, Eclipse turned back to Avalanche and Chronos. Their argument was over, mainly because their drinks had arrived, and both were too occupied with them to continue the banter. Thank goodness.

The woman spoke and Eclipse listened hard, trying to memorize the fluctuation and the tone in her voice. It was soft and somewhat timid. Hopefully that wasn't a sign that her personality was the same way because that might be a problem. Eclipse couldn't afford to be hesitant as soon as she got inside. Perhaps this girl would just act a little more reckless. No one would notice.

"What d'ya say we have a look around?" Chronos asked, finishing the last of his tea. Eclipse snapped out of her trance and looked at him then down at her full cup of coffee. She had forgotten that the server even brought it to her.

"You guys go on ahead. I have a few things that my aunt wanted me to pick up. I'll meet you back at the apartment once I take them over to her." Both nodded, understanding the true meaning of the message and left, but not without Chronos playing his part by pecking a kiss on the redhead's cheek. Avalanche rolled his eyes, but Eclipse just smiled, even forcing a blush.

"Don't be long," Chronos said then followed Avalanche.

Eclipse watched them go, but soon sighed when she realized that nether of them paid for their drinks.

* * *

Eclipse returned to the apartment later that night having carefully followed Kirston McGumery to her own apartment. The weapon didn't like the feeling of stalking someone and the thought of taking her place for a few days unnerved her even more. However, knowing that the switch would be relatively easy her fears gradually melted away.

Kirston was recently hired on as an assistant to the main secretary of communication between the divisions inside Morgenroete. That information alone solidified her as Eclipse's target. Tomorrow was going to be her fifth day working on that job and given that the head secretary was off until the end of the week, Kirston was in charge of most if not all the paper work. At first Eclipse thought her employers just threw her in blindly, but Kirston had been a secretary for three years prior to the switch, so she did know what she was doing. That was a relief. Eclipse knew her share of office work and didn't really feel like being the oblivious new girl.

All in all Kirston was the perfect identity. After so much bad luck during the first few days at Januarias 4, Eclipse thought that things were going to slip through all the time. Apparently all her luck came out now. No matter how ironic and perfect it seemed, she just couldn't pass up the opportunity.

"Where have you been?" Avalanche asked as he lied on one of the cots. His arms were folded behind his head and knees up. It looked pretty comfortable.

"Just doing some research," Eclipse responded, locking the door behind her and making her way to the open cot near the refrigerator.

"You gonna share?" Avalanche pressed, now turning to glance at her. "I thought we said we'd tell everyone everything?"

She sighed, still believing that Avalanche was just going to steal her information, but explained anyway. "I'm leaving early to finish some scouting. I'll inform you after that what my plans are. What about you guys? Find anything?"

Chronos shrugged, suppressing a yawn. "It's well-guarded, I'll tell ya that much. We walked up to the entrance pretending to ask for directions. I'm surprised that the guards weren't a little more suspicious of us, but anyway, I watched one of them monitor and check each individual ID as the employees started their shift. Even their blood type was listed on the blasted thing. They keep pretty good tabs on everyone, to say the least."

"What about the perimeter?"

"Gates, barbed wire, cameras, guards, sensors, the typical things. Actually it looked more like a prison than a research facility," Chronos continued. "It's split up into four separate buildings and each with another ID check."

"There were a few transport vehicles leaving the compound while we were there. We're thinking that there might be another building within the colony too," Avalanche stated.

"You guys gonna go look for that tomorrow while I do my own thing?" Eclipse asked, hoping that the answer would be yes. She really didn't want them working on any sort of break in plan just yet. She wanted to try her own idea out and see where it led them. Infiltration would have to be their last option.

"That and some more observing at the main compound. How about we meet back here tomorrow night and update what we found out. That way none of us are left out, but we can still do our own thing if we want to," Chronos suggested, receiving a nod from the other two.

Sounded like a plan.

* * *

Eclipse woke up early, changed, grabbed a breakfast bar, and left without waking the other two. She wasn't quite sure when Kirston started work so her only option was to try and catch her as she left. That is if she worked this early.

Retracing the steps that she walked the night before, Eclipse found the apartment complex, avoided the gate by hopping the fence, and then snuck over to her target's building. Kirston lived on the second floor in the west side of the complex. It was an expensive-looking building and relatively new, the redhead noted. It probably wasn't built more than five years ago. Figuring that the secretary got a pretty good paycheck each week, the weapon wasn't too surprised that she had found such a nice place.

Glancing up at her apartment window she saw no lights. At first that worried the weapon, wondering if her target had already left for work, but after about another hour and the sun having risen to just above the horizon, a lamp inside flickered on. Eclipse smirked and leaned back against the tree as she typed on her laptop. If anyone asked what she was doing there, all she had to say was that she was staying with her boyfriend in one of the apartments down a little ways and needed some peace and quite to work on a report for collage. A little advanced, but it was the only thing that she could think of.

The redhead tugged her jacket a little tighter around her shoulders when a brisk wind blew by. She debated whether she really wanted to sit there the whole day or not. Given she had enough to do with her laptop and all (even bringing an extra battery when the other one ran out) but it was going to be a long day if Kirston worked the night shift.

The light in the apartment shut off fifteen minutes later and Eclipse froze. What if Kirston had a bunch of errands to run? The weapon didn't want to have to stalk her the whole day because with so many people, it would get difficult and fast. Not to mention the fact that Kirston was bound to catch on sooner or later.

The target reached the front door, slammed it, and walked down the sidewalk a little ways before noticing Eclipse and stopping. "Uh, excuse me?"

The Coordinator knew she hesitated, but didn't look up until Kirston asked again. "Huh? Oh, good morning."

"Uh, good morning. What're you doing over there?" she asked, getting straight to the point. Finding the girl a little peculiar, Kirston even walked onto the grass to see what she was doing. Good thing she was of the curious kind.

"Oh me? I'm just doing some homework."

"Homework?"

"Yeah. My boyfriend has some friends over and they're a little too loud. Can't even hear myself think, if you know what I mean."

"They're up this early?"

"More like they're still up," Eclipse responded, putting on a warm smile.

"Ah, I know how that goes. My ex was the same way. He was one of those guys that liked to party and stay up late and then sleep all day. I guess that's easy to do when you don't have a job. Stupid bum."

"Sounds like you don't miss him."

"Not in the least."

Eclipse smiled and forced out a chuckle. It was a strange feeling to laugh again. The weapon was surprised she even remembered how to do it. "I honestly don't know why Craig does it. Oh, that's my boyfriend by the way. He works about thirty hours a week so he doesn't always have to wake up early either, but on his days off he parties until late, or even early like today. Sleeping in like that the next day though sounds like a waste of time if you ask me."

"I think so too," Kirston said, a smile gracing her own lips. Either she was very friendly, or just wanted to rant about her ex. Eclipse wasn't too sure, but she took advantage of the opportunity anyway. "I'm a morning person myself. Always have been."

"It's a good trait I think. There's not enough people like us around nowadays."

"I agree, but I guess there has to be a few night people to balance us out."

"A little too many if you ask me. Craig has a lot of friends, unfortunately."

"Sounds rough. Well, if you ever find yourself needing to get out again, by all means buzz my apartment. It'd be a little dryer on rainy days and I always have a pot of coffee brewing."

"Thank you for the offer, I'll definitely consider it. Oh, I'm Kari Crescent, by the way," Eclipse said, leaning forward and extending a hand.

"Oh, how silly of me. I'm Kirston McGumery. I just said that you could visit me whenever, but I never gave you my name. Sorry bout that." She grasped the weapon's hand and shook it firmly, smiling all the while.

"Oh no, that's quite alright."

"Unfortunately," Kirston went on, glancing down at the watch on her wrist. "I have to be getting to work. My shift starts in a half hour. It was really nice to meet you, Kari."

"And you too. I'm sure I'll take you up on that offer. Craig doesn't have to work tomorrow either." They both smiled and Kirston waved a good-bye before disappearing around the corner. Eclipse waited a moment then sighed and got to her feet, closing her laptop as she did. She stuffed it in her backpack and then followed close behind the secretary.

But not too close.

* * *

"Would you like some more coffee, ma'am?" the waiter asked, leaning down to meet Eclipse eye-to-eye and holding the regular pot of coffee in his right hand.

The redhead smiled, nodded, and then poured some more creamer into the cup once he left. She had followed Kirston to the compound, noted what building she entered, but couldn't see more than that. Either she'd walk blindly through the building until she found her workplace, or she'd just ask Kirston the next morning during coffee.

Eclipse figured she'd just ask.

The target hadn't walked back past the café since she went into the facility and that had almost been eight hours ago. No, Eclipse hadn't been drinking caffeinated beverages for the past eight hours straight, that would be one hell of a tip, but had stopped in about fifteen minutes ago waiting for Kirston to get out of work. Knowing that she grabbed a bite around this time yesterday, Eclipse was hoping she'd do the same today.

"Kari?"

Bingo.

"Oh, hey Kirston."

"Craig still bothering you?"

"No, actually they're all passed out now, but the place is so trashed that I can't even get to the bathroom, let alone the kitchen. I came here to eat instead."

"Sounds like he'll have a lot of cleaning to do."

"No, he'll probably make me do it."

She laughed at that and pulled out a chair. "Oh, you don't mind do you?" Eclipse shook her head and Kirston moved on. "So why are you still with him if he treats you like that?"

The Coordinator shrugged. "Love is a painful thing sometimes."

"Yeah, but not like that."

Eclipse shrugged again. "You take the good with the bad, right? Anyway, how was work?" It was a harmless question, the weapon knew. Nothing to be suspicious about.

She shrugged. "It was alright. Kind of frustrating though. No one really knows me so they always mess up my name or decide not to even say it at all. I'm pretty sure they're blind because I'm wearing a nametag. For goodness sake, the guys were all staring at my chest anyway. All they had to do was look two more inches to the right, but no they'd just rather call me "girly." I should buy one of those shirts that has an arrow and says "My face is up here, jackass." But then again they'll probably just say something like "My name isn't jackass, girly, it's Ralph." Some of them just seemed that dumb."

_She has a sense of humor_, Eclipse thought, laughing only as much as she dared. She almost burst out laughing completely, but having a cup of hot coffee at your mouth doesn't really allow for such antics. Not to mention her cheeks would've hurt from the large amount of abuse. She hadn't laughed that way for ages. "At least they recognize you. At school sometimes the kid next to me thinks I'm a new student even though I've been sitting next to him for half of the semester. It gets pretty annoying when he asks "You new?" every time I sit down."

"Man, that's gotta suck."

"Oh, it does." A short silence passed, allowing Eclipse to type a few more sentences on her fake report. The redhead was actually getting into writing it. She almost felt bad when she realized she'd never finish it, or get it graded.

"I should actually get going. I promised a friend that I'd call her when I got out of work. I'll be seeing you tomorrow morning right?"

"If it's not too strange."

"Strange? Why would you say that?"

"I mean think about it. We only just met and I could be some homicidal stalker or something." Ironic. Terribly ironic.

Kirston laughed and shook her head. "Oh, you're too nice for that and besides, I like to help out people when I can. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Bright and early."

* * *

_**A/N:**_ Yeah, sorry not much action in this one. I'm sorry its a little long, but my intention was to make it all one huge chapter, but I just decided that I'm going to make it into more chapters.

Thanks for everyone who's been reading and reviewing! I really appreciate it and if anything the reviews keep me motivated!

Oh, and for those of you who don't know where there story's going (That's basically everyone but _Death-Scimitar_ :P ) I'm doing this story based on all the event of Gundam SEED. One of my intentions is to fill in the many gaps or huge questions concerning the anime. Questions like: Where did Commander Le Creuset get the information about the prototypes, or how come that giant gap in Heliopolis didn't suck everything out like it was supposed to? Or even what people did during the long breaks form one place to another or from one mission to another. I'm throwing in some of my own characters to help that along as well as make it somewhat different. I didn't just want to rewrite the entire anime. That's already been done. :)

So there ya are. Be prepared to see the events of the anime come out in full and most of the dialog will be exact too.

Strata


	10. Life's a Bitch

Life's a Bitch

"Finally," Avalanche muttered, watching Eclipse closely as she locked the door.

The redhead could feel his gaze and it wasn't warm and fluffy. Quite the opposite actually. Oh well, whoever gave Avalanche his codename was closer to the truth than they thought. _Kudos for them,_ Eclipse thought and turned around, not even bothering to look at him.

"So, what'cha got to tell us?" Chronos asked, always straight and to the point it seemed.

"You first. I want to see if what I have planned will help you two at all."

Chronos just shrugged, not really caring either way. "Fine. Avalanche was right and there is a smaller facility about seven miles from the main complex. Security's tighter there so that might be the place that they're keeping the suits."

"Or just the raw materials," Avalanche jumped in. "We didn't see any technicians or mechanics around so we're thinking that it's just a storage area."

"So the visitors or people not involved in the development won't get suspicious. I'm sure that all those parts were bound to attract attention sooner or later if they were just sitting unattended at the main compound," Eclipse observed, setting her laptop down on her cot before going to the bathroom to get a drink.

"Then again, wouldn't it just be easier to keep both the materials and the machines in the same area?" the taller of the three asked.

"Easier yes, but safer no," Chronos responded. "If the building was found on its own they could just make up some excuse as to why such materials were there, but if the suits were there too then they'd be trapped. Morgenroete has enough going on that the plans for the suits probably weren't even questioned."

"Most likely all the parts are being made in different sectors," Eclipse continued, agreeing with his reasoning. She took a sip out of her glass but spit it out the moment it hit her tongue. She hoped that the water was the thing swishing around her mouth and not something else. Not really wanting to find out, she dumped it all into the sink and walked over to the fridge, talking as if nothing unusual happened. "Either they aren't assembled yet, or have just recently been. I don't know their completion date so we can't know for sure."

"If the parts aren't assembled yet then we might be in a bit of a jam. I'm not sure what the Commander planned on doing once we got him the information, but I'm thinking he might just try and steal them. If Orb is working with the Earth Forces than this colony would no longer sustain its neutral state." Avalanche saw Eclipse opening the fridge and called for her to get him something. She sighed, but grabbed a soda anyway and tossed it over to his cot.

"So basically he could barge in and no one could say anything about it," Chronos said, catching the can that the redhead threw to him next. "You're right. If the parts were scattered about the place then they'd never get them all."

"I think that's where I can come in." The weapon twisted the top off the bottled water and took a long drink. She met curious stares when her head leveled again but waited until she was sitting down on her cot to continue. "I've been following one of the secretaries that works in Morgenroete. She's about my height, same body, but our looks definitely clash. I'll tell you more about that later. I'm going to use her identity to get into the place and look through the files. Maybe I'll even get a glimpse of the suits if I'm lucky."

"If they're assembled," Avalanche reminded her.

"I plan on finding that out," Eclipse said.

"That sounds like a good idea and all, but by the looks of things you've only been tailing this girl for a little over a day. What makes you think that you can just mimic her every move and fool everyone?" Chronos asked.

The redhead had to agree. She was having the same fears herself, but from what she could tell no one really knew Kirston. Even if they did, they were most likely on the other side of the facility or in a different wing altogether. "She just transferred to a new part of the building and no one knows her. There's a lot of people in the place too. It's hard to keep names and faces straight when that's the case."

"Chronos is on to something. It's a risky move."

"Well, what did you two have in mind? Break in?"

"We were thinking about it," Avalanche said, ruffling his hair as if he was thinking it over. Eclipse didn't even think the boy had a brain half the time, let alone be able to use it.

"It's our safest bet," Chronos continued.

"Safest bet? Guys, it'd take one hell of a plan to get into the place, find the information and prototypes, get out, and then make it to the Commander all in one night. Not to mention that _nothing_ could go wrong. That would be our first mistake if we thought our plan was perfect. Why not give me a chance and then if something goes wrong—"

"Terribly wrong…." Avalanche muttered but she ignored him.

"If something goes wrong then you two can try to infiltrate."

"Well, if you did get caught then the security would be upped and the machines moved. How do you propose we find them then?" Chronos shook his head. "No, we'd have a better chance of getting inside with the three of us together."

"So, you're not even going to give me a chance?"

"No, we can't afford—" Chronos began, but Avalanche stopped him with an upheld hand.

"Wait, why don't we let her go? We can be her eyes and ears outside while she's on the inside. This could work."

"And how do you expect us to communicate?" Eclipse asked, a little wary. She didn't like the look in Avalanche's eyes. They looked too confident. Perhaps he knew something that she didn't?

It was a scary thought.

Holding up a finger to pause them, he leaned over and fished through his front pocket, producing a small white and black gizmo with a screen on the front and an antennae sticking out from the top. It was a cell phone. "With this."

Inside the facility itself no one was allowed electronics such as cell phones and televisions. Laptops were okay, well, required, mainly because of all the individual research that was going to take place. Cell phones in particular weren't allowed because of their easy access to the outside world. Many of the recruits kept theirs anyway and apparently Avalanche was among them.

Chronos and Eclipse stopped, glancing at each other briefly before looking back at their teammate. He was nuts. "You have got to be kidding me," Eclipse countered first. Chronos just hung his head.

"What? It makes sense to me."

"Obviously," the redhead muttered.

"No, listen. This'll work. If anything happens, we'll message you."

"Message me? So tell me, will I get the warning after I'm captured or can you actually type that fast?"

"You'll get it quickly. I have a speaker on my phone that will record everything I say and then send it to someone in word-form. Here, I'll show you." He flipped open the top, punched one button and then spoke into the bottom of the phone softly. Eclipse couldn't hear it, but Chronos chuckled slightly. Now the redhead really didn't want to read it.

"How did you know my number?" she asked, ignoring the "Hurry!" hand gestures that Avalanche was emitting.

"I have my ways," the soldier smirked and motioned for her to get her phone again.

Eclipse felt ridiculous. She hadn't even touched that contraption since the first day of training. Since then she had hidden it snugly in her laptop bag. It had been turned off the entire time, so charging wasn't necessary, but the redhead still didn't want to read what he had written. _Here it goes._ She reached into the front pocket of the carrying case and pulled out her grey and teal mobile phone. It was about as big as her teammate's.

The symbol of a closed envelope was in the bottom left-hand corner and the weapon sighed again. She went to her menu and opened the message, shaking her head on what it said. It read: I told you this would work! This was probably the first time that Eclipse was glad she paid for two years of service up front. At the beginning she thought that it was just a waste of money, but now that her life may be depending on whether or not she felt the thing vibrate, her outlook was different.

How priorities change.

"Now, what were you saying about looks?" Avalanche continued, sending it into the mouthpiece.

Eclipse sighed, having heard him say it out loud, but opened the message anyway in order to delete it. "Stop that." He smiled smugly and the weapon had to resist the urge to throttle him. "I need you two to help me with something."

"Like what?" Chronos asked, looking a tad curious. He was almost cute at that moment, but Eclipse really couldn't put her finger on why. Maybe it was the innocent glint in his eyes.

How often could a weapon pull that off?

The redhead just smirked and walked over to her bag and couldn't help but wonder how they'd react.

Would she look good with blue hair?

* * *

The redhead, well now bluehead, tucked the last strand of hair under the hat. It looked like a Picasso painting gone wrong (if those could go wrong) with as many colors that were etched on the thing. In fact, it looked like something he probably wore, unless it was just the common stereotype.

Yes, it was one of those poofy, knitted things that had the pompom sitting on the very top.

Chronos had been in charge of finding the head gear and even though he really didn't have enough time to browse, more like he quit ten minutes in, Eclipse wished he would've found something a little more… modern. Knowing she didn't have anymore time to argue, she left the apartment and the boys to their beauty sleep. Well, the boys to sleep and the apartment to do what it usually does. Just stand there.

She told them that she started work at eight and they had to be up by then. Looking at them now she was getting a little nervous, however they haven't let her down.

Not yet anyway.

She tugged the jacket closer to her body as she walked, going through every detail. She was going to meet Kirston for coffee, slip her the drug and then take off from there to work. Eclipse hoped that the morning would go by swiftly because she really couldn't afford any delays. She had eight hours to play with during her shift, but remembering what she had to do and what she had to find out, eight hours just didn't seem enough. _You'll be fine,_ she reminded herself and stopped at the front door to Kirston's apartment. She checked her watch, 6:00am. Was it too early? The bluehead backed up a step and looked up into her window. There seemed to be come kind of light shining through, but whether or not it was a nightlight the weapon wasn't sure. Taking another long breath she reached out and buzzed the bell to her room.

_Please let her be awake._

"Yes? Kari, is that you?"

_Yay!_ Wow, Eclipse felt a little out of character after that emotion. "G'morning Kirston. I didn't wake you did I? I'd feel so bad if I did."

"Oh no, I've been up for a while now. Please, c'mon up. It's room 202."

Eclipse waited for the door to click open and stepped inside. Taking the stairs one at a time, she reached the room and knocked lightly, not wanting to awaken any of her neighbors. Kirston answered after the first knock with a bright smile on her face. Apparently she _was_ a morning person. Eclipse wasn't even sure if she could pull off that smile.

Well, she tried anyway. "Hey."

"Nice hat." She was still in her pajamas and they looked quite comfortable. Eclipse actually envied her. The weapon was wearing tight-fitted jeans and a white tank top under a black sports sweater. The thing that threw the whole outfit off was the hat and the red purse that hung awkwardly on her arm. At least those two things matched. It was the most comfortable clothing that she had worn in a while, but Kirston looked downright cozy. Wearing some cutoff, green sweatpants that fell to just below her knees and a baggy t-shirt Eclipse found herself getting tired again.

It was a strange feeling.

"Nice shirt," the bluehead stated, reading the front again for her own amusement. It said: "Life's a bitch. Get a dog."

"You like it? My mom got it for me for Christmas last year."

"She's got a good sense of humor."

Kirston smiled again and stepped aside so that Eclipse could walk inside. Just as she observed yesterday, the apartment was relatively new and ritzy at that. It wasn't terribly large, but definitely larger than the one that the weapon was sharing with the boys. It had a kitchen, two bedrooms, and a living room the size of Eclipse's apartment. The carpet was very white, but hey, if Kirston didn't think she'd spill anything then why should she doubt her? The furniture was modern and colored with a soft tan. The walls were almost just as white as the carpet with a boarder at the top and the bottom the color maroon.

"Homely," Eclipse commented and Kirston smiled again. Apparently people _can_ be that happy at six in the morning. The weapon always considered herself a morning person too, but she could never pull off the smile.

Perhaps that was what made a true early bird.

The weapon found herself a little sad at the realization.

"Craig and his friends up still?"

"No, they collapsed about an hour ago. The offer still stands though right?"

"Oh, of course! I've actually been watching for you to walk down the sidewalk. Kinda felt like one of those homicidal stalkers that you were talking about yesterday." She laughed lightly, but Eclipse could only force out a chuckle.

Kirston had no idea.

"Oh, how rude of me, please sit down. I'll get you a cup of coffee. Cream and sugar?"

The weapon nodded, smiled, and then followed her direction to sit down at the table. It was an elegant piece of work, but not so elegant that Eclipse was afraid to touch it. Ivy designs climbed up each of the legs and spread out onto the wooden top that sat four people snugly. She ran a hand lightly over the carved artwork, but it was as smooth as silk.

"Here." The target placed a mug down on the table, careful to put a napkin underneath it so as not to leave a ring on the table. The bluehead knew that mugs normally didn't leave marks on wood, but she wasn't about to argue. This was Kirston's home. "Where does Craig work? If you don't mind me asking that is."

"Oh, I don't mind. He actually works in the Mining District at a factory there that refines the minerals. It's a tough job, I'll give him that. Perhaps that's why I don't mind if he has a few friends over once in a while. He's deserved it."

"Well, sometimes," Kirston joked, stirring her coffee in order to make it cool off faster.

"Sounds to me like you don't really have a high opinion of men."

"No, not really. Getting dumped a few times will do that to ya."

"I guess so, but you can't just give up. How bad did your ex treat you anyway?"

"Well…."

"Oh! I'm sorry that was rude of me. If you don't want to talk about it then don't."

"No, Kari, you're sweet and thanks, but I was actually trying to think of a nice way to put it. Whenever I start talking about Kharl I get a little out of hand."

"Oh." Eclipse involuntarily slid her chair back a few inches.

"Here, let me find a picture of him so that you can understand things a little better."

"A picture?"

"Yeah. I guess I just want to see what you think about him."

"Okay," the bluehead responded, not finding any reason to argue. If anything it would get her out of the room for a few minutes. Watching her go, she felt bad. She knew that Kirston had so much faith in her and yet here she was about to drug her coffee. In the back of her mind, the weapon blamed her target, saying that she brought it on herself for placing so much trust in people that she just met, but that would've been unfair. Kirston was just a kind-hearted individual and living inside a peaceful colony just made her barriers a tad thin was all.

Eclipse sighed and slipped a hand into her pocket, pulling out a small package of white powder. She heard Kirston shout "I know one's around here somewhere," before opening it and dumping the contents into the drink. The weapon checked her watch and nodded.

It would start working in about a half hour.

"Found one!" the target yelled and walked back to the table. Eclipse put on a warm smile. Her insides squirmed at her ability to look so kind after knowing what she had just done.

What had that place done to her?

Kirston slid the picture across the table and the Coordinator stopped it with a finger, turning it right-side up. She nearly spit out her coffee.

He was gorgeous.

"Holy shit," she said in awe, but covered her mouth the second she realized what she said. Perhaps Kirston didn't appreciate her ex being so admired, let alone having the only words to describe his beauty be swear ones. That usually meant everyday language wouldn't suffice.

The man, Kharl by name, looked to be a little older than Kirston. He had dark, teal hair that was cut short to his scalp with one delicate strip of white passing from front to back on his right side. In this picture, he seemed to be pointing at it with one tan finger and winking one of his light green eyes. He wore a black blazer with a green dress shirt to match his eyes, top three buttons hanging open and no tie. Black pants and dress shoes finished the outfit and the red rose in his hand made the picture seem complete. His smile took her breath away. _It's like FS's,_ she realized a second later and found her cheeks blushing for real. Their relationship had been bumpy since her and her friends decided to split up, but Eclipse never got rid of her affection for him. A crush perhaps?

Funny how while most of her emotions were stolen, the biggest one hung on.

"He's a looker isn't he? Don't worry about hiding that blush of yours. I know he's hot." Eclipse was about to explain the real reason she was blushing, but she stopped, seeing Kirston take a sip of her coffee.

So it begins.

"How could you be mad at him?"

"Why, do you think that just because he's good-looking that he's perfect?"

"No. I didn't mean that. I guess I was just wondering what happened was all."

"Well, he did the typical guy thing and cheated on me."

"Oh, you're right that is typical and painful. I'm sorry that it happened."

"With my sister."

Eclipse cringed and couldn't disguise her disgust. "You have got to be kidding me."

"Nope. They're getting married next month."

"Ouch. Well, at least he'll still be around so that you can exact your revenge."

"That _is_ true." She smirked with an evil glint in her eye and then took another sip, well more like a gulp. The coffee had cooled down some so she was able to drink as much as she pleased. Eclipse found herself sighing before taking a long drink of her own.

The powder wasn't meant to kill her, the bluehead's admiration for the target breaking through in the last second. She had changed the dosage just before leaving the apartment, but not enough so that things wouldn't get painful.

She was still a weapon after all.

* * *

"Hey, Kari. What time is it?" Kirston asked, pulling at the collar of her shirt.

Eclipse looked up from the magazine that she was reading and set the mug with her second cup of coffee back down on the table. She knew that Kirston could see the clock easily from where she was sitting, but as soon as she looked up at her face she knew why she asked.

The target's face was ghostly pale and faint sweat drops freckled her forehead. Her eyelids were a tad droopy and her breath came out a little faster than normal. Eclipse could tell that she was trying hard to cover up her condition, but unfortunately she wasn't very good at that sort of thing.

"It's quarter to seven." Half hour; right on the mark. "Your shift starts at eight right? You don't leave this early do you?" The bluehead decided to make Kirston believe that she was masking her illness well. The confidence booster and all.

She hesitated, blinked a few times before finally stuttering an answer. "Y-yeah it starts at eight. Uh, no, I don't leave this early. J-just wondering." Placing a hand on her forehead she leaned forward on the table and took a few deep breaths.

"Kirston? You alright?"

Another long breath and she was looking up with a smile. Her face still gave her away though. "S-sure, I'm fine. You want more coffee?"

Eclipse looked down at her mug, saw it three quarters of the way full and hid a smirk.

The drug was working.

"No, I think I'm good for now— Kirston!" The target had tried standing and nearly took her coffee with her when she stumbled. The weapon figured that she just had one huge head rush from getting up so fast and when she saw her stagger and grasping onto her chair, Eclipse knew she wasn't far off target. "Woah! Hey, sit down!"

"N-no, I'm—" She stopped and her eyes bulged, a hand slapping over her mouth. "I think I'm gonna be sick."

Eclipse wasn't going to tell her otherwise as she fled the room. After all she didn't want to be there to see it. Given she had seen a fair amount of unpredictable bodily functions over the past year, she was always touchy when it came to up-chucking. Just one of those lucky people cursed with sympathize vomiting.

The bathroom door slammed shut and there was only a split second before the bluehead could hear the target retching into the toilet. She could only imagine the snow white seat cover soiled with brown and possibly some green chunks.

That produced a gag. Stupid curse.

Kirston threw up again and this time Eclipse went to the door. She sucked in a big breath before knocking. "Kirston? Are you--" Another gut-wrenching sound and Eclipse almost gagged again. _Didn't think so,_ she thought and took a step back before the smell could get the best of her. "Do you want me to call your work? I really don't think you should go in if you're feeling like this."

The target was allowed a small break where she took some well-needed breaths before responding. "Yeah could ya? The number's on the fridge. Just tell em that I'm sick and to have Diane take over. They'll know what I'm talking about."

"Alright." The Coordinator backed away once she started vomiting again and went into the kitchen and picked up the phone. She saw the number on the fridge, but punched in her cell phone one instead. Only waiting for it ring once, Eclipse started talking into the receiver. "Hi, I'm afraid that Kirston won't be able to come into work today." She waited a moment. "It's the flu I think. She's in the bathroom right now and it doesn't sound melodious if that's why you asked Why not." She paused another second and listened as her voicemail kicked in. At least now she'd have Kirston's apartment number if someone asked. "I'll let her know. Oh, she also told me to have Diane take over for her. She said you'd understand." Eclipse did one more second of acting, nodded and then said good-bye.

"Kirston?" Eclipse called over to the bathroom. "They said don't worry about anything and just to get better soon. Diane'll take care of it all." She avoided the personal pronouns just in case the target knew the clerk better than the weapon thought. She didn't want to lose her cover now that she was so close.

No response.

"Kirston?" The weapon went over to the door and pushed it open a crack. Even though the smell caused her stomach to spin circles, the sight of Kirston lying on the floor was enough to block out her senses.

Was she dead?

Eclipse knew that she didn't put enough powder in the drink to kill the girl, but perhaps each person took to the drug differently. Looking at her mouth and the contents inside the toilet the bluehead saw some speckles of blood and her gut twisted again. There were really two reasons that she didn't want to kill Kirston. One was because of her admiration, but the real reason was because the three weapons would be able to hide their tracks better with her alive. If she didn't show up at work tomorrow and Eclipse wasn't there to take her place how suspicious would that look? And then to come to her house and find her dead on the floor? Just a bit strange and not to mention a huge hindrance to the bigger plan. Commander Le Crueset wouldn't be able to act without the PLANTS Supreme Council's approval and that would no doubt take time. If they found Kirston dead before ZAFT could counterattack, the mobile suits might be gone and in the hands of the Earth Forces. That's if Morgenroete suspected the worse and looking at the reason she would've died, it seemed like a pretty good assumption. Poison wasn't always a common way to kick the bucket.

Why go through all that trouble when there were such things as guns?

The weapon bent down and checked the main artery in her neck for a pulse. A sigh of relief followed a strong beat. Kirston just passed out. Walking back to the dining table, Eclipse fished through her purse and found a small prescription bottle. She pushed down on the top, turned it to the left and looked inside. There were about eight, small, white, circular pills on the bottom. She had gotten the bottle refilled about a month ago, so that was the reason why there were so few, but she could honestly say that this was one of the last things she'd use them for.

During the first week of training she had been ordered to take the medicine before every mobile suit class and mission. The first few cessions she forgot to take them and only when Captain Vindur noticed and took disciplinary action did she never forget again. Eclipse wasn't too sure what they did, only that they were related to how well she faired in combat. No one else in the facility had pills like she did, so the procedure was a little curious, but the bluehead would never argue. At first the drug made her a tad groggy but as soon as her adrenaline kicked in she would get some kind of energy boost. It was a weird, but exhilarating feeling. Her reaction time was faster as well as her thinking and how well she thought. She gained more stamina, strength, and pain tolerance. The weapon figured that the pills were somehow triggered by that adrenaline output and the increased blood flow caused by her battle lust dispersed the drug quickly throughout her system.

But, it worked the opposite way too; at least until Eclipse's body created some kind of immunity to the side effects. If they were taken at a time of low adrenaline levels such as resting or during classes, the medicine would put its consumer to sleep and keep them asleep for quite a long time depending on the dosage. On the nights that the weapon's nightmares were the worse, she'd take a pill or two and fall into an almost comatose-like state.

At least she got some sleep.

She was hoping now that the same thing would happen with Kirston. As long as she was out for at least the next eight hours everything would be okay. Eclipse could always stop over after work and give her another pill to last throughout the night. Maybe the target would be able to go to work the next day and not make things look suspicious, but the bluehead doubted it. The drug that she gave her would probably last for two days at least and Kirston would most likely call into work the next for real this time. Hopefully Eclipse would be gone by then, but all of that depended on how well her little plan went.

No pressure.

Walking back to the bathroom, she knelt down by the target and turned on the sink. Reaching up with a cupped hand, she gathered some water and began throwing it across her face, yelling her name each time she did. Eclipse didn't want to shake her or move her head in case she hurt something when she fainted, so water was the only option.

Funny how she was willing to have her vomit her guts out, but felt bad if she jammed a finger in her fall.

Kirston woke up about five minutes later soaked. Her eyes fluttered open slowly and Eclipse gave her the water to drink this time. She took it eagerly and only after the second glass did she start retching again. The bluehead nearly lost it that time, but held on to her composure. "Here, I found this in your medicine cabinet. It's should help with your upset stomach and hopefully help you sleep. You look awful and I got a little worried when you fainted so please take it. I have class at 8:30am and would feel a lot better knowing that you're resting."

"W-what is it?" Kirston asked, her voice hoarse from all the abuse. She spit into the toilet before flushing it and turning back to Eclipse.

_Hopefully she'll keep it down,_ the weapon thought, holding out two of the pills. Kirston looked down at them and picked them up gingerly, looking at Eclipse the whole time. The soldier nodded encouragingly and offered another glass of water.

She took it.

The bluehead wasn't quite sure how Kirston could be so trusting and thinking about that now made her feel a tad guilty. She had taken advantage of the target's position at work, her kind-hearted nature, and looks in order to sneak into Morgenroete and steal information. It all seemed so cruel and for a split second she debated just forgetting the whole thing and going back to Avalanche and Chronos.

She almost quit.

Almost, but not quite.

* * *

Kirston was knocked out within fifteen minutes and sleeping soundly. Eclipse managed to carry her to her bedroom and laid her down on the bed, even throwing some covers over to keep her warm. She looked through her closet, found an outfit and then left the room.

After the door was closed and everything settled, the weapon went back to the kitchen, put in her golden contacts, filtered through both purses, swapped hers for Kirston's, and then tried on the outfit. She picked out a pair of grey slacks (that were a little big, but nothing that a safety pin couldn't fix) with the same color jacket and a forest green blouse for underneath. She grabbed flat, grey sandals to finish off the outfit mainly because the other choices wouldn't fit her feet. She didn't remember the hat until she was about to leave and shook out her hair once it was off. Fiddling with it for a moment she glanced in the microwave door, using the faint reflection to see how she looked. Looks were good but how about her acting?

Time to find out.

Off to work.

* * *

**_A/N:_** Oh surprise, surprise, another long and wordy chapter! I really hope that that they don't seem that way. I know they read like that to me 'cause I know what other exciting things are coming up and can't wait! I always think that I'll be able to make things short and just move on with the story, but it never turns out that way. For some reason my "descriptive gene" gets the best of me and I just write long paragraphs and can't stop. Obviously, I'm a huge fan of description, so I'm sorry if you're not and are reading through all of this with a scowl on your face. It really does need to be there! At least most of it I think needs to be.

Anyway, next chapter for sure will be more exciting. That at least I can guarantee. Almost to the main SEED story. Yay! Funny how it took me eleven chapters to get there. For some reason I was thinking it was only going to be about five total. Wow, was I off. Well, if you've been sitting back and relaxing in your seat for the past three chapters be prepared to scoot forward on the edge because it's going to get exciting! I think so anyway. :P

Thanks for all the people who are reviewing and just for everyone for reading. Please let me know what you think about the story. I really am excited about this one because I've never had so many ideas for a story before and can actually see how it all will fit together in the end. Okay, maybe I do for one other, but I've been having so much inspiration for this one that's it ridiculous!

See ya next chapter and I hope you enjoyed this one!

Strata


	11. Working with Egotistical Fools

Working with Egotistical Fools

Eclipse got into Morgenroete just fine, at least better than she thought she would. Kirston's ID worked, which was obviously a good thing, but at first the weapon was afraid the guards were actually going to take a blood sample. It would've made sense seeing as she was in a very critical position at the facility, but Kirston's blood type was different from her own. They decided at the last second to just let her go through, saying something like they only pricked fingers the first few days on the job and then at different intervals throughout the year.

More lucky streaks for Eclipse it seemed. The thing was though, when would they run out?

She didn't want to think about it.

Kirston's office wasn't too far inside. Actually it was through the first door. That was a relief mainly because the bluehead didn't want to be wandering around and looking like a fool. She felt eyes on her back as it was. Perhaps she was just being paranoid? _I hope so_, she thought and pulled out the rolling chair to sit down.

There were a wide variety of sticky notes plastered on papers and scattered about the desk. Colors ranged from black (white ink) all the way to her least favorite color pink. She figured that each sector had a different color and looking at the pink one now, she kind of dreaded what kind of area that was. The black looked promising so she picked up that one first.

Reading the note silently, she looked at the papers and slid over to the filing cabinet. She opened the drawer, looked through the folders, found the one she was looking for, took out the needed papers and put the ones in her hands inside. _I guess I should look like I'm doing some sort of work._ Sliding back to the desk she grabbed the next bunch of papers and did the same thing.

She stood up in order to reach the top drawer and pulled it out carefully. This paper, one having the green note, had the brief mention of metal attachments, but nothing more. Figuring that she might be on to something, she fiddled through the other papers in the folder. One of them looked promising. She pulled it halfway out and glanced over it briefly, keeping her ears opening to any sound that might alert her to another employee. As she hoped, it was a list of shipping records.

Perfect.

Glancing down at her watch she couldn't help but smirk. She was about twenty minutes into her shift and already she found something of use.

She switched the papers, taking out the shipping records along with the needed ones and slid back over to the desk and computer. She jiggled the mouse, causing the sickening screensaver that said "Morgenroete" in bold letters and bounced endlessly from corner to corner to disappear. The background was relatively plain. Eclipse was surprised at first because knowing Kirston, it would've been something amusing or flashy at least. Maybe she just didn't have enough time to settle in yet. There were a few interesting icons littering the screen, and she ended up clicking one that had the same department number as one of the sectors that was receiving shipments.

The glass door slid open. "Miss, could you direct me to Department 25B?"

Eclipse looked up at the bushy-eyed and scraggly bearded gentleman before flashing her "Miss America" smile. "Of course."

No matter how close she was to the information, she was even closer to getting caught.

It wasn't a comforting feeling.

* * *

"You set up Eclipse's computer right? She'd be pretty angry if you didn't," Chronos asked, taking the binoculars from his teammate. The two of them were lying hidden in a small wooden area on a hill that overlooked Morgenroete. The position was ideal, to say the least, but only if the person spying was only looking at the buildings around the eastern edge of the complex. Either it was purposeful or just plain stupidity that the two of them were on the wrong side. Eclipse's building was on the outermost edge of the western half.

They probably did it on purpose.

"Yes, I set it up, Chronos, so stop worrying. I know the temper of our little redheaded pet and have no intention of striking that match." Avalanche scowled as he responded, pulling at the collar of his blue T-shirt. The two of them wore the common, blue jeans and shirt to keep away suspicion, but being sprawled out on the ground didn't make any material fit comfortably.

"If you don't plan on pissing her off then what the hell are we doing here? You know that we're in the wrong area."

"She won't be angry once we're through with everything."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"If the girl wants to play secret agent then so be it. I have no reason to stop her."

"But…."

"I'm not just going to let her steal all the glory for this one."

"All the glory? Avalanche, this mission has nothing to do with—"

"Did you know that whoever comes back with the most information or has the most valuable info will be allowed the leave Januarias 4? Just think, Chronos. If we sneak in and find the suits, maybe take one or two, or even get some data from the things personally we'd be able to leave that hell hole." Avalanche paused and looked over at his comrade. He scanned his face for any kind of acceptance or perhaps eagerness, but saw only confusion.

However, that confusion had potential.

The temptation of getting out of that damned facility was too much for any weapon to resist, even one as detached as Chronos. Everyone knew of the horrors and the nightmares alone would make any individual grow unstable. In fact, Avalanche figured that most of the recruits back at the compound were in fact going insane.

Hell, maybe even he was.

Then again maybe he just hated Eclipse so much that putting her up as bait didn't bother him in the least. She was after all the one to bump him from his throne as number one at the place.

Pride tended to lash out when wounded.

"Chronos, just think. No more executions, no more tortures. No more punishments for something as little as forgetting to make your bed in the morning."

The boy's eyes were widening and Avalanche had to cover up his smirk. The part about getting out of their prison was true enough, but they'd most likely be thrown head first into the war and considering what they were trained to do, nightmares and bloodshed seemed to be the only promising things.

Not like Chronos needed to know that.

"Chronos, we'd be free. Remember what that was like? To be able to wake up when you want to or eat as often as you like? To be able to be your own master?" If it was a musical he probably would've broken out in song about all the pleasantries of being free to do as you wish. And lucky Chronos was the one being serenaded. "Do this with me and you can have all of that back again."

"But that's disobeying orders." Good for him. He was holding his ground.

"No, it's not. We're getting the information and bringing it back to the Commander."

"But…." The younger of the two continued to hesitate. There was a part of him that trusted Eclipse to come back with some information and then they could all go to Commander Le Creuset together to get rewarded. He knew that she wouldn't fail them and if she did get some information, it may lead to the actual position of the mobile suits and later on they could get more solid evidence. They'd all return and receive the highest honors for executing the mission so flawlessly.

He actually believed that it might happen.

However, that small ounce of trust that he held for Eclipse was no where to be found when it involved Avalanche. Sure he was one of the top-ranked recruits back at the facility, but this was a totally different environment. All that Avalanche had shown Chronos was that he was rash and hot-headed, but not the same way that Eclipse was. Eclipse had come to control her emotions a little better than Avalanche did. Knowing that, Chronos just couldn't trust him. But what if his trust for Eclipse was ill-placed and she bolted after completing her shift, information in hand? What if she just abandoned them there and took all the credit when she saw the Commander? They'd never know. At least not until it was too late. If he followed Avalanche his freedom might be guaranteed. When he heard Eclipse's plan at first he didn't like it, but she soon talked him into it. Those fears were returning.

She could fail and they'd never have another chance.

"Fine, I'll help you. What did you have in mind?"

Avalanche smiled, he couldn't help it. The strings were tied to the puppet and all the master had to do was move them as he pleased. "Here, put this on." He pulled a pair of orange slacks and an orange jacket with a white collar literally out of the bushes.

Chronos blinked, grabbed the clothing, looked back at the bush and saw Avalanche pull another set out. "How long have you been planning this?"

"Not long, but I wasn't sure if you were going to help or not." He slipped a shoulder holster with a handgun over his left side, adjusting it to fit snugly. "If you didn't, I had this."

* * *

Eclipse checked her watch one more time, sighing only slightly. It had been almost three hours since she last found any valuable information and she was getting a little tired if not antsy. The shipping records had shown her the areas that the parts were constructed, but no signs of the suits themselves. The parts seemed to have been put together, even though she still wasn't sure, so how hard could it be to find sixty foot tall robots?

Apparently really hard.

She had confirmed that there were five of them, the names, and even the pilot data, but nothing more than that. Armaments weren't listed, at least not where she was looking, so she hadn't found anything of real substance. There were only a few more areas that she could look, but the longer she spent on the computer and looking through files, the faster her cover faded. Given she wasn't doing too bad of a job as Kirston McGumery, but if someone came along that really knew her target she'd be in a huge amount of trouble.

Stray was right in saying that she didn't tail Kirston long enough.

"Miss, could you drop this off at Sector 32D? Thank you." The man didn't even bother waiting for her to answer. He just dropped the pages off on the desk and walked away as if no other explanation was needed. Well, if Eclipse worked there full time then there probably wouldn't have been a need for one.

She glanced briefly over the papers, pushed them aside with the other errands, and went back to the computer. Eclipse had already made a trek around the campus and didn't plan on making another one for about another hour. Whoever was in Sector 32D would just have to wait.

There was one more area on the computer that she could check for the prototypes and with her luck, not matter how well it was doing lately, the last area that she looked would be what she wanted. Then again, when you find what you're looking for isn't it in the last place you look? Funny how ironic that statement is.

She double-clicked on the folder named "Sector 29B" and waited for the computer to load. She looked over at the errands once more and absently flipped through them. Diane, an older woman that worked with Kirston once and a while, had come and helped her with a few things throughout her shift. She was a nice lady by all accounts and even asked Eclipse if something was wrong when she came by the first time. Apparently the weapon had been wearing a scowl for the past five minutes. Blame the computers for that one. Eclipse forced a smile and said no, but the woman persisted. She brought up Kharl and if the problems were because of him, she'd put a high heel to his groin for the trouble.

Women have a tendency to stick together, which is good, but why prove points with such brutality? Then again, they do sound much better than saying she'd tickle him to death. More masculine it seemed.

Looking at the stack of papers again, the bluehead wondered when she'd have enough time to hack into the computer _and_ deliver the papers. If she could just have some time to herself instead of having people come in at crucial moments, she wouldn't have to quit every time someone came close to seeing what she was doing.

Diane was usually that person who came close.

A separate page pulled up onto the screen and a giant, grey box flashing white letters that said "Password Please." _Why the hell do computers always feel the need to be so polite? _ The weapon wished she knew.

"Kirston, I'm back from lunch!"

The bluehead looked up to see Diane walking towards her. The red skirt with red suit jacket to match and green (going grey) curly hair made her look more like a tomato than a secretary. Then again, who was Eclipse to point out fashion flaws? Despite the vegetable analogy (Or was it a fruit?) the weapon had to admit that the woman looked pretty good for her age. The heels probably helped as well as the fact that she could actually walk elegantly in them.

Years of practice does wonders on a human being.

However, there are some things that a person doesn't want practice on. Stealing someone's identity and hacking into a military database being only a couple of them.

"Great, I trust you had something warm and homemade?"

"More like burned and frozen in a box. How about you?" Diane came around to stand next to Eclipse's chair, forcing the bluehead, once again, to shut down what she was doing.

She sighed inwardly before responding. "Nothing much. Just a peanut butter and jelly sandwich."

"Aw, how sweet. Did your mother make it for you?"

"Shut it."

Diane just smiled and grabbed the stack of papers without even asking. "I'll take these for you. I really don't have that much to do anyway. Besides, you seem to be in a more chipper mood so why make it worse by having you walk around and get whistled at by guys?"

"You make it sound as if I hate the entire sex."

"Well, having someone like Kharl dump you will do that to a woman."

Eclipse just shrugged, going along with it. She had to wonder though, why did all her conversations lately involve some kind of relationship with a man? Couldn't women think of anything else to talk about?

"I'll try not to take too long. I don't want to just leave you hanging here all by yourself. Being new and all."

"Oh, don't worry. I think I'm getting the hand of things so don't hurry on my account. Y'know, you still have your work to do yet."

The woman just shrugged and walked away.

The weapon watched her leave and as soon as she was out of sight, she went back to that same folder. There were ways to get around passwords and Eclipse knew most if not all of them, but those methods might alert someone to her position and her intentions. That was just something that couldn't happen. Leaning back in her chair, she thought for a few moments on what a possible password could be. She wished now more than ever that she could've gotten some passwords from Kirston before she put her down. A couple jumped to mind and she tried them, but both flashed back "Denied."

An idea struck and she took out her, well Kirtson's, ID. Flipping it over, she glanced at the number on the bottom. In order to get into a sector, a worker had to get their ID scanned. What if the authorization wasn't only in the barcode but in the numbers listed as well? If that was the case then perhaps the password was listed in the sequence. Also, since Kirston was most likely allowed into the databases for each sector, she should have the right set of numbers.

Oh great. It was going to be a guessing game.

Taking a few things into account, like the sector number and letter, Eclipse began punching in some numbers. The computer wouldn't let her go past six numbers, so that made things a little easier, but only a little.

A half hour passed before the bluehead finally found the right one. It surprised her at first, thinking that her mind was just playing a cruel game with her, but when a whole new page opened she almost wished that an employee would walk through the door so she could wrap him or her in a hug. Scrolling through the pages nearly made her faint.

Everything was there.

Reaching down to her left shoe, she pulled it off and took out the memory stick at the bottom. There weren't metal detectors a round the facility, so that was the reason she had gotten inside with it, but they did require her to dump out her purse. The shoe was the best spot. Finding the correct slot in the modem she stuck it in and waited as the computer loaded it in. Opening one of the files on the stick, she began downloading a program onto the computer.

Well a virus was more like it.

She knew that all the computers were connected to a main system somewhere on the facility, but seeing as she was getting away with so much so far, no one was there in the room making sure things were going alright. That she was sure of. The virus would allow the weapon to access the material from her laptop, but infect any computer that tried to track where that information was going. It took three passwords to open up the information and Eclipse punched those in when the virus asked.

Once that was all set she closed the program, removed her equipment and began planning her way out. When in doubt, fake sickness.

Her phone began vibrating before she could even attempt to make herself vomit. Did she bring too much attention to herself? Was she about to be caught?

Did she fail?

Snatching the thing from her waist, she flipped it open and read the message. Read it twice actually. It said: "We found them. Not assembled. They're in Sector 29B. There's a warship here too. We'll get information on that."

_What the hell is Avalanche doing inside? Wait, we? Does that mean Chronos is with him? My god, they're going to get caught! Idiots! _As if on cue, loud sirens started ringing throughout the complex, echoing off each other like one giant tornado warning. Eclipse froze. _Damn them! Damn them both to hell!_ She thought of a few worse phrases, but decided not to say them. What good would they do? She had to get out and fast otherwise she was as good as caught.

Some of the other workers were walking past her desk, heading to the outside. They were talking quickly to each other, shouting questions, but none of them receiving any answers. One even asked Eclipse but she just shrugged and shook her head.

Armed guards were running towards the glass door, both prepared to control traffic as well as keep anyone suspicious from leaving. If they blocked her now, they'd definitely get that blood sample.

No way.

She grabbed her purse, wrote a sloppy, but quick note to Diane about feeling sick, shut off the computer (almost violently) and fled towards the rear of the building before anyone could stop her. _Damnit! Fools! The both of them fools! _ Shouting at them in her head was the only way to keep her sane. She prayed that they weren't caught and only spotted, but if they were seen it would only be a matter of minutes before they were trapped. She knew the guards of the place were at least good enough to do that. _Hangar. I have to get to the hangar. It has the most open space and has the largest amount of people. _All the hallways led to the main hangar of the building and knowing that each sector had its own hangar, the weapon was quite confident she'd find it eventually.

She ran on, glad that she picked some sandals instead of something with heels. At one point she had to stop and take out the memory stick so that it wouldn't fall out, but also because it was just so damned uncomfortable.

Some groups of people were heading in the opposite direction down the hall, muttering things like Sector 29B and mechanics, but nothing more. Eclipse didn't need to hear any of it.

She already knew.

She slowed to a fast walk, not wanting to draw any attention to herself, but almost broke out into a sprint again when she saw the open door to the hangar. The guards were already inside and ushering the people to one area, but some seemed to be giving them a hard time. More were flooding in through the surrounding doors to add to the chaos and Eclipse almost heaved a sigh of relief.

She was a good as gone.

"Kirston!"

Or not. Damnit.

Eclipse turned towards the voice and saw none other than Kirston's beloved Kharl waving at her. _Why the hell didn't she say anything about working with him? Wait, I thought he didn't work? Hah, he's probably just coming over to tell me that he got a new job._ If he came any closer he was bound to see the difference and if he kept pointing her out like that, the guards would notice if she tried to sneak out.

When her luck falls it plummets.

She tried not to make eye contact the first time he shouted her name, pretending not to hear him. Although, he was practically screaming at the top of his lungs.

Well, for right now Kirston was going to be deaf.

A door. She had to find a door to the outside. That was her only option. The guards were finally getting everyone settled down and beginning to scan the hangar for some more stragglers. Kharl called her name again and she just ignored him. A sliding door on the opposite side had opened briefly to let in a few guards and it led right where she needed to be.

Outside.

"Kirston!" He was walking towards her now. She couldn't allow that.

Faking sudden interest in her purse, the bluehead began fishing through it. "Shit, my ID!" She bolted back through the door and out of sight.

Kharl stopped. He looked as if he didn't know what to do. Seeing as the weapon never really responded he wasn't sure whether or not it was his ex. One of his worker buddies called him back over before he could debate things any further and with one final look he turned away.

Gorgeous and dumb. Seductive but a very deadly combination.

Some military four-wheelers and crates covered her flight and she was outside in a matter of minutes. The guards had no idea, which was even better, but she still had to get out of the perimeter. She remembered reading something about an emergency gate located near the east side of the compound. _That's probably how they got in. I mean there really wasn't any other way unless they stole someone's identity like I did, _ she thought and decided to head in that direction. _If they killed the guard than I can only hope that no one thought to look over there yet. It's my only chance._

No matter how much shit they almost got her into, Eclipse was still relying on them to get her out alive.

Ironic.

* * *

As she hoped, the guard was dead and the area clear. There wasn't even a watch tower nearby.

Stupid on their part.

Once out, she ran until she was far enough away to feel relatively safe. Just like with the sandals, she was so glad that she grabbed pants instead of the skirt that she was debating with. That would've been hell if not embarrassing.

Making her way back to Kirston's she considered her next move. She had to give the girl two more pills to keep her out until the next day and prayed that Eclipse's little note gave Kirston enough leeway to keep her job. Then again Kharl had noticed her, but perhaps he convinced himself that it really wasn't the target. If that was the case Kirston might have a chance. After drugging the secretary, she had to get back to her apartment and grab everything before contacting Stanley. Hopefully he could put her in contact with Commander Le Creuset and then she'd be free.

Yeah, if it was only that easy.

Walking around the corner to the apartment complex, Eclipse found the key and opened the door once she arrived. Taking the stairs two at a time, she threw open the apartment and rushed to Kirston's bedroom. The target still seemed to be sleeping soundly, which was a relief, but the weapon knew that she didn't have much time. Running back to her purse she grabbed the prescription bottle, took out two pills, and went to get a glass of water. Crushing the pills, she poured the powder into the glass and helped the liquid flow into her mouth and down her throat.

"I'm so sorry," she whispered before getting to her feet and going to the bathroom to change into her original clothing. Tossing Kirston's things back into her closet (messy yes, but very effective), the weapon put some things into her purse and switched them back again. Once the hat covered her hair she was gone.

* * *

Nothing disturbed her on the walk back. In fact things were quite peaceful. If the memory of those sirens wasn't so clear Eclipse might've even though that it was just another ordinary day.

_Haha, ordinary. That's a good one._

Putting the key into the lock, the weapon headed right upstairs to her room and locked the door behind her. Everything seemed relatively unmoved, so at least the police didn't know too much already. Her laptop, along with the boys', was lying neatly on the cots and if it wasn't for the predicament it would've looked quite picturesque.

Rushing over to her things, she found the folder with Stanley's number on it and pulled out her cell phone. Staring at it for a moment she heaved a long sigh. She'd have to break it after the call.

She explained the situation using as many "codes" as she and Stanley was able to understand before closing the phone and gathering up her things. Stanley was going to pick her up in about a half hour and take her to the harbor. Both of them hoped that it wasn't closed due to the break in at Morgenroete.

The half hour didn't pass fast enough, but as soon as the weapon saw a blue vehicle pull up to the apartment she let out a breath. Grabbing her phone and the boys' laptops she walked to the fire escape. First she tossed down her phone and then the other two laptops. They splintered and shattered as they hit, sending both keys and shards of plastic flying everywhere.

She would've liked to keep them, but she needed as little of baggage as she could handle. Stanley glowered at her once she reached the bottom. He probably wanted to keep the laptops, but Eclipse just threw Avalanche's and Chronos's bags at him. He caught them and threw them in the back while the weapon went over to the rubble and grabbed the memory chips from each device. Kicking the rest off to the side she climbed in and was ready to go.

Apparently things had settled down at Morgenroete and the criminals apprehended. The superiors were so confident everything was taken care of that they didn't feel the need to close the harbor. So, pretty much Avalanche and Chronos were caught, probably killed, and Morgenroete thought that the threat to them was over.

How arrogant.

Stanley promised to get rid of Avalanche and Chronos's things as well as the memory chips while Eclipse boarded the personal shuttle. It was an old, small thing, but as long as it got her to the Versalius the weapon wasn't about to complain. Having only two boosters and fitting three people snuggly it looked more like an escape pod than a shuttle. Eclipse had put on a bulky, but purposeful orange space suit over her clothes. She knew that it was protocol, but just the thought of sitting for so long in the thing made her scowl.

Stanley finally received a message back from the ship as she was boarding and relayed it to the weapon. She was to meet them in an isolated area near a meteoroid. They had been hiding out there ever since their mission was assigned, waiting to hear from the three of them. Well, at least she didn't have far to go.

Eclipse listened to a few more instructions before saluting and closing the hatch. A civilian shuttle was about to leave and the weapon was to follow in its shadow, so to speak. If she tried to leave on her own, the sensors would be tripped and she'd be back to square one. Not to mention that Commander Le Creuset wouldn't get his information.

Starting her engines along with the shuttle's, the weapon made one last check of the monitors. Once satisfied she followed the civilians out. Eclipse could almost see their smiling and excited expressions.

She wished she felt like that.

* * *

"Now, tell me recruit, why the rush?"

Eclipse arrived safely on the Versalius, if safely describes nearly passing out from heat exhaustion. Stupid air conditioner. Stupid spacesuit. Versalius was a large craft, but considering it was a warship, it probably could've been a little bigger. Then again, because of its size, it is very quick and agile. Apparently small and quick or bulky and powerful were the only choices. The Versalius was a _Nazca_-class battle ship and the newest coming off the ZAFT assembly lines. Oh, it was powerful, at least more powerful than its predecessor the _Laurasia_-class. There was one of those waiting with the Versalius and the weapon couldn't help but wonder why they hadn't been spotted yet.

Eclipse had asked to see the Commander as soon as possible and had been granted her wish once she was cleaned and changed. She now wore a baggy, green mechanic's suit and black boots. It was much like the clothing at the facility so she decided to slip that on instead of the red, pilot uniform that was offered her. Eclipse didn't feel like she deserved that outfit quite yet.

The commander was leaning forward on his desk, his black and white-gloved hands folded neatly out in front. He looked intent on what Eclipse would say next. Considering what she was sent out to do and what had happened, Eclipse probably would've been just as anxious for the answer. "I have the information that you wanted, Commander. As for the rush, blame my partners." Eclipse lifted her laptop and placed it on the desk. It was already on, but she felt that she should wait until she was in the room to actually get the information.

Precautionary measures.

"Tell me what happened and then we can look at what you have." His voice was calm and had an airiness that surprised the weapon. Somehow she was expecting him to be a little sterner with her. Shrugging the confusion off, she went on to explain what had happened, even going as far as mentioning the reason behind the hair change. That got a small smile and a little blush from the recruit. Not from the smile, but just because she was embarrassed by having blue hair. She missed her red-brown locks. "Alright. It was good of you to get out of there as fast as you could then. Well done trainee. Show me the information and then you can go get some rest."

The weapon nodded and started typing a few things on her keyboard. The laptop asked her for the three passwords and she typed them in ending with the last one "Rymyr." As far as she knew, the only ones who knew her last name were her and a few others on Januarias 4. Sounded like a safe password to her. The pages flashed up immediately and Eclipse turned the screen so that he could look at it. "Is that all, sir?"

"Yes, thank you Lunar Eclipse. You may retire for the evening. There should be a free room two doors down to your left in the second hallway. No code is need because no one's in there at the moment. You are dismissed."

She saluted, turned, and then walked out of the cabin. Creuset waited until she was gone before going through the information. It was thorough, that was for sure, and more than enough to get the Council's attention. "With flying colors," he muttered, glancing at the individual pictures and smirking to himself. _With flying colors._

* * *

**_A/N: _**Yeah I know, a lot of little sections in this one. Sorry about that. Yeah the beginning might be a little choppy too. Blame the forced writing on that one. Yup, another long one too. Surprise, surprise. I really hope I'm not losing people because of the lengths. Apparently my "hit" numbers are going down. I'm really sorry about that, but it's hard to split something like this up into different chapters. I really don't want to anyway. _Shrugs_

Next chapter starts episode one in the Gundam SEED Anime! _Cheers_ I've even started writing it already 'cause I'm so excited. Thanks again for everyone who stuck with me through the non-SEED episodes. I hope you enjoyed them because I really liked writing them. Now comes the time where everything has to be perfect and right on the mark. A few things might be changed here and there, but nothing drastic I hope. So far things have been staying pretty close the the anime so I'm not anticipating much.

Oh, I added descriptions of Avalanche and Chronos to chapter 9 (Games) if anyone's interested in going back to look at it. Sorry I didn't put it in before. I really didn't think I'd need to describe them in such detail, but they played a bigger role than previously planned.

_LunarRaven666_: I'm glad that you've enjoyed the past few chapters, but better than the first ones? C'mon... Haha, just kidding. Thanks for sticking with me and I'm looking forward to your new chapter as well.

And to everyone else, thanks for reading and I hope that you keep doing so!

Strata


	12. Hot, Sexy Men in Red

Hot, Sexy Men in Red

"Try not to be so frustrated, Ades." Creuset lightly pushed off the main screen to stand at the mission briefing table. He had joined Captain Ades and the others on the bridge earlier that afternoon. He sent a few things to the Chairman of Defense Patrick Zala after reading through the information, but still hadn't heard anything back. It had been over a day and they were running out of time.

Now or never.

"Well, I don't imagine it'd be too late to hear back from the council at least." The Captain was an older gentleman with dark brown hair and sideburns reaching down to the top of his cheekbones. He had a long face that seemed to be cut short by the black and purple Captain's hat that he was always seen wearing. Strict to the rule book this one was. He swiveled his chair around to face the Commander, a slight frown on his face. He didn't like doing things without the Council's approval, but he wasn't about to go against Creuset either.

Pick your poison.

"It will be too late. I have a sixth sense about these things." A photo lay resting on the table and Creuset glanced at it as he picked it up. The head of a mobile suit with its armor completely grey stared back at him. The Commander's gaze was long and hard, almost as if he was waiting for the suit to smile back at him.

One of those "Hello daddy!" pictures.

Looking back over at the Captain, Creuset tossed the picture past the older man before continuing. "If we don't sieze the moment now, later we'll pay with our lives for our reluctance to take action." He paused, watching the screen and the two smiley-faced-shaped pods as they propelled themselves toward Heliopolis. He knew about the total of ten soldiers, five of them redcoats, on the crafts and withheld a smirk. The suits were as good as theirs. "The Earth Forces new mobile weapons. We must secure them before they attempt to move them."

"That's all thanks to those weapons isn't it? They're the reason those Naturals are being so jumpy."

"I agree with you in saying that they chose their path poorly, but there's nothing we can do about that now. Most likely they made the final adjustments on the suits over the past day and are about to transport them to a different facility entirely. We can't afford to lose sight of them now or even let them go to earth."

"So we capture them."

"Heliopolis broke their neutrality as soon as they agreed to build those things." They both paused, digesting the situation. Elite military personnel were going to infiltrate the colony and take hostile actions in order to steal some weaponry. Innocent bystanders were bound to get hurt and even killed all because Orb decided to do something rash.

Foolish.

"Speaking of those soldiers of yours. Do you think they're dead?"

"I'm sure that Lunar Eclipse is the only survivor," Creuset responded, taking one of the seats near the table. It looked almost like an egg just with one third chopped out. Add some cushions and there ya go.

"What about the others on Januarias 4?"

"The rebellion? Ah yes, did you receive any new information on that matter?"

"I did, but the news isn't pretty. Three officers helped them escape and out of all the superiors there, those were the only ones to come out alive. Even the cafeteria ladies were slaughtered."

"How many recruits survived?"

"Out of the seventeen that were registered, twelve attempted the escape. Two were transported to earth prior to the uprising and have since then been drafted permanently into the military. The other three were here at Heliopolis with us. Out of the remaining twelve, eleven got out safely."

"So that's a grand total of fourteen survivors then. I warned Captain Vindur about this, but he didn't take my words to heart, I see. A pity really."

"What should we do with the girl then? Do you think she plans on meeting up with them?"

"I'm positive that she doesn't know of the mutiny. If she did she probably would've fled to them instead of us." The Commander hesitated, brushing aside some blonde hair. To assume that much was still a risky move. "We should probably keep her aboard for the time being."

"Under close surveillance?"

"Of course, Captain."

"What should she do then? We don't have any extra room for another mobile suit especially with the five new ones coming. And do you really think it's a good idea to put her in control of one just yet?"

"No, you have a point. We'll have her work as a mechanic for now. She seems to know quite a bit in that field and we can never have enough of those experts aboard, especially now with the prototypes. She may be of some use."

"I'll inform Carter then. But Commander, what do you think the rebels'll do?"

"That I'm not sure of. They might even just flee back to their families, but that seems very unlikely. After what they've been through, revenge seems a viable option." Creuset just shrugged. "I guess we'll just have to wait for them to make a move. Until then, we try to keep her out of contact range."

"She seems like she'd make one powerful enemy."

"Ah, but a more powerful ally."

* * *

Eclipse stood in front of her mirror for the fifth time that day and it was only a quarter past one. Considering how big of a tomboy this particular female was, that was quite embarrassing. Pulling on a few strands of her hair, she inspected them again. The red color was showing through in random splotches, but she could still be called a bluehead in every respect. The dye took to separate areas differently, so the washing had done nothing more than make her head look like a tie-dyed T-shirt.

_Woohoo,_ she thought with a sigh, knowing that three shades of blue and only two shades of red didn't look that great together. The weapon debated washing her hair again, but since it was getting so dried out and felt straw-like, baldness was scaring her more than the fact of having blue hair for the rest of her life. _Being made fun of it is then._

As soon as Eclipse had left the Commander's cabin the previous day, she had taken a shower and had attempted to wash out the dye entirely.

Poor thing had no idea.

It was well-known that Eclipse had been denying her femininity since day one at the facility, so the idea that she never read fashion magazines wasn't too insane. How then could a girl like that know there were different kinds of hair dye? Her efforts to get the blue out had taken nearly forty-five minutes. After that amount of time, her locks had ceased transforming any further leaving her with what she had now.

Well, it was very retro to say the least.

Creuset had been the first to see the finished product when she went back to discuss the warship that Avalanche and Chronos had supposedly found. He was kind. He smiled and made a humorous comment, but nothing more than some final advice as she was leaving.

Where could she find a hat?

Before finding any headgear, the bluehead was ordered to come to the mission briefing on the bridge. The Captain was still waiting for the "Go Ahead" from the Council, but Commander Le Creuset wanted everyone to be ready at a moment's notice.

Boy did she ever not want to go.

She hadn't met many others, but seeing some comrades in the state that she was in seemed downright embarrassing. However, being a soldier doesn't give you any leeway when it comes to orders.

Follow them or get punished.

Tough choices.

Eclipse was surprised to see that the others at the meeting were none other than the very first squad that she started out in. Question was, did they remember her?

Probably not.

Seeing Yzak and Dearka reminded her vaguely of some nightmares, but wow, did they ever change. Her gaze skipped past the redheaded pilot named Rusty (mainly because she didn't know who he was) and started with the youngest member and green-haired boy named Nicol. He was also the shortest, but his orange eyes seemed to counteract his boyish looks. There was some experience there.

_Damn._

After Nicol came Yzak. He still had the silver, shoulder-length hair and icy blue eyes, but everything else had stretched and filled out nicely. He stood to be a little under six foot with broad shoulders and a confident demeanor.

_How the hell—_

Next came Yzak's sidekick and personal friend, Dearka. He was still blonde, still had stunning violet eyes, still tall, and was still tan. He was the tallest of the five redcoats at six feet.

_Woah! Shit!_

Gotta love it.

The last one she saw was named Athrun. Thank goodness for self control because Eclipse probably would've stared mouth agape or even drooled if it wasn't there. He stood to be about her height with dark blue hair cut around mid-neck and emerald green eyes. The last time she saw him, he was a pipsqueak with young, girlish looks.

_Where the fu—_

Again, thank goodness for self control and Creuset for beginning the briefing. The weapon really didn't want to finish that statement.

Just like Kharl, only swear words could give justice to their beauty.

Why was she suddenly running into so many hot men?

Eye candy at its finest, everyone.

After leaving the bridge, Eclipse had spent the rest of the day in her new room. She didn't know whether or not to unpack, so her things were still thrown in a heap in the closet and the Commander hadn't given her any other orders so she just took it easy. The weapon couldn't remember the last time that she had taken a nap.

_It'll come out eventually,_ she reminded herself, jumping back to reality. Using the sink for leverage, the bluehead pushed off to the door. She miss-judged her leap by three feet and had to claw her way across the wall to find the door switch. Eclipse had had anti-gravity training but nothing outside of her mobile suit. The weightless feeling was quite an experience and may take some time to get used to, but the soldier was enjoying it.

Who didn't like to fly?

Pressing the button, she propelled out the doorway and into the hall. It was time to find out what her superiors had planned for her.

The weapon was never one for direct approaches, especially when it came to her commanding officers. She had her share of jokes and word games with her fellow trainees, but nothing more than orders with the top dogs. Perhaps that was because the last time she let her lips flap she got slapped and then shot in the hand for her other antics.

Needless to say, Eclipse learned her lesson fast.

The bridge was at the end of the main hall, but she was under the impression that a soldier should only go there when commanded or has a shift. Since the bluehead fell under neither category, she would have to go to the Commander's quarters and speak to him personally.

Not the greatest idea.

Too many things could go wrong, but then again, what choice did she have?

Turning right from her room, Eclipse grabbed on to the moving railing next to her hand. Small, thin handles were secured equally across the belt strapped to the contraption so that the person had something to hold on to as he or she was propelled through the hallways. The weapon took one and headed towards the interior of the ship.

"Ah, just the soldier I was looking for." Creuset was gliding towards her from the opposite way. The girl had to admit she was grateful for meeting him in the hallway. It saved her from a possibly embarrassing situation.

She really didn't like personal confrontations.

The Commander let go of the belt and steadied himself onto the floor. It was obvious that he was comfortable in the weightless environment. Too bad Eclipse didn't feel the same. She let go of her own handle and managed a salute once she steadied herself. "Sir?"

"I'm assigning you to the hangar as another mechanic. I know you're well-educated in that field and would like you to share some of that knowledge with the other workers."

"Very well, Commander. I'll go there right away." She saluted, no questions asked, and continued on down the hallway, taking a right at the first intersection.

Creuset watched her disappear before checking his watch. The real fighting was about to begin and he hoped that his soldiers would succeed.

The officer laughed. Why was he worried?

Nothing would go wrong.

* * *

The mobile suit hangar on the Vesalius seemed to take up more of the ship than any other area. The ceiling was about ninety feet tall and had the width and length to fit ten GINNs snugly, but efficiently. Seven of those said machines were standing motionless in varied spots and three of them had a mechanic and pilot at the cockpit. The mechanics wore the same puffy marshmallow suit that Eclipse had the pleasure of wearing the day before, complete with glass face mask. The bluehead nearly groaned, knowing that if she was assigned to such a position, then she'd no doubt be wearing the same outfit.

Such a cruel world.

The pilot's suit was much less poofy. In fact it was skin-tight, but Eclipse knew that it would keep the pilot safer than any mechanic's suit. It was double-layered in both the arms and the legs, but the torso and especially the chest and neck area was triple-layered at least. The area from the bottom of the rib cage all the way to the chin was the color black and looked to be of a tougher fabric than the rest of the attire. The black material wrapped itself around the top section and onto the shoulders, even wrapping itself down around the wrists. The black boots weren't as high as with the standard green uniform, which had them stretching up to just below the knee, but ended above the ankle.

_Can't I wear that instead? _Eclipse thought with a sigh.

"I take it you're the new crew member," an older gentleman said, floating over towards the bluehead. He wasn't dressed like the other mechanics in the room, which gave Eclipse a little hope in possibly not having to wear the dreaded space suit, but was adorning the same green outfit the weapon was wearing yesterday as well as today. She hadn't received a new wardrobe yet. Shaggy, black hair covered the top of his head, but Eclipse could see the beginning strands of grey mixed in. His eyes were a dull brown over a large nose and small mouth. Pale white skin gave the impression that he stayed indoors more than anything. Tinkering with his tools it seemed. "Lunar Eclipse right? Call me Carter." He extended a calloused palm and the weapon took it with her own worn one.

"Just Eclipse is fine, sir." It was a strange statement to say, mainly because the girl never asked that of anyone before. Usually the person just assumed the shortened version was preferred. Eclipse honestly didn't care either way.

"A female, huh? We haven't seen a woman around these parts in ages. I hope you can put a few of these sexist men in their place."

The weapon just smiled and released his hand. Being in a training program with twenty-nine other boys had prepared the bluehead for such an occasion. Men always thought that they were superior and she was a good example that that was not always the case.

Eclipse never considered herself a feminist, but she was pretty damn close to one.

"Things'll start heating up here pretty quick so I advise you to suit up. I'll tell you where to go from there."

The weapon saluted and pushed off towards the locker room, keeping her opinions to herself just like with the Commander. She had no authority to complain or question anymore.

* * *

"It's time," Creuset said, turning to the Captain as he did.

The Captain nodded and returned to his team on the bridge. "Weigh anchor! Vesalius launch!" The main boosters started as soon as Ades had given the command, and the three waiting GINNs had also launched.

* * *

Eclipse watched them take off and found herself amused. She never saw the launching system in action and found it quite intriguing. Given, the bluehead knew everything about the sequence and more than enough to take it apart and put it back together, but seeing it in action put so many things into perspective.

She was no longer at the facility.

A smile curled up her lips for the first time since arrival. She was out; finally out.

But wait what about FS and Stray?

* * *

"Notice to approaching ZAFT vessels! The actions you have taken are in direct violation of your treaty with our nation! Stop your advancement at once! ZAFT Vessels! Stop your advancement at once!" Neither Creuset nor Ades even flinched. Apparently those two knew more than even some of the communications officers on the colony.

Heliopolis was the one in violation of the treaty, not them.

The electrical interference made the words hard to make out even from their sitting positions, but their sentiments were too late anyway.

Things were already in motion.

Heliopolis responded quickly which was good in some aspects, but the fact that their only defense consisted of five small, box-like mobile armors made the battle look like sharks vs. guppies.

"We're moving once we take out the mining area," Creuset said calmly as if not seeing the difference in fighting strength.

Captain Ades said nothing and just watched the screens. Just because he couldn't say anything against the plan, didn't mean he couldn't brood over it. If the Council had given their approval then perhaps he would've been alright sitting there and watching the slaughter, but as things stood it was going to get very ugly and very fast.

"Yes, sir!" said the soldier in charge of the steering.

Creuset sighed inwardly and watched the GINNs as they intercepted the mobile armors. _So it begins._

* * *

There was a small screen near the locker room door that served as the only outside access for the mechanics. There was a direct link from the main screen up in the bridge so each of the individuals in the hangar was watching the battle too. Some shouted words of encouragement to the GINNs outside and whenever a machine took a hit they groaned. Some knew what was exactly damaged and could even tell the amount of time that it would take to repair it.

After a while it got quite annoying.

Eclipse opened the locker room door and stepped inside to wait for the suits to come back. The plan was actually that three of the new prototypes were going over to the Gamow, the _Laurasia_-class warship with the Vesalius, and only two would come to this hangar. While it sounded like a good idea, that meant that Eclipse would have next to nothing to do. Hearing the shouting outside she figured that a GINN had taken another direct hit and felt a small surge of hope. If the others were preoccupied with the repairs than maybe she'd get a shot at the inspection and information extraction.

She could only hope.

_Hmph, hope. It seems that's the only thing that I can do nowadays,_ the weapon thought. She didn't like waiting for people and especially for the people who were doing the things that she was trained to do. After a while she thought that her assignment to the hangar was quite peculiar. She knew that the Commander knew what she could and couldn't do so why had he stuck her in here? Her highest marks had come from mobile piloting, not mechanics. _Oh well. I can't argue it._

"Olar's damaged! Emergency landing! Fire crew to B Deck!"

Eclipse heard the announcement, knew that she wasn't one of the fire crew, but when out to look anyway. _How could anyone take damage from those puny mobile armors?_ She looked to her left at the screen and saw a different kind of unit flying around. It looked a lot like the aircrafts found on earth, but this one was orange with a giant rifle that was attached to the bottom of the craft and was as long as the thing was. It had four barrels at its back end and from the look of things, they were able to detach and move on their own. _Impressive._

The hatch opened and one of the GINNs came flying back inside. Eclipse figured it was Olar's machine. The unit had lost its right arm and it even looked as if some of the cockpit may have been damaged. Giant webbing caught the suit as it flew in, slowing its approach and as soon as it settled, the bluehead went over to help.

"Eclipse, wait," Carter ordered, holding out a hand as he glided over. "Athrun and Rusty should be coming back soon with their suits. I'd rather have you helping them than working on this unit. We'll take care of it." Eclipse nodded. The two of them used each other to push off in opposite directions and the weapon was back right where she began.

Waiting.

"Emergency pick-up for Miguel Aiman!"

The girl paused. Things just seemed to be happening so fast. _So this is what real combat is like, huh? Or is it, this is what waiting around during a battle is like? I never did do the waiting part very well. _She was positive that the emergency pick-up just meant that Miguel's suit was destroyed and another pilot had taken him in. Why they had some fancy lingo for something like that, Eclipse would never know.

The military always had to be precise.

She turned back to the screen and saw that the only mobile armor left outside fighting was the orange one. The Vesalius and Gamow were sitting ducks unless someone went out there to fend him off.

"Carter, is my mobile suit ready?" Commander Le Creuset had come through the locker room door, basically answering her question for her. But why the Commander? Weren't there other, less needed pilots aboard that could go out? Well, wasn't she one of those pilots? The soldier almost voiced her opinions, but stopped once he glided right past her. Was he going without a spacesuit?

Well, when you're on top you can do whatever you want apparently.

"Sir, ready and charged." Carter was floating next to another GINN, but this one seemed quite a bit flashier than the others. It was colored silver and white with larger armor attachments. Not only do they get to do what they want, but they can get the best machines as well.

"Good. Open the hatch." After a few more salutes the GINN was on the catapult and ready to launch.

The repairs continued on Olar's suit as soon as Creuset left and judging by the time, Yzak, Dearka, and Nicol should've all arrived back at the Gamow. But what about Athrun and Rusty? Shouldn't they be back as well?

About ten minutes later the hatch opened again and in came a red mobile suit and the last remaining GINN. The red machine was the same type as the green unit in the retrospect that it was upright and had similar limbs, but the head was completely different. It looked a tad more human-like, but then again it was hard to see any machine as such. _So that's the prototype._ Even though she had gotten the information, she never actually looked at it.

Chronos and Avalanche had made sure of that.

The red suit went into its appropriate slot and as soon as the armor had finished its cooling process, the cockpit opened. Two pilots stepped out onto the platform. One was in the same green suit that Eclipse had commented on before, but the other was wearing a red one almost identical to it. Change green to red and black to silver and you have an elite pilot.

The weapon just hoped that it was more than the uniform that proved his rank.

As it looked, the red pilot had gone back to retrieve the green one. _So, that one's probably Miguel. Then who is the other one? Athrun or Rusty? _ The bluehead shrugged and pushed off the wall to join them on the platform. Only one way to find out.

The two exchanged salutes, a nod, and then Miguel headed towards the locker room to freshen up. His role was done for the time being. Eclipse vaguely watched him descend before returning to the remaining pilot. Green eyes caught hers for only a moment, but it was enough to leave her utterly breathless. _What is it about this guy? _His gaze skipped over to the mechanic that was gliding up next to her, pushing what looked like a set of computers. Very bulky and probably very out of date, but if they worked, why change?

"Where's Rusty?" the man asked. He motioned over to Eclipse to help him steady the computers as Athrun responded.

"Rusty failed. He was killed before he could get to the last suit."

The boy's eyes quivered. The weapon would've bet her life on it. Death had been so natural at the facility that no one even shed a sweat drop let alone tears.

Perhaps he was just weak.

"Ah. Well, we have to get the information from your suit anyway. You work on the internal adjustments and we'll work from the outside. Just let us know when you're done."

Athrun nodded and pulled down a keyboard off to his right side. One more command and Eclipse was at the second computer, typing away next to her fellow mechanic. Even though the reactions to war and death were different, the solution was still the same.

Don't dwell on it and move on.

* * *

**_A/N: _**Hey, another chapter and shorter than the past ones. Main SEED story, so I should really start putting up those disclaimers about how I don't own anything related to Gundam SEED, but sometimes I wonder, doesn't everyone know that anyway? I don't know. I guess it's just protocol. I'll probably just put it up on my profile.

I know that this chapter was a bit choppy and whatnot, so I'm sorry about that. I'm sure that all the loyal Gundam SEED fans also know that the first few episodes are just as jumpy and it was hard to fill in some of the gaps without getting too wordy. When in doubt, stick to the script. Speaking of "script," I will be sticking very close if not exactly to the SEED timeline and events. I think I mentioned that in the previous chapter, but if I didn't, now ya know.

Oh, I changed the heights on the main four ZAFT pilots. It wasn't going to be that way at first, but I made the dumb mistake of not looking at their dimensions before making the ones for my own characters. Since I really didn't want to have Eclipse be taller than Nicol and Athrun, I gave them a height boost. Sorry 'bout that. :P

Thanks again to all who have been reading. I'm glad you're enjoying it and keep coming back.

_LunarRaven666_: I know how it feels to balance writing and homework, so don't worry. Just take things one step at a time okay? I'll be getting back into that juggling act pretty soon and I'm not really looking forward to it. Heh...

_Death-Scimitar_: Yes, I am really happy that you reviewed and hope there wasn't a twinge of sarcasm in that statement of yours. I now it's hard to reread things and then review on them 'specially since you hear about this story practically everyday, so I _do _keep that in mind. Anyway, thanks for the constant support and the reviews. :)

Enjoy the chapter and hope to hear from ya!

Strata


	13. Infiltration Nightmare

Infiltration Nightmare

"All unauthorized personnel are restricted from access to areas designated for captured mobile suits. Security clearance is in effect for all maintenance crew until confirmation that mobile suits pose no immediate danger. Failure to comply will result in disciplinary action."

Eclipse listened vaguely to the crewman over the intercom. Since she was already in the hangar before the safety measures had taken effect, she really didn't need to pay attention to any of the warnings.

Lucky her.

The data extraction from the Aegis was moving relatively quick, but that was mainly because all the people working on it were Coordinators. It was amazing how fast their minds worked as well as their fingers. Sometimes Eclipse even surprised herself.

School reports must've been a breeze.

Her mind on other things, mostly concerning FS and Stray, it took a little time for the bluehead to realize that it wasn't her making the adjustments on the computer. Her hands may have been working, but for some reason the machine was taking orders from someone else. "H-Hey!" the mechanic next to her shouted, apparently noticing what was going on too. Eclipse and he exchanged looks before turning to the pilot in the cockpit. At first Athrun didn't respond, his mind seeming to be elsewhere like the weapon's had. Eclipse would've probably yelled at him for the intrusion if his eyes weren't still quivering with some kind of memory. What was it that had him so rattled?

_Whatever it is he better stop thinking about it. Things are getting screwed up because he decided to daydream. _The soldier paused and shook her head. _I really hope it isn't over a girl. _She forced out a sigh as her partner tried to get his attention again. Thankfully it worked.

Eclipse really didn't want to have to slap him back to reality.

"Sorry! I started working on yours too by mistake," the pilot stuttered, blinking his eyes a few times as if finally waking up. The weapon almost made a sarcastic comment, but held her tongue. What good would it have done?

Well, it would've made her feel better.

"Oh, not to worry. We've now completed the external inspection and recharging. What about you?" the mechanic asked, double checking the screen just to make sure. The bluehead did the same.

"Yeah, I'm finished as well." Athrun let out a sigh and pushed the keyboard off to the side. He muttered something to himself, but it was loud enough for the two below to hear. "How did they even manage to use this OS?" Needless to say, they agreed with him. Even though neither Eclipse nor the other mechanic had direct access to the OS, what small parts they encountered were very undeveloped. Think Neanderthals.

Wow, doesn't that analogy give a bad impression of Naturals.

"Commander Le Creuset is returning! Damage sustained from a direct hit! Firefighting and rescue squads to B deck!" the soldier announced over the intercom, but whether it was out of surprise or him just being efficient the weapon didn't know. Did he really need to shout though?

Gasps and whispers sounded throughout the hangar and most of them concerning the Commander's carelessness. Then again, was it carelessness or skill on the enemy's part?

Sirens alerted the bluehead to the opening hatch, but she was plenty far away to not have to worry about being sucked out. Creuset's elegant-looking GINN flew in recklessly, but thank goodness the netting was there to slow his approach. Considering the circumstances, Eclipse agreed with his decision to rush inside. "His unit's lost an arm," said her mechanic partner, not disguising the shock in his voice. The weapon couldn't really blame him for being surprised, hell she was too. One look at Heliopolis's defense force would've made anyone wonder how he got so damaged.

_Oh yeah. The other prototype's still in the colony. But wait-- _Eclipse turned towards Athrun again, trying to make out the look on his face. He was thinking something, that was for sure, and the girl wanted nothing more than to know what was running through his head.

He had some valuable information locked away behind that alluring stare.

Once the armor had finished cooling, the cockpit opened and Creuset glided out. "Athrun!" he shouted, motioning to the young pilot. The redcoat nodded and pushed out of his own machine to join the Commander at the locker room door.

"Eclipse!"

Apparently people were too lazy to use more than a name to get someone's attention.

Her partner reached out a hand and gave her a silver disk. "Take this to the bridge. We need to load it into the main computers in order to send it to the PLANTS. I'd do it myself, but I'm needed here. You know what you're doing right?" The weapon nodded. "Good. Then off with you, but don't take too long. We need you here to help with the repairs. Apparently there's a warship _and_ the last new model roaming around that colony. Getting these GINNs up to par is the most important thing right now." The bluehead saluted, pushed off towards the locker room, and heaved a sigh of relief as soon as the helmet was off. At least she'll be able to stay out of the suit for a while.

After straightening out some of the wrinkles in her clothing, Eclipse opened the far door and grabbed onto the moving railing. Athrun, the Commander, and a blonde-haired pilot were talking near one of the cabin doors. She heard the name Miguel once and figured that the blonde must be him.

It was nice to know who was who around the place.

She glided past them holding a salute. None of them even noticed her which gave the impression that the formalities weren't needed, but the weapon just shrugged. _Better to be safe than sorry._

A lesson well-learned.

"I have the information on the X-303 AEGIS," Eclipse announced once the door slid shut behind her. Captain Ades nodded an "Ok" and after she saluted, the bluehead was over at one of the side computers. A crewmember slid into the chair next to her and helped her out.

"Ah, Commander, I'm glad to see that you're alright. I was a little worried when I saw your mobile suit." The Captain rotated his chair again to face Creuset, a slight frown on his lips. Then again, perhaps his face always looked like that. No one, especially the Captain, was happy with the situation or the war for that matter.

"Yes, I was quite surprised myself. Apparently I underestimated the last prototype. Miguel brought back some data from his battle with the unit and since we can't just leave it to the Earth Forces I think we should look at it and figure out our next course of action." The Captain nodded and took the disk that Creuset held out, giving it to the soldier that was helping Eclipse. The crewman glided over to another computer and loaded the disk over there.

Athrun, Miguel, and two other pilots came onto the bridge almost as soon as the Commander gave up the data. One of the unknown pilots had darker skin with black hair while the other was pale and had short, brown hair. Looking at them, the bluehead felt a small surge of longing.

She really didn't want to sit around a wait again.

The disk loaded quickly and the crewmember transferred the data to the main screen near the Commander and the Captain. All eyes turned to the screen, even the weapon's, but what she saw startled her.

_Are they sure that a Natural is in that thing?_

"You really saved my hide by bringing this back, Miguel. If I didn't have this as proof, I would've been a laughing stock for allowing my unit to get damaged in a battle against a mobile suit of the Earth Forces. No one would've believed it was possible." Creuset paused and turned to his pilots, trying to see their reaction to what was shown. Everyone seemed as confused as he was. Well, all but Miguel and Athrun. The Commander knew that Miguel wasn't surprised because he had lived through the attack, but why wasn't Athrun concerned?

Interesting.

"I believe all of you are aware of the incomplete status of the machines' original OS. With that in mind, I have no idea why this lone unit maneuvered so well. But I want to make one thing perfectly clear, we cannot afford to turn a blind eye and allow them to have possession of it. If we cannot capture it, we shall destroy it along with that _new _warship. Don't underestimate it."

"Sir!" the four of them saluted.

"Miguel, Olor! Prepare to launch at once. We've been authorized to use weapons configuration D. And this time, let's see you put an end to all this."

"Yes, sir!" Miguel and the brunette said, using the remaining pilots to push off for the exit. Matthew left soon after them, knowing that he was to go out as well; he just didn't get the honors of being ordered by the Captain. One more salute to his commanding officers and he was gone.

"Captain Ades," Athrun began, bringing all attention to him. "Sir, please allow me to sortie as well."

"You have no mobile suit. Besides you've already accomplished an extremely crucial mission by capturing one of those units," said the Commander.

"But Sir I—"

"Let the others go this time, Zala. Miguel and Olor have more to prove given the humiliation they suffered," Ades countered, ending the conversation with a stern look. As much as Athrun's enthusiasm was appreciated in the military, such a young soldier shouldn't be so eager to go back into battle.

Boys his age shouldn't even have been in the war.

But again, Ades didn't have a say on that matter.

The redcoat left a moment later while the Commander reclaimed his egg-seat to the right of the Captain. "How are they going to get inside? The harbor hatch is closed isn't it?" Eclipse wondered aloud.

"Huh? Oh, there's a hole in the side of Heliopolis."

The bluehead nearly jumped. The crewmember that was helping her before had returned, but the fact that he heard her mumbling was what had her so unnerved.

"Technically every colony has a support slash defense system that covers any hole that should develop," he continued anyway despite Eclipse's obvious frown. "Depending on the system, it could take the colony hours to fill the hole, but because Heliopolis was already in a state of alert, it reacted quickly. Right now the hole's covered enough that no air, or people for that matter, are going to be sucked out, but the layer's thin and can easily be shot through."

"Oh," was all Eclipse could respond since she didn't want him to answer in the first place.

Well, at least now she knew.

"I'll finish the transfer if you want to head back to the hangar. I'm sure you're needed to help with the equipment loading."

The weapon nodded, saluted, and left the bridge. _Let's not do that again, okay?_

* * *

"Eclipse, thank goodness. You help with the weaponry on Matthew's suit," Carter ordered, pointing a hand at one of the GINNs in the corner. Huge missiles and their sheaths were lying near the left leg of the suit. The ammo themselves stood to the knee on the unit and the carriers hung down to past mid-thigh. They might slow them down, but would they ever cause some damage. _Now that's fire power. _

Apparently the three pilots were going to use the extra machines stored in the hangar. Blame time and damage on that one. Even though the mechanics were Coordinators, no human being could fix a unit that fast. The three pilots had only been on the ship for probably a half hour.

The bluehead nodded and floated over to help a mechanic with one of the explosives. The missile was too big and far too "flashy" to be used on a peaceful colony. In fact those huge things were typically used to take out bases on Earth.

Basically craters looked like younger brothers to the holes that those explosives made.

Oh well. Eclipse couldn't argue. Hm, sounds like there's a broken record aboard.

Helping to attach the missile holsters was a little harder than anticipated, but once everything was ready and set on the right side, the weapon went over to help out the left. Her training on Januarias 4 was really beginning to pay off, but whether or not that was a good thing was still in debate. Sometimes the soldier liked having the knowledge, but other times she wished she'd just get amnesia or something.

"Operation commences at 0100. Matthew, proceed to stand-by position."

_That intercom's getting pretty annoying, _Eclipse complained, doing her best not to get her fingers smashed between the pieces of metal. Not like she would've even noticed because the suit was so damned poofy.

Seeing the gear lock into place and hearing the loud sound that it made, the bluehead said a silent "Phew" and went to the cockpit to finish the internal adjustments. Taking off the helmet and gloves she sat down in the seat and pulled up the OS for the GINN. As much as she complained about the assignment, Eclipse had to admit that she enjoyed doing this stuff.

Given she'd rather be out in a mobile suit any day.

"How's the inside look?" Matthew asked, gliding up towards her. He was in his green, pilot outfit with his helmet strung under his right arm. He grasped the top of the cockpit door to slow his ascent and leaned in to glance at the screen.

"Batteries reconnected. Boosters output increased. Triggers functioning. Balance stabilizers adjusted. Calibration altered. It'll work just fine."

"Good."

Eclipse slipped out and put her mask back on. Matthew squeezed in once she was clear and saluted before shutting the hatch. The weapon saluted back and flew to a safer area. A redcoat passed her as she was going down and the curiosity was enough to make her turn to see what was going on. She knew that the pilot had to be Athrun because there was no one else of his rank on the _Versalius, _but why he was heading to the Aegis Eclipse had no idea. _Perhaps the Commander changed his mind and let him go out with the others. Not exactly the best move, but maybe something happened that I don't know about. _ The boy climbed into the red mobile suit and closed the cockpit just as Matthew's GINN was launching.

"Close the hatch!" yelled one of the mechanics near the launching mechanism. "Wait," he began, hearing the Aegis step up behind him. Not a very comforting sound when a person's only 6 feet tall and the machine's almost 70 feet. The weight only added to the fear, but his concern at the moment was why another suit was leaving the hangar. Work before health it seemed. "What's going on?"

"Is that one going out too?" asked someone else, getting out of the way as quickly as possible.

"No one told me," still another said, doing the same as his comrade.

_Fool, _Eclipse thought as she steadied herself with one of the crates on the floor. _Doing something like that will get him killed if not punished severely by his superiors. If he was at the facility he would've done himself a favor by dying. _Turning, she paused and watched him leave. Her scowl disappeared. _I am impressed though. He had enough guts to leave without permission and even took one of the new machines that he tried so hard to retrieve. There were plenty of men lost trying to get it too. But then again is it courage that leads you to do as your heart desires? Or is it stupidity and immaturity? At first I thought it was courage, but now I'm not so sure. Then again perhaps I just want it to be immaturity and not courage. It's easier to tell myself that my naivety almost got me killed than my bravery. That way there's still some hope. Some hope that I might grow up and learn from my mistakes. If it was courage than I'd rather just die. There are some areas that you just can't get braver in._

* * *

Eclipse couldn't take it anymore. She really just wanted to go inside the colony and help out, but that was obviously out of the question. The battle had only been going on for thirty-five minutes at the most and already one GINN was down. The bad thing was, it was Miguel's suit. Even though the blonde was only recognized as a typical ZAFT pilot and not an elite, he had been quite the fighter. The bluehead didn't know anything about him personally, but as soon as the announcement sounded over the intercom that his unit had been destroyed, most if not all the mechanics began some kind of reminiscence. The weapon just stayed out of it. The thing that she hated most about being around death was how people talked about the victim. It was as if while they were alive they didn't matter, but now that they were dead, they were a saint.

Pathetic.

Her mind returned to other things and only snapped too again when Olor's machine was destroyed. One GINN was left inside the colony. Well, that and Athrun's suit, but given the announcements, Eclipse figured that the he was doing next to nothing out there.

Harsh, but probably true.

The weapon didn't want to place all the blame on the redcoat, but he was an elite in possession of a very powerful mobile suit. How could he not do any damage or, for that matter, take some for his teammates? What she wondered too was how after all of that ammo and fire power the warship was still moving.

_Ridiculous. Absolutely ridiculous, _she thought with a scowl, leaving the hangar all together and leaning back on the locker room couch. She whipped off her helmet and threw it at one of the lockers. It hit solid, to say the least, even denting it slightly, but Eclipse didn't care.

Wait, she didn't care? Didn't the word "punishment" mean anything to her anymore? Had her anger gotten the best of her? Or something else...

_Either that warship has some thick armor and strong weaponry or our pilots are screwing around. What the hell are they doing in there? I don't give a damn how good that Natural pilot is! Hell, it probably isn't even a Natural! It was four against one warship and a mobile suit not to mention they had enough fire power to take out that entire colony! _

Eclipse was about to let out more frustration by slamming a fist into the locker, but the sound outside caused her to forget everything else. She didn't even know how to describe it. A shuttle launch? Dynamite explosion? Both of them combined and then amplified by fifty? Nothing seemed to give it justice and only when she raced back to the monitor did she know what was going on.

Heliopolis was ripping apart.

It reminded her of an angry little kid and a jigsaw puzzle. Square sections were being blown apart and thrown in every direction. After a while even those sections were breaking down into something resembling dust particles.

It was complete destruction and chaos.

"No way," Eclipse breathed. A few others had more colorful responses, but the reaction was the same; utter shock. The bluehead thought she saw the remnants of an apartment building and her heart skipped a beat or two. The chances of it being either her or Kirston's building was slim to none, but just remembering that not so long ago she was on that satellite made things come into perspective.

_I'd hate to be the one not in a lifepod. _Eclipse stopped. She had no idea why she even thought that. Given it was amusing, but did she not feel any remorse whatsoever for what had happened?

How heartless.

Hundreds of shuttles had launched before Heliopolis had completely broken apart and the weapon had a strange, but valid thought.

Perhaps Avalanche and Chronos were on one.

_Nah, they were fools and most likely dead. Just like Heliopolis was destroyed because some people inside were fools. Apparently though, _she began and watched the lone red machine return to the ship, _not all fools die._

* * *

_**A/N: **_I guess the first thing that I'd really like to stress is that I don't own anything relating Gundam SEED or even Gundam SEED Destiny. I want to point that out because in some if not most parts the dialog is practically cut and paste. I need that because I'm going along precisely with the story, so there's your heads up. I'm trying my best not to do really long sections of "copied dialog" because then I'd just be rewriting the anime and I don't want to do that, but some areas I might need the complete conversation. If you understand, thank you. If you don't, I'm sorry.

This chapter's a tad shorter than the others have been lately. I'm not sure whether that's a good thing or a bad one, but what I like about this chapter is we get inside Eclipse's head a little more. If it's a little choppy I'm sorry. I really hate the beginning "phases" of the anime and I think that's showing through in my writing, but perhaps that's just me reading too much into it. _Shrugs _At any rate I typed it out pretty fast so that's exciting.

Thanks again to all my reviewers! (Man, I feel redundant when I always put that... I really mean it though!) I love the feeling when I check my e-mail and there's something about a review, fave, or alert so thank you for brightening up my day if even for that split moment.

_CSS.Stravag: _Nice to hear from you again. I thought you fell off the earth or something and was about to go to the scholars to prove that it was flat and everything. Anyway, I'm glad you liked the immediate introduction. You have _Death-Scimitar _to thank for the words. I'll take the credit for the idea. Yeah, I'm humble. I hoped a lot of people liked it because, hey, it's true. Or is that just personal preference?

Strata


	14. Athrun Strikes Back

Athrun Strikes Back

Athrun's cockpit opened and the pilot flew out even before the mechanic crew could get there. "H-hey does it need—" The redcoat just passed without a word. Eclipse watched him go through the door to her right, examining his face carefully.

Just like she thought, glossy eyes.

The boy hadn't been crying yet, but as far as she could tell, he was on the verge. The weapon just sighed. She figured that he was pretty close to at least one of the pilots that had been killed, but still there was something nagging at the back of her mind.

There was something else wrong.

More out of curiosity than anything, Eclipse found herself chasing after him. She wanted to stop him and talk about her suspicions, but she also knew that she had no place to just step in like that. She didn't have the right to do anything. Sometimes the bluehead hated the constant reminder of her rank, but it was so drilled into her mind that there was no other way to look at situations. Ever since the beginning, Vindur had told her, well them all, that they were nothing but tools. Even the thoughts in her head resembled an overstocked computer of military and battle information. Besides, no one cared about them, so why should they return the favor? The state of mind had taken a while to take effect, but ultimately she had turned into what she was now.

The crying fourteen-year-old of the past was dead.

Things had gotten so far that she barely remembered her family and friends back in Orb. Her and her brother had been extremely close, but even he was a distant memory. How had it gotten this far? Eclipse didn't know anymore, but no matter how much it scared or bothered her, she'd never cry over it.

Some things were beyond even tears.

Athrun left the locker room without even changing out of his spacesuit. Given the situation, it was probably a wise decision, (Seeing as he could get called to action at any moment) but he looked in no condition to be doing anything let alone attempting to destroy a battleship. _Should I ask the Commander if I could be let out as well? _the bluehead thought, but was already shaking her head before she even finished. There weren't any mobile suits left. One of the machines was practically fixed, but it'd never be ready for battle if the alarm sounded anytime soon.

Stuck watching the television again. Damn reruns.

It was a strange feeling for Eclipse to stand in the doorway leading out to the main hallway and stare at someone who really needed a hug. She had followed Athrun out of the locker room, but still managed to keep an unsuspicious distance away. He finally stopped moving and just stared out one of the side windows.

Should she go over to him?

The weapon wasn't totally sure on her next move, but just standing in the doorway looked quizzical if not dumb. If she did go over to him the conversation would probably shift over to him being weak for letting his friends die. Not exactly a good first impression.

"Kira."

_Kira? _Eclipse thought, not recognizing the name. She was positive that no one else aboard had been called that and none of the deceased had anything remotely close. _The plot thickens, _she joked inwardly, but her humor was short-lived when the pilot hung his head.

A tear?

Now the weapon felt stupid. She was probably the only crewmember within eyeshot that could even attempt to comfort the redcoat and that fact alone just made her frown. Not because of the inconvenience that it would cause her, but because if the situations were reversed, this soldier, no matter how attractive or humbling he looked right then, would never even consider what she was debating. No, because she was nothing more than an item to him.

Wait, shouldn't she give him a chance?

Would it even matter if she did?

Most of the soldiers aboard probably didn't know what she was trained to do just yet, but as soon as they found out that tortures and executions were her specialty they'd without a doubt all run away. Not like she'd blame them. Nope, sooner or later she'd just become "that girl" and nothing more.

The only ones who really acknowledged her existence were FS and Stray and they were still stuck back at that hell hole. She bit her lower lip at that thought.

_FS… Stray… I wish you guys were here. _ Perhaps the real reason she clung so close to them was because they had done that small thing.

Proved she was human.

She hadn't met anyone else who cared about what she thought or felt; well, other than in combat scenarios. Dwelling on that realization now, Eclipse had to suppress a wry laugh. _If in my mind I'm a tool, than I'll just have to live through other people. Friends like FS and Stray will remind me that I'm alive and have a heart that's ticking._ _And maybe this boy as well, _she continued, watching him silently. _I don't know what it is, but something's there. Hope possibly?_

* * *

The redcoat returned to his room without Eclipse even making an attempt at conversation. A part of her was happy about the fact, but another area was still screaming its objections. Question was, was it her shoulder angel that was screaming or the devil?

Arriving back at the hangar, the weapon was ordered to help out with the Aegis repairs and recharging. The bridge hadn't decided on what to do yet and because of the scattered debris, the ship's laser and thermal detectors couldn't pick up the enemy warship creatively called the "Legged Ship" by ZAFT personnel. The nickname had apparently come from the looks of the ship, but because Eclipse had no mental picture to reference, she just took their word for it.

The Captain and the Commander were talking on the bridge and going through their options, but the only thing that the weapon could come up with was just doing the old-fashioned technique of using their eyes. Then again they could get snuck up on and that would be disastrous.

When in doubt, wait for orders.

The Aegis had practically nothing wrong function-wise, but flying through the debris on the way back to the ship had put a few nicks in the armor. They weren't severe enough to bring down performance, but if a few areas were struck again they'd crack. One such area was near the cockpit. If that was to open up mid-battle and in outer space for that matter things could get nasty, especially if the pilot inside wasn't wearing a spacesuit.

Frozen redcoat anyone?

Once the panel was replaced, Eclipse got permission to check the internal functions. The suit knew of its injuries better than the mechanics did so why not play twenty questions? Before opening the OS, the weapon couldn't resist taking a moment to enjoy sense of freedom that she felt just by sitting down. While her superiors could control her every move on the ship or at the facility, when she was in a mobile suit she could do as she pleased. That was probably the reason she had tried so hard and excelled in piloting.

The unit was impressive.

Supposedly its armor could withstand the typical GINN sword without even a scratch. That in itself was a feat because that particular weapon could slice through another mobile suit like a knife through melted chocolate.

Easy, not clean, but deliciously rewarding.

The speed of the suit was just as stunning. It could give even the BuCUE a photo finish, but that was probably only in outer space. Unfortunately these machines weren't really built for earth.

Unlike the other five, this prototype had a feature that allowed it to transform into an aircraft and then a giant claw. The real whipped cream topping was that there was an energy cannon known as the "Scylla" located at the center of the claw. Its power was immense, or so the weapon was told. She'd never actually seen it in battle.

Eclipse took another long breath before pulling out the keyboard and bringing up the OS. Only a few adjustments were needed to the sensory nerves and balancers, but other than that, everything looked okay. Fixing those few things, she turned next to the outer cameras. Flicking some switches caused three separate screens to show. One was right in front of her and the other two on both her left and right side. There was no camera needed for the rear because the sensors were sharper in the back and whenever someone tried to sneak up on the suit, alarms would sound, alerting the pilot to the potential threat. The same was for an attack from above or even from below. Effective, but it still sounded liked laziness to the bluehead. If the pilot was truly worthy of the machine, he or she would be able to cover their backside, above, and below easily enough without the suits help.

Well, beam rifles might be a problem without the alert system.

The main camera in front came on alright but after about five seconds the screen flashed and then went black. Eclipse sighed and unscrewed the bolts holding the panel above the screen. Pulling it off carefully, she looked at the wiring inside. She fiddled around with a few connections, but when nothing seemed to bring the picture back onto the screen she sighed and moved to the exterior. _Welding things is fine, but as soon as it gets down to the wiring I get a huge headache. _

"Attention all crewmembers! The _Vesalius _will be launching in ten minutes hoping to cut off the enemy on their expected course. We are now at level one battle stations. All pilots report to your machines and all other personnel report to your stations. I repeat. _Vesalius _will be launching in ten minutes."

"On their "expected" course?" Eclipse reiterated aloud. _Does that mean they're not totally sure where the "Legged Ship" is headed? Considering the circumstances, I guess I'm not surprised, but I hope the Commander and Captain know what they're doing. With our sensors practically useless things could get messy._

* * *

Athrun was the only pilot to show up in the hangar dressed and ready. It was actually perfect timing because Eclipse had just fixed the outer camera and finished up some other little adjustments as soon as he glided up to the cockpit. "How's it doing?" the redcoat asked, steadying himself on the hatch like Matthew had done earlier that day. Even the question was relatively similar.

Scary.

"The armor was patched up, sensors reattached, battery recharged, and cameras realigned and working. Things seem to be alright, but you got lucky this time. Compared to the damage that Matthew, Olor, and Miguel sustained I'd say you came out unscathed." The weapon watched his face carefully as she spoke, trying to see what emotion passed. Hatred? Sadness? Fear? Actually none of those did. His eyes did quiver a bit, but they looked hurt other than sad.

Hurt. Like he knew that he did something wrong, but had no way of fixing it.

The bluehead was going to press further, but at the last second decided not to. Apparently the little angel on her shoulder thought Eclipse should be caring for once.

Maybe not.

"Sir, you're an elite pilot so I guess I'm just a little surprised that the three others on your force were killed and the enemy still has full power. We could blame it on the experience of the pilots, but you and I both know that they had their share of battles."

"Some things just didn't go as planned was all," the redcoat responded, his eyes narrowing slightly. Perhaps he just didn't like being pestered.

Either that or the sweet passages courtesy of Eclipse's shoulder devil.

"If your suit came back without an arm and a leg then I'd say that things didn't go as planned, but it came back practically unharmed. Well, Heliopolis's destruction may have been the crack in the dam, but there was still plenty of battle time. Sir, what happened—"

"Athrun Zala, prepare to launch," announced the crewman over the intercom, but the orders weren't done. And just when the weapon was about to get some valuable information.

Pity.

Creuset's face appeared on the communication screen inches to the left of the panel that the weapon opened ten minutes earlier. "Athrun, the _Gamow_—wait, Lunar Eclipse what are you doing there? Where's Athrun?"

"I'm here, sir," the redcoat stuttered slightly, trying to pull the bluehead aside so that he could sit down. Eclipse climbed out quickly and braced herself on the hatch.

"Good. We've located the "Legged Ship" and are now halfway between them and Artemis. About 800 kilometers to be exact."

"Has Artemis activated its umbrella?" Athrun asked, referring to the defense system around the base. It was actually very well-developed even according to some Coordinators. It could practically withstand anything.

"Yes, as we suspected. Apparently our calculations were correct and that new warship is heading there. The _Gamow_ is positioned behind the craft and will soon be launching the Duel, Buster, and the Blitz. You are to go and give them support."

"Understood, sir."

"Remember what I said, Athrun. Who's it going to be?"

"I will, sir." The communication ended and the pilot sighed. "It's not all black and white y'know," he said, addressing the weapon still outside.

"And we're not doing something as innocent as painting a picture." She just shook her head. "Don't get me wrong, sir. Coming back alive is no small feat, nor is it overlooked. I _am _glad that you're still ticking, but remember that mistakes equal death."

"And so does ignorance," he said before shutting the cockpit.

Eclipse stopped, trying to decide whether that retort was meant for her or someone else. If it was someone else than there was something fishy going on, but if it was directed at her she felt a little stung.

Wasn't she just trying to help?

* * *

If Eclipse couldn't stand watching the monitor before, this time it was downright suffocating. _They're dancing. That damn Athrun is trying to show off some ballroom skills. Ridiculous. Absolutely ridiculous. _ She only wished that she could hear the communication between the Aegis and the last prototype named the X-105 STRIKE. Judging by the way that their "fight" was going, there seemed to be more yapping going on than bumps and bruises.

Yzak in the Duel was doing a pretty good job at picking up Athrun's slack, but seeing as the Strike pilot was wasting so much energy so fast, the silver-haired redcoat didn't have to do that much work. He dodged as much as he could, waiting for the suit to literally shoot its battery to death.

Dearka in the Buster and Nicol in the Blitz were doing their part by attacking the "Legged Ship" head on. The warship stood true to its nickname with two, giant, leg-looking body parts sticking out the front and it looked something like a sphinx in how it was all put together. The white exterior made the soldier wonder if Orb was trying to make it look like a peaceful craft. That color was usually used for such things, but seeing how much battle strength it had, she doubted the warship was made for any kind of humanitarian acts.

Watching their battle for a while, Eclipse once again found herself impressed by some Earth Forces' weaponry. The ship's armor was top-notched and the people aboard either had very good aim, or a fair amount of luck. The bluehead was betting on luck, but mainly because she didn't have that high of a regard for Naturals.

At least not when it came to down to the nitty-gritty of fighting.

"Attention all hands! _Vesalius _will be firing its main cannon. I repeat. _Vesalius _will be firing its main cannon."

"What? Is that ship within range already?" muttered one of the mechanics standing next to the weapon. They were all wearing space suits as they squeezed in to watch the screen. Eclipse tried to stay out of the clump mainly because she didn't like being that close to people. If something was to happen, she'd never be able to do anything elbow to elbow with someone else.

Just one of the things she learned the hard way on Januarias 4.

"Alrighty then. If we're going to get in on the action I want you five to head over to the engine rooms and then split apart as you see fit. Saider and Andrew, grab one or two from the fire crew as well as some extinguishers to go along with you. You never know what might happen. Eclipse and I will stay here and monitor the battle. We'll relay commands to you if anything should happen. The rest of you keep working on the Commander's GINN. I want that thing up and running if he needs to go out again. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes sir!" the group shouted and saluted Carter before moving off to their respected areas. The whole exchange was quite impressive actually. The weapon had never really been "back stage" for sorties and had to admit that she really didn't think much about the amount of energy and effort that the other soldiers put in. Watching them now and seeing how they always had to be at least one step ahead of everything and looking for the "worse case scenario" she found herself wanting to voice an apology.

They really were underestimated.

The battle raged on relatively unchanged. Once Yzak had stepped in and taken hold of the spotlight, Athrun backed off and basically floated just above the squabble. It looked almost as if he was afraid to join in.

_That boy has some serious issues. _Eclipse would've commented further if it wasn't for the sudden surge backwards. Most of the soldiers were waiting for the recoil from the main cannon and the unexpected angle caused a few to stumble into a crate or down on platforms.

The bluehead was among the ones thrown into a crate of materials. She caught herself fairly clean and even managed to grab Carter next to her before he was flung all the way into the far wall. "What the hell—" he began, but barely got those words out of his mouth before an explosion sounded off to their right. "Damnit! There goes an engine!"

One of the men near the GINN shouted some more colorful language before the ship took another violent turn. The _Vesalius _was nearly turned over after that hit.

By some stroke of terrible luck, the supports holding one of the damaged machines snapped and sent the unit loose. If there was gravity in the room than about a handful of mechanics would be dead, but there were still two that probably would've rather been in that situation. The pull of the ship was so strong that a panel on the machine's left arm flew off to nearly cut two men in half. One of the two saw the danger just in time and shoved them both out of the way.

Well, almost.

One now had a hand wedged between the sheet of metal and the hangar wall while the other just had a huge, deep cut on his right thigh. The leg could be saved, but the hand would have to go.

"Damnit!" Carter cursed. "Joel, take Zev to the infirmary before he loses anymore blood! You two, Koji and Rect! Try to get that hand out! Don't be sluggish, but don't just give up too soon either! We want to save it if we can, but you're all sitting ducks if the ship jerks again! Eclipse!" he shouted, turning to the bluehead next to him. "We need to secure that GINN!" The girl nodded and followed his lead to the machine.

Even though the anti-gravity didn't work out too well for the unfortunate mechanics, it worked just dandy for the weapon and her superior. If they had to pick up the suit down on earth, well, it'd just never happen with hands alone.

The GINN in place, sheet of metal still in the wall (along with a left hand of a certain individual), and with the two remaining mechanics, Eclipse followed Carter to the damaged engine room. Knowing that the area was just sealed, she was surprised to see several floating bodies and the strong smells of drying blood, excretes, and smoke. Some still had the spacesuits on, but the missing limbs gave the impression that the suits didn't protect against much when it came to explosions and flying metal.

That was something to keep in mind.

The soldiers stationed there were in the process of gathering up the injured as well as information on the situation. Things didn't look or smell pretty. One of the two mechanics that came with the bluehead turned away and wretched into a corner. Luckily he got his helmet off in time.

Eclipse saw Carter reach around behind her and push down one of the buttons. The smells went away almost instantly. "We have oxygen tanks for a reason, soldier. Now c'mon, we have a lot of work to do. Apparently there's a large hole from the blast and that's the reason for the door. There shouldn't be any fires inside because of the lack of oxygen, so we'll just go right for the repairs."

"Understood, sir."

"Here, wrap this once around your waist and then hook it on the clip at your hip. The other end will be clipped here—"

The ship jolted again, sending both Eclipse and another mechanic backwards down the hall. The weapon hit first and only groaned when the other unfortunate fell onto her. He spewed a few colorful words before attempting to push off her, but the force of another explosion kept him pressed against the bluehead.

_Judging by the situation, the "Legged Ship" must've targeted the Vesalius and fired. That would explain the sudden attempt at evasion and the reason for our mechanic sandwich at the end of the hall, but where had the attack hit?_

The man on top of her muttered something and finally managed to push off her, but what she looked up to was not a picture out of a Disney pop-up.

The attack hadn't made direct contact with the ship, but because the engine on the starboard side was damaged, there wasn't enough thrust to pull the whole ship away entirely. Having the least amount of power, the damaged side didn't get far enough away from the blast to avoid most of the shock and heat waves. One of the blast doors that had been previously sealed from the first attack lay against the opposite wall. Whatever was left of the engine had exploded and blown the door backwards into some of the recovering mechanics. Carter was among the victims, but while one mechanic was hit full-body, only the officer's right side was trapped under the sheet of metal.

Some would call that lucky.

The rest seemed okay, with only a few singed by the fire from the explosion, but needless to say, the engine needed to be rebuilt.

Carter and the other mechanic were unconscious by the time that the door was removed, but Eclipse was just surprised that the man that got squished was still alive. _Probably not for long, _the weapon observed when a doctor removed the spacesuit to examine the wounds. Using some exceptional reflex activity, the man had crossed his arms over his chest just as he heard the explosion. That act softened some of the blow, but now his arms were practically shattered along with some ribs. Eclipse heard something about a punctured lung and could practically visualize what happened.

It was almost nightmare worthy.

The bluehead had seen plenty of injuries and death in the past year, even issuing some of it herself, but as she helped gather the wounded and watched two of her fellow soldiers die from crushed insides, burns, and blood lost, something in her mind clicked.

Suffering and death were what she was breed to deliver and for the first time she realized that not all were guilty of pulling a trigger.

Most were just innocents in that sense. Fixing death machines for a living doesn't exactly make a person innocent on every level.

* * *

The two ships rendezvoused about a half hour after the excitement ended. Creuset ordered most of the mechanics on the _Gamow _over to help with the repairs on the _Vesalius_ mainly because it was the only ship damaged. The engines of both sides of the warship had definitely "seen better days" and even the launcher on the port side was severely damaged.

Well, things would take a while.

Eclipse had been helping with as much as she could on the launcher, but when the other workers came over, she was sent to the _Gamow _to work on the prototypes. The excuse was that she knew those suits better than most of the other soldiers, but the weapon had a feeling it was because she was young and a girl at that.

With Carter not around the soldiers could be sexist.

Knowing her opinions wouldn't get her anywhere, she left without argument and took one of the transports over to the other ship. The bluehead was left in charge of both the Aegis and the Blitz while the one other mechanic that stayed aboard fixed the Duel and Buster. It sounded like a good plan when she looked over her suits, but when she glanced at the Duel and the empty spot where its right arm was supposed to be her insides churned. Things weren't going to be easy after all. Even if she did finish the repairs on the Aegis and Blitz she'd still need to help out on the Duel. Eclipse then knew why there were more than two mechanics on board a warship.

_Clearly the _Vesalius _will be down for a while so we'll have plenty of time. Better just get to it and hope that I remember to eat dinner and get some sleep._

* * *

_**A/N: **_Hey all, new chapter. I'll tell ya now that I'm going to have a lot of things to balance for the next few months so bear with me on the long waits, okay? I'll try to dish out the chapters as much as I can, but being a Creative Writing Major I won't really have the luxury of "writing for fun" that much anymore. There'll be a lot of assignments I'm sure. Anyway, I'll try really, really hard.

Man, you guys have no idea how much I've watched the first DVD of _Gundam SEED _so far. Quite ridiculous actually especially since it's my least favorite disk... I'm finally done with it though and the next chapter will bring in some old characters as well as some new ones so be prepared! I'm so excited! I'm not sure how far into the old/new characters I'll get, since I don't actually know how far it'll get until I write it, but hopefully quite a ways.

Thanks again to everyone who's been reading and reviewing. I really appreciate it and all that jazz.

_CSS.Stravag: _I have to admit that your review scared me half to death. I hope that this chapter'll explain Eclipse a little more and why she thinks like she does. Funny how I never know how cold my characters sound until someone actually points it out.

_Death-Scimitar_: I must admit that it's a huge relief not to see/write about Kira. Even when I go back through the episodes I skip over him and go right to the ZAFT personnel. I'll say a quick sorry to all the Kira fans out there because I know that there are a lot, but I really don't like the kid. He's fine in _Gundam SEED _but in _Gundam SEED Destiny _he really pisses me off. Then again so did most of the people I really liked in _SEED... _A pity really.Anyway, sorry guys, but he may get bashed in the later chapters. Not too much because like I said, I do respect him, but enough to maybe make some people angry. I really hope not though...

I hoped you enjoyed the chapter and see ya in the next one!

Strata


	15. Dancing Chess Pieces

Dancing Chess Pieces

Working on the Aegis had always been a fun hobby, well at least for the past few days, but after checking the internal functions for the fifth time and having the machine still flash the same error message back at her was getting a tad annoying. Eclipse was also assigned to the Blitz, but the repairs had taken only about three hours at the most. The Aegis on the other hand… _Damn suit. It's almost as stubborn and pigheaded as its pilot. _

"What? Hey, that's cheating!"

The weapon hesitated a second before rounding the final corner to the cafeteria. It was about three in the afternoon and she hadn't had a break since she woke up around half past five.

Man, was she ever hungry.

"Oh give it a rest, Yzak."

"A pawn can't move like that!"

The four redcoats were sitting at one of the middle tables, but no one else seemed to be in the room. Given the time, that was to be expected. Athrun and Yzak were sitting across from one another and staring down at a chess board. There was a pile of black pieces off to the side and a much smaller white one next to it.

Athrun was white.

The silver-haired pilot's king was knocked on to its side, obviously defeated. And its main conqueror?

A pawn.

Athrun just sighed and placed his chin on an upraised hand, knowing that it didn't matter whether his next statement was positive or negative; his comrade would find some way to throw it back at him, sometimes even literally.

At the moment, that pawn looked very dangerous.

"Face it, you lost, Yzak," Nicol muttered as he took off his headphones, the piano music that he had been listening to still playing out loudly as he put them down. He had been drumming some sort of melody out on the table when the weapon walked in and she couldn't help but wonder whether it was his own music that he was fingering or someone else's.

"No, there's no way that he could win that easily."

"Relax, he beat you fair and square. Just because you lost your queen in the fourth move doesn't mean he cheated," Dearka stated blatantly, using the end of his pencil to scratch the side of his head. He was on his fourth crossword puzzle of the day. Perhaps he'd finally finish one. "How _did _you manage that anyway?"

Eclipse didn't even wait to hear the answer. She walked over to the counter expecting to see one remaining food tray, but as she drew nearer, the shape on the shelf was nothing more than a neglected plate. Heaving a sigh, she vaguely listened as Yzak began another rant.

_Now what?_

"So, did you want to play again then?" Athrun asked lightly, picking up the pawn that his comrade ended up throwing at him. Well, at least it didn't hurt as bad as he thought it was going to.

"Why? So you can just beat me again and then hold it over my head for the rest of the day? I think not." The emerald-eyed redcoat just shrugged. "Hey, girl."

The bluehead stopped. Yzak's temper was practically legendary on the ship and not something that anyone wanted to be at the tail end of. Athrun usually took that spot by default and after hearing about the exchange in the locker room the previous day, he wasn't about to be dethroned no matter how much the redcoat tried. Oh well, just stay on his good side and answer.

"Yes, sir?"

"Is my Duel done yet?"

Down to business as usual. "I don't know, sir. I'm assigned to the Aegis and the Blitz. The Buster and your suit are being repaired by the other mechanic aboard."

"Well, that's stupid," the boy complained, receiving more than a couple of groans for the effort. "Wouldn't things go faster if you two worked together to fix all our suits?"

_So, tell me. When the enemy attacks do you want to be the only one going out? _She wanted to say it. She was so close, but Vindur's words still echoed in the back of her mind.

If she bit her tongue one more time it'd probably fall off.

"Oh just leave her alone. Just cause you lost to Athrun doesn't mean you have to take it out on her."

"Shut up, piano boy!"

_Wow, what a diss. Apparently Threats and Insults 101 wasn't a course in the academy. A pity really. He does have potential, _Eclipse thought with a small smirk.

"Relax. It's not like we're going anywhere right now anyway, at least not until the _Vesalius _is fixed," Dearka said, usually the only one able to calm his companion's fury.

"Says you!" the redcoat shouted before storming out of the room, even shoving a chair to the side as he went by.

"H-hey Yzak!" His tan-skinned friend ran after him, leaving the three of them in the room by themselves.

A short silence passed, the only sound from Nicol's earphones as well as the drumming of his fingers. Eclipse had never met a piano player before and just watching the soldier was fascinating. Did they all do such things?

"So, Nicol, you up for a game?" Athrun asked, putting the last pawn into place on the board. It seemed the boy still wanted to play. The weapon couldn't blame him. After yesterday anyone would need a mood lifter.

"Ha ha, good one. I don't want another notch in the losing column, thank you."

"Aw, c'mon. You almost won last time."

"And you don't need another ego booster."

The redcoat just sighed, fiddling with the white queen in front of him. "Fine. So, what about you?"

The weapon paused. At first she didn't even think that he was talking to her especially about something as unmilitary-like as a game of chess. "Wait, me?" The soldier nodded. "Sorry, sir, I've never played before," she lied. Her older brother had taught her the game when she was around ten years old and admittedly never played willingly since that day. He was one of those people that always wanted to show off by defeating less experienced players.

Hm, kind of like Athrun.

"What? Ugh, here, I'll teach you."

"Huh?" Not only did she stop breathing, but her heart stopped beating as well. That was a first, well at least on the ship. Did he just ask her about something other than the status of his suit?

Why?

"But sir, I'm only here to get some food."

"Well, there isn't anything right now, so just take a break and I'll teach you."

"Is this just so that you have another player to beat later on?"

The pilot sighed and slumped in his chair, shaking his head only slightly. The real reason that he was so eager for another game was because of his restlessness. His childhood friend Kira had been on his mind since the moment he woke up and even when he took a nap earlier that afternoon, the boy was in his dreams too. It was both frustrating and unnerving. Just the thought of him on that Earth Forces' ship ate at him, but unfortunately the redcoat couldn't do anything about it.

Chess was a good distraction.

Eclipse watched him quietly, having an internal struggle of her own. She knew that the Aegis had to be fixed and soon, but there really wasn't much left to do on it and nothing that would make the machine perform poorly in battle. There were only a few small adjustments and that dumb error message to work on.

There wouldn't be a battle before then would there?

Better to not risk it. She dreaded the punishment if she left her work unfinished.

"Sir, I still have a few things to do on your unit and that comes as a first priority." The look on the boy's face was priceless. It ranged somewhere between pained and saddened. The bluehead just couldn't make it out. More than what was written on his face, she was quite confused at his persistence. Why was this soldier trying so hard to get her to play?

Why her, an item?

"Oh just do it. I really don't want to watch him cry," Nicol said off to the side. "And besides, Athrun passing on information? This I have to see."

Eclipse sighed, but ended up sitting across from the redcoat anyway. _That was pretty much an order, right? _

"Alright, this piece is the king."

She stopped listening after that statement. The bluehead knew what the pieces were, and where they could move, so why bother doing anything more than nodding her head a few times? Instead she tentatively watched the boy's face. His mood had turned an almost 180 since she last looked and that fact alone caused her curiosity about his secrecy to surface once more. However, that said feeling was pushed aside when she gazed even deeper.  
It looked like he was enjoying himself.

_Fun? Is he anticipating his victory or is he actually amused with teaching me? _The bluehead nearly blushed.

"And the pawn can only go forward one space. The first time you move it, it can move two spaces but after that only one. Oh, and it can only attack at an angle. Like this." He showed her some kind of example, but Eclipse was still daydreaming.

Was she human to him?

To them? She glanced at Nicol out of the corner of her eye and saw the young pilot with a hand over his mouth, covering up a smile. Was it because they didn't know what she was?

That had to be it.

No one ever treated her as an equal and that was that.

"Alright, I think I got it, sir. You're white so you move first, right?" The pilot nodded and the game was on.

Things were moving relatively slow mainly because Eclipse had a little more patience and was able to anticipate better than the Duel pilot. Taking that into account, Athrun was having a harder, or even a more enjoyable, time at this game than the previous one. When two of her pawns and a bishop were taken out, the weapon decided to ask the redcoat a few questions and get some answers this time. "Tell me, sir. Do you enjoy dancing?"

"Huh?" That threw the boy off balance, but unfortunately for the bluehead he was good enough to keep a cool mind on the game. "What do you mean by that?"

"Well, given your last battle, I figured it was a fun pastime for you."

Athrun stopped mid-movement and Nicol held his breath. The Blitz pilot knew that it was a sore subject for his comrade and bringing it up during a game seemed like some kind of penalty in his book.

How cruel.

The chess genius just sighed and put his queen down on the board. "What I do on the battlefield is of no concern to you. I don't know why you keep pestering me about my fighting and frankly I'm sick of it. How about this? Is pissing people off a favorite pastime of yours?"

Eclipse looked down and moved her knight to take out one of his bishops, not responding.

"What, no answer? Eclipse, you seem so distant to everyone and speak so coldly to us pilots. Why?"

"I wasn't trained to care about your personal feelings, sir. All I see are the weak areas in the battles, the damaged sections on your mobile suit, and the next course of action. In a war what else is there to worry about?"

"Morals and values, obviously," Nicol said, stepping into the conversation as Athrun took out the weapon's knight with his other bishop. "Without those you can't make good decisions. Given experience plays a huge role, but if you just go into a battle looking at tactics and advantages then you are nothing more than a mobile suit too."

Exactly. Vindur couldn't have said it better himself and after all, wasn't that what she was? A machine?

"Feelings only get in the way," the bluehead said, knocking away a pawn, "and I have plenty of experience to prove my point."

"Sounds like excuses if you ask me," Athrun spat, placing his queen down hard on the board. "Checkmate."

Eclipse stared blankly at the move and ultimately her defeat. It wasn't surprising that the redcoat beat her, she really didn't have that much experience, but her pride was still wounded. Whether it was from the conversation or the game was yet to be decided.

Not wanting to get into yet another fight with her teammates, she got to her feet, saluted both redcoats and spun on her heels. She really didn't have any real explanation for the way that she thought either. Had her mouth practiced the words so much that she just said them automatically? Or was she honestly starting to believe them?

Either way, that error message was looking very friendly at the moment.

"Do you have nothing more to say?" Nicol asked, but she was gone before he got a descent answer. The green-haired boy sighed and sat down in her vacant seat. "I had no idea we had someone like that aboard."

"She's new, obviously, but I'm not sure she's here to stay."

"Why do you say that?"

"Just a hunch." Athrun shuffled the pieces around on table, making no attempt of setting them back up, but there was something in the back of his mind that was urging him to. It was the thought of Kira again. "Hey Nicol, play a game? Please?"

It might've been the please that spun the Blitz pilot into a loop, but he nodded a yes and took his share of pieces. "You know what," he said after everything was set up and his opponent had already made his first move, "she looked vaguely familiar."

"Familiar? Like from where?"

"I dunno. The bluish hair's kind of throwing me off, but there's something about her."

"A secret crush from long ago?" Athrun joked and moved another pawn on the board.

"Very funny, Athrun. Honestly, you're always a jerk when you play this game."

"I meant no offense."

"Right." Nicol just moved his knight, ironically taking out his teammate's queen. He made some victorious shout and little dance before sitting back down and continuing the game. "No, I really think she looks familiar."

The Aegis pilot frowned and moved his bishop to take out his opponent's. He could still win without his queen anyways. "Then just look through the ship's database and find her profile. I doubt it'd be that hard to access and besides, we can look at those things whenever we want can't we?"

"That I'm not so sure about, but I guess I can try." They both sat quietly for the rest of the game and, as suspected, Athrun pulled out the win. How, Nicol honestly had no idea, but apparently this particular redcoat was an expert at chess. Technically that skill could transfer into battle tactics, but other than that, it wasn't really useful.

Oh well, it passed the time.

"I think I'll go check on that gut feeling of mine and I suggest you make sure Yzak and Dearka aren't tearing their mechanic in half," Nicol said, getting to his feet and grabbing his music player.

"Well, if the alarms haven't sounded yet and no doctors have run by then I think we're okay." Putting away the scattered pieces, the redcoat placed the top back on the box and set it in one of the cupboards near the water tank. "I might just go to the hangar anyway. I'm not really up for a nap and there isn't anything else to do."

"Curious about that newbie huh?"

Athrun shrugged. "Maybe a little."

* * *

"To Commander Le Creuset. It's from the Homeland," said one of the crewmen on the bridge. He printed off the typed message and handed the slip of paper to Creuset's open palm. He read it quickly and silently before passing it to Ades, offering none of its contents in his expression.

"Summons to appear before the Supreme Council? You're kidding! After coming this far and nearly cornering them?" the captain exclaimed.

"I'd say there's turmoil in the council. Probably over the events proceeding the collapse of Heliopolis." The commander paused, a slight smirk on his lips. "Well, can't be helped. We'll instruct the _Gamow_ to remain here and continue the pursuit."

"Ah, right."

"Have Athrun return. The _Vesalius _will return to the Homeland as soon as the repairs are complete."

"I'll inform Zellman. Oh, and sir, there seems to be another matter here concerning that soldier, Lunar Eclipse."

"Yes, apparently she is officially a member of our team."

"It says here that we are to pick up a mobile suit for her."

"I see. She must be the replacement for Miguel, Matthew, Olor, and Rusty then."

"One pilot for all of them? Seems a tad unequal if you ask me."

"Well, she is regarded as an elite soldier, even if her rank doesn't show it."

"Is she really that great?" Ades asked.

"The initial plan for the program was to get soldiers out on the battlefield that were even more experienced and better trained than the elites. More experienced in the sense that they had a wide assortment of skills other than the typical piloting and commanding."

"What more can she do? We both know that our pilots can fix their suits almost as well as she can, so what's so special about that?"

"She's trained in the areas of interrogation, infiltration, assassinations, and executions. Basically everything that the average soldier isn't skilled or wouldn't want to do," continued the commander.

"That's a lot of -tions,' but nothing that we can use here."

"Ideally the remaining recruits from Januarias 4 were going to be sent out in groups to various bases and used to do anything and everything. Whether it was something as little as stealing some weaponry or as big as taking over an Earth Forces' base."

"All by themselves?"

"Like I said, ideally." Creuset was going to add something about if they died in the battle or on a mission then it didn't matter, but he didn't want Ades to question his sanity more than he probably already did. There were some, the captain included, that thought the council went a little overboard with the program and that was the reason for only choosing runaways or orphans. If they died, no one would cry over them. The motive for the isolated facility was also connected. If the recruits made no outside connections, then there would be no commitments in the future. The strictness of the place was ultimately up to the man in charge, Captain Vindur, but everyone knew of the basic outline.

It wasn't going to be some early teen daycare.

"Sounds ruthless."

"I'm sure that the Earth Alliance came up with something similar, so don't call us monsters just yet."

"Well, we're already monsters to the Naturals."

"Hence the war."

"Precisely."

"Sir? There's another message from the Council," announced the same man at one of the computers. He handed the slip of paper to Creuset as soon as it was printed.

"What's it say?" Ades asked.

"Hm, what is the Council thinking?"

"What?"

"Apparently there have been reports about a suspicious group in the L4 colony cluster."

"You think it's those rebels from Januarias 4?"

"I'm not sure, but it's too ironic for it not to be."

"I see." The captain paused and listened to a short message about the repairs on the engine. Things were going along smoothly. That was a relief. "So, what about this suspicious' group?"

"The Council wants to send Lunar Eclipse, along with a team of elites of their choosing to do some detective work."

"Wait, if it is the rebels then we'll lose the girl to them for sure. We're supposed to keep her out of contact remember?"

"I know that and you know that, but apparently the Council is so confident in their little weapon that they think she'll just come running back to ZAFT like a good puppy."

"She's no more reliable than the rest of them."

"That's what I think too, but unfortunately she's under their command and not ours. While she's assigned to the team it's more of cover-up. Most likely we won't have any control over her at all."

"That's if she comes back."

"We can only hope that she does. I have a bad feeling that those renegade soldiers will become a thorn in our side later on."

"And unfortunately your feelings are always dead on," the captain groaned.

* * *

The next morning was scary, at least for those who heard Eclipse and knew that a squeal of joy was a little out of character. Since there weren't many of those, her roommates just had an unexpected wake up call at 0500.

Not a pleasant hour.

As soon as the weapon had awaken, she took a shower and much to her delight, the blue dye washed itself out entirely. It was either by some stroke of luck, or the stars that Eclipse had been wishing on had made her dreams come true, but whatever the reason, she was a redhead again.

The three female officers that she was bunking with groaned when she came out of the bathroom and one even threw her pillow at the soldier. She just brushed it off and fled to the hangar to help finish up with some things on the Duel. The armor had been welded along with the new materials so all that was left was to fix the wiring. Even though Eclipse hated doing it, she was in a good mood.

Surprisingly all the redcoats had beat her to the room and were gathered near the Aegis. She wasn't sure why they felt the need to be up that early and it wasn't as if they could do anything. Athrun was in his spacesuit with his helmet cradled under his left arm. The three of them seemed to be talking about something, but the weapon had no idea what about.

Probably just some redcoat secrets.

Paying them no heed, she pushed herself up towards the right arm of the Duel. She steadied herself on the raised platform, slid down on it and started connecting the wires inside. The weapon worked smoothly, considering what time it was; then again she was used to the early mornings.

"I'm surprised that you guys didn't recognize her. Given it was a long while ago and we were only together for a few months, she still went out of her way to get to know each of us," Nicol said looking at the confused looks etched on his comrade's faces. The four of them had had a meeting with the captain late last night concerning the _Vesalius' _return to the PLANTS and Eclipse's entry onto the team. Zellman shared with them all the information he knew on the redhead and most of it both startled the redcoats as well as filled in a few gaps. The captain hadn't mentioned anything about her past and connection with them, but Nicol had found all of that out earlier. "That's Lexi Rymyr. I looked it up myself."

"Lexi Rymyr? Who's that?" Dearka asked, clearly not seeing the point to the conversation. The only thing that was on his mind was his soft pillow and sweet dreams. Nicol thought that they'd have a little more privacy if they could discuss the matter before Athrun left for the _Vesalius_. The blonde wasn't too excited about the idea. "Who cares about this Lexi Rymyr?"

"Well, we should. Do you guys remember way back to our first few months of training there was a girl in our group?" Nicol explained.

"Yeah, what about her?" Yzak chimed in, just as grouchy as his friend. Then again, he was always grouchy.

"That girl was Lexi Rymyr," Nicol finished, still looking for some form of emotion from the others. Perhaps an early start wasn't that great of an idea after all.

"You mean to tell us that Lunar Eclipse is actually Lexi Rymyr the runaway?" Athrun asked, finally joining the conversation. As usual, his mind had been elsewhere. Once he had learned of his return to the PLANTS he couldn't really get to sleep. There were some good points in the departure, but there were still some bad too. Bad being that he wouldn't be around to keep any of the others from injuring his misguided, Coordinator friend. If anything happed to Kira the pilot doubted he'd ever forgive himself. A main good point was that he'd see his fiancé, Lacus Clyne, again after not having seen her for so long. Also, he'd get to see his father, but Athrun was beginning to think that his old man was changing for the worse ever since his mother was killed by the Naturals on Junias 7. (That particular tragedy had been a huge spark in the war.) He never actually sat down and talked to his father about it, but he figured he should before things got out of control. That is if he'd ever get the chance. Patrick Zala, Chairman of Defense, always seemed too busy to speak with his son.

Nicol nodded in response to Athrun's statement, not knowing the inner turmoil that was possessing his friend. The Aegis pilot rarely shared his feelings with the rest of his team.

"That's ridiculous," Dearka said. "She chickened out after the first three months of training."

"No, actually some men came from a facility on Januarias 4. They were looking at the recruits to pick "experimental candidates" for a new program that the council was funding," Athrun explained, remembering something that his father had mentioned way back then. Apparently thinking about the council member triggered the memory. "They were told to pick at least one person from each individual group to become part of their experiment."

Nicol nodded again before continuing where the redcoat left off. "We were all chosen to be in the program, but our parents outright objected. Seeing as they are all on the council, it wasn't a hard thing to do."

"So Lexi was chosen in our place, then," Dearka said, following along.

"What was the facility exactly? It sounds to me like it as just another training program." Yzak covered a yawn, having been just as successful suppressing that one as the other four before it. Coffee or sleep? Tough decision.

"I'm not totally sure, but I recall something about weapons." Athrun just shrugged. "She seems detached from everyone and everything if you ask me."

"To say the least," Nicol added.

"Well, she won't be bothering us that much then," Yzak said, deciding that was the end of the conversation. Using a crate for leverage, he began pushing off towards the locker room door and then ultimately his bed for some more sleep.

"Wait, you don't care at all?" Nicol asked, stopping him. "That could've been you, Yzak. Lexi took the heat for us. I read that her training was ten times harder than ours was and less than half of the recruits actually survived or graduated."

"Well, seeing as she wasn't given a choice I doubt she did it for our sake," Dearka said. "Just relax, alright? It's not like we can do anything anyway."

"But Dearka--"

"Let it go, Nicol. If you're so concerned then take it up with the commander. Other then that Dearka's right, there isn't really anything that we can do," Athrun said, watching as the two friends disappeared into the locker room.

"But you see what I'm saying right? What they did to her was monstrous. Now she's nothing more then a shell."

"We're all soldiers here, Nicol. The training program was not ours to decide and just because she was picked in our place doesn't mean we're in some debt to her. I'm not trying to be cold, just realistic. From what I can see, this state of mind wasn't necessarily forced on her. A part had to have wanted it that way otherwise she wouldn't be so heartless. Keep that in mind."

"Do you honestly believe what you just said? She wants to be like that?"

"I don't know, Nicol. If she'd let me, I'd ask her about it, but as things stand, she barely even looks at us unless it's to criticize what we're doing."

"You hold that much of a grudge towards her?"

"Nicol, I don't know!" the boy snapped suddenly. The anger even surprised him. "There are a lot more pressing things on my mind right now, alright? Things that mean more to me than the sanity of our new teammate."

"But think about it. How far has this war gone if we have to result to doing something like this? Athrun, I at least expected you to understand," Nicol said with a sigh.

"I'm sorry, but right now I can't even keep my own emotions straight. How am I supposed to be some "shoulder to cry on" to someone else?"

"Athrun…."

Eclipse took a second to wipe the sweat from her forehead, even admiring the droplets as they floated away. She twisted awkwardly to see the remaining two pilots below and couldn't help but wonder what they were talking about. They looked so serious and even Yzak and Dearka's departure had been abrupt and not without some shouting.

_Well, no matter, _she thought. _I have to finish this suit before that shouting turns in my direction._ _I'm sure it's nothing of significance. _

* * *

_**A/N: **_Eclipse's really stubborn isn't she? (Sigh) Even sometimes while I'm writing I just want to slap her across the head or something.

Thank goodness it's a holiday weekend 'cause I don't think I would've finished this otherwise. School's really becoming a bear and I've just started! Oh well, it's to be expected.

This is kind of a boring chapter compared to the other ones so I hope you didn't fall asleep reading it or something. I'm sure it took a while to fix the _Vesalius, _at least so that it could get back to the PLANTS, but if they just left it half fixed and it ran into trouble on the way back, it's be sunk. Anyway, that's my reasoning behind the time.

I'm not sure how many of you SEED watchers out there noticed the L4 colony cluster thing, but towards the end of the series, Athrun brings up about the suspicious group that was spotted there. Of course I just had to take advantage of that obvious opportunity, but the only problem was that the group was seen near the beginning of the war or even before the war began. That just wouldn't do, so I switched the time a little at this part. It doesn't make that big of an impact if at all, so don't worry. Believe me, I checked into all of that.

Let's see, what else. Oh yeah, I know Yzak and Dearka sound like real jerks right now, but in the beginning of the series they, well, are. I love these two to death so I'm not trying to bash them or anything, it's just the way that they were. Nicol's still the kindhearted boy we know and Athrun's still confused about Kira's reasons for being with the Earth Forces. (Oh yeah, I haven't done much on Kira's descriptions or anything because that'll probably just come in later on as well as how close him and Athrun are.)

Last thing. I refrained from doing a lot of explanation into the Junias 7 incident mainly because I didn't want to put it, but also because, like Kira, I'll probably just explain it later on. I'm sure that most if not all of you know what I'm talking about so there's really no reason to describe it at all, but hey, it's in my nature to be precise.

Thanks again for all the reviews and returning readers. It really means a lot. And for those who read but don't review, thanks for reading, but I'd like to hear what you think too!

_Darkangelsonic_: Yay, new reviewer! Thank you! I'm really glad you like the story and is there more interaction in this one? Considering the circumstances of the previous chapters, it was a bit hard to put so much back and forth dialog. Now there should be a bit more.

_CSSStravag_: Hah! I love the word W00t! Just thought I'd throw that out there.

Strata


	16. A Bothersome Yet Benevolent Blonde

A Bothersome Yet Benevolent Blonde

The arrival back on the _Vesalius _had been sudden if not unexpected. The redhead had finished up the Duel at about 0600 and Athrun had already left at around 0530. Zellman had called her to the bridge, explained the situation, and sent her packing in the matter of twenty minutes. Next thing she knew she was wearing the elite uniform and as soon as the ship reached the homeland she'd get a unit, personal space suit, and her first mission.

And all that from a coded message.

Wow.

The repairs were finally finished on the _Vesalius _and that in itself was quite a feat. Practically no mechanics from Ades's ship survived much of the attack so all who were left were from the _Laurasia_-class warship. Not very many, but the work was still done quickly and with such little resources. Unfortunately, one of the storerooms had also been hit in the battle.

The _Gamow,_ along with Nicol, Yzak, and Dearka, was ordered to stay behind and try to get hold of the "Legged Ship" or at least stall them until the briefing was done at the PLANTS. Knowing a little about how the three of them acted around each other, the redhead knew that things weren't going to go too well. Nicol had a cool head, but since Dearka and Yzak had such a low outlook one him, she doubted he'd get heard.

Such sad circumstances.

Eclipse knew the reason she was returning to the homeland, but what she couldn't figure out was why Athrun was ordered back. A few ideas skipped through her mind, but none of them seemed plausible enough.

Oh well, she'd find out soon enough.

As soon as most of the mechanics returned to the sister battleship and the injured secured, the _Vesalius _left Artemis and its target behind. It wasn't a hard thing to guess that Creuset was a tad angry about the summon and even Athrun looked a little shaken. Being of equal rank (sort of), the weapon felt as if she could ask him some questions respectably this time.

Well, almost.

This particular redhead had an unhealthy case of stubbornness.

* * *

The grand arrival back at the PLANTS was short and unnoticed. Only a few officers met the commander and Athrun at the harbor to escort them to the other shuttle that would take them to the council's chamber. Really it was a hop and a skip away from where the _Vesalius _was docked, but the military always has to be precise.

A handful of mechanics went aboard the ship to finish up the repairs. There wasn't much more to do, but if anything it needed to be restocked. The captain left most of the remaining artillery with the _Gamow, _so fire power was in desperate need as well as food and water.

The injured crewmembers, Carter included, were rolled out on beds and taken straight to the hospital. Having to step aside to let them through, Eclipse glanced down at her mechanic superior as he passed. His injuries weren't fatal, but he'd most likely loose all use of his right hand and have limited use in the arm. Considering the damage done by the sheet of metal, Carter was still said to have close to full motion in his leg once he recovered. Perhaps he was lucky after all, but the blow to his dominant hand might slow him down for a while.

Hands were a mechanic's best friend.

Most of the others weren't so fortunate and just the looks the doctors gave would be enough to make any person lose hope. Getting a tad scared by the looks herself, the weapon said a silent prayer to come out healthy at the end of the war.

Needless to say she'd have to pray really hard.

Because the _Vesalius _was receiving the proper repairs now that it was docked, there was no room for Eclipse's new mobile suit (the Aegis was taken out of the ship's hangar as well). Actually, since the stay was expected to be relatively long, the redhead wasn't even allowed to pick it up. Quite depressing. She had been waiting for so long to get a unit of her own and now her patience had to hold out for a few more days.

Yeah, good luck with that one.

Ades, still on the ship to supervise, called Eclipse to the bridge around noon. The weapon had stayed aboard to help out where she could and because she needed a break anyway, the call was welcomed whole-heartedly. "What is it you need, sir?"

"Ah, Lunar Eclipse, I'm glad you came so quickly. Word on your mission just arrived." He held out a slip of paper that the weapon took and read quickly. "The ship will be around for some time, I expect, so I'm sure you'll come back before we depart."

"Sounds about right, sir."

"Good luck, soldier."

"Thank you, captain." She saluted and was about to leave when Ades stopped her.

"Oh, and Eclipse?" She turned. "Be careful and come back alive. You're on the team now and we like our members in one piece, not to mention you're also a very valuable asset. Just don't do anything foolish."

"Yessir."

The captain watched her go with a small sigh. He hoped his words sunk deep not only for Eclipse's sake, but for the military's as well. Even though he hadn't seen her perform in actual combat, Creuset's speeches had made him a tad curious. The commander never gave out praise idly so she had to be worth the time. ZAFT couldn't afford to lose someone like that.

At least not to a band of rebels.

* * *

_I'm a valuable asset, huh? Well, I guess that's true enough. _Glancing down at the message in her hand, Eclipse rounded the next corner to reach one of the hangars. Surprisingly her ship was scheduled to leave from one of the civilian boarding docks, but why she didn't know.

Seemed a tad risky.

Civilians littered the locker rooms and even out onto the main dock. Considering the time of year, the weapon was quite lost as to why there were so many wondering about.

Perhaps there were just a lot of birthdays.

The briefing was scheduled to begin in five minutes at her aircraft, but when she reached the right one, Eclipse had to look down at the slip of paper again in order to make sure. There was no one around. Either she was terribly punctual or everyone else was just late.

Five minutes wasn't too early by her standards.

The side door swung open as she debated the subject further and out popped the head of a young captain. No more than twenty-four, the weapon guessed. "You, soldier, are you the one from Le Creuset's team?" She nodded and the man stepped aside to let her through. "I heard that your ship just docked, is that true?"

"We came in at 0900, sir."

"Oh, well I'm glad you had some time to get a little rest at least."

_Rest? _the redhead thought. _Ha!_

"Unfortunately, we're still waiting for a few others," the officer went on. "Since there's an assigned amount we can't just leave without them. Well, this _is_ the military so—Ah! There they are!" Three privates stopped next to the shuttle, announced their names, saluted, and came inside as Eclipse was sitting down.

The captain closed the door once everyone was seated before loudly clearing his throat to begin. "Good, everyone's here and accounted for. You're going to the L4 colony cluster to do some scouting. There have been reports of a suspicious group there and your job is to find out if the rumors are true. Be armed and ready to defend yourselves, but don't be reckless; we're not sure if the group is hostile or peaceful. There's a lot of ground to cover, but be thorough. You're given about two days to get the area searched and keeping that in mind, I hope you all remembered to grab proper provisions. Each of you will contact by radio and will know each other's exact position thanks to the special frequency emitted by a beacon in each of the suits. That will also help you keep track of who's who when you get to the colonies. There are only twenty of you so any more and you have a stowaway. Five other soldiers and their GINNs will be outside the colonies keeping an eye on things. Don't be afraid to call them in for back-up if the situation requires it.

"That's it. Keep your eyes open, safeties off, and remember that this is no game. Watch each other's back and I'll see you when you return." They all saluted and watched quietly as he left, leaving the soldiers to think about what he had said.

As well as do the dirty work while he sat back and had a few drinks at the local bar.

_Here we go, _Eclipse thought and slumped down in her seat, attempting to get some well-deserved sleep. _Time to prove you know what you're doing out there._

"Hey, is this seat taken?"

Apparently that shut-eye would have to wait.

_Huh? _The redhead opened an eye, trying to see the speaker. Obviously the seat was open; half the aircraft was. It wasn't a large craft, but large enough to spread each one on the team out fairly well, so why did this soldier feel the need to take the one right next to her?

"Good. Then I'll just sit down here." He had golden-blonde hair that was jagged (a lot like Athrun's) and fell to about mid-neck. His bangs were combed over almost comically on the right side, but for some reason, it seemed to fit his angular face. The one thing that caught her eye first, and the real reason she didn't respond, was his eyes. If Athrun's were glowing emeralds, than this solder's were emeralds buffed for three hours straight and given some kind of shininess steroid during growth.

Yup, they were that stunning. _Hot damn. Where do they keep popping up from?_

The soldier wore a red uniform like the redhead and as she took a quick look around, she realized that they were the only two ranked as such. _Woohoo,_ Eclipse thought with a sigh.

"You're new to that uniform aren't you? There aren't that many elites like ourselves in the military so I know most if not all of them. Some I even know personally, but honestly when I saw you walk in I had no idea who you were." He smiled, flashing some pearly whites before turning awkwardly in his seat and extending a hand. "I'm Heine Westenfluss, elite pilot and really good with the sword, been in the military for two years, German in some respects, have dashing blonde hair that stays this way without gel, beautiful green eyes that you seemed to admire," (Eclipse blinked, more surprised by his statement than touched emotionally) "am eighteen going on nineteen but still have a lot of my boyish charm, have a good humor and a tendency to speak my mind, am very stubborn, and let's see what else?"

The weapon just stared, not even knowing how to react let alone say anything. _Who the hell—_

"Oh!" He snapped his fingers. "And I'm single."

_Oh my…. Someone help me, please…._

"And who are you, miss elite soldier?"

She wanted to say merciless killing machine, but after his description it didn't see to fit as well. Glancing down at his hand she hesitated, but finally grasped it firmly and gave it a shake. "I'm Lunar Eclipse."

"That's it? Nothing else? Not even your real name?"

"Nope. The rest is either quite boring, non-existent, or too gruesome for your 'boyish charm'."

"You so sure about that?"

"Yup."

"Oh." The soldier let go of her hand, but still remained relatively close. "You know, you just sucked all the fun out of my little speech."

"I'm really sorry, but forgive me if I don't shed a tear."

"Ouch! And you're cruel! Although," he began, narrowing his eyes and leaning even closer, if that was at all possible, "I think it's all just a ruse. You have five brothers or something that made you so badass?"

"Will you please back off, sir?" the weapon insisted, pushing him back at arm's length. Because of his persistent scooching, she was practically plastered against the window. He struggled at first, but soon sat back in his seat with nothing more than a shrug. _Just a harmless flirt, _she thought to herself. _Yeah maybe harmless physically but I might need to see a therapist after this flight._

"So, do you?" Heine asked.

"Do I what?"

"Have five brothers."

She nearly laughed, however it probably wouldn't have been out of humor. He was a bothersome little fellow.

But strangely attractive.

"No, I don't have five brothers."

"But you do have at least one, right?"

Eclipse sighed. "Yes, I have a brother, but he's quite an electronic geek. I wouldn't necessarily blame him for my 'badassness' as you so put it, sir"

"Then who would you blame?"

The redhead sighed again, but what exhausted her the most about the conversation was not his persistence, but his questions. Why did he care? All of her admirers had started back with Athrun and Nicol in the cafeteria. More and more people were concerned about her personally. _Wow, things really are terribly different out here than in the facility. Maybe I should lighten up too? Then again, I might regret that later on. Even though my fellow teammates don't know my requirements, my superiors definitely do. _

"Well?" Heine prodded, noticing that Eclipse was getting lost in some daydream. He even waved a hand over her eyes just to make sure.

_Who indeed. Vindur? The instructors? The place in general? Or maybe it's my own naiveté. _"I don't know," she responded after another pause.

"Man, you are really hard to get information out of aren't you?"

"Well, isn't that a good thing, sir?"

"Yeah, maybe if I was interrogating you, but I'm just asking some harmless questions."

"The word 'harmless' means different things to different people, sir."

"Man, you're good at that badass bit, and why do you keep calling me sir? Just Heine's fine."

"No, sir, really I'd rather just—"

"No, I insist."

Eclipse sighed, "Yessir."

"Man, you suck at this, but still, you're pretty cute—"  
"Heine Westenfluss!" the aircraft pilot shouted once he opened the door to the control room, causing the redcoat to literally cringe.

_Man, he's animated, isn't he?_

"No mobile suits were allowed on the carrier. We already selected the five that are going to follow us."

"But sir, I figured if we ran into trouble it would be nice to have one _inside _the colony too."

"Yes, but if the renegades got their hands on it what are you going to do?"

"Shoot them before they get the chance?"

The redhead rested her face in her hands shaking it back and forth slowly, _How did he get that uniform?_

The aircraft pilot just groaned. "We're unloading it and leaving it in the harbor. You'd better hope someone comes and picks it up for you." With that said he pivoted and headed back through the door that he exited.

"Well, that was rude," Heine said as soon as he left.

"Rude, but right," Eclipse muttered, leaning back in her seat again. It was going to be a long trip.

"Yeah, I know, but I was just trying to think ahead. I guess I thought that just in case no one got the message for back-up, we'd still have some kind of fire power that we could use nearby." He smiled faintly and hung his head, almost as if he was sorry or about to cry.

Was he that wounded?

"Hey, did you know that I sing?"

Nope.

"Y-you sing?" Eclipse stuttered, trying to comprehend how someone could bounce back that quickly. Even his eyes were sparkling, but definitely not from tears.

"Yeah, you want to hear? I've been working on a song and I want you to tell me how it sounds."

"Uhh--"

Yup, a _very_ long flight indeed.

* * *

Eclipse couldn't remember the last time she was happy to change into a spacesuit. Perhaps it was the relief of putting on a pilot's suit and not a mechanic one, or the thought of finally being able to prove herself to everyone. Whatever the reason, it wasn't because of the blonde next to her. At first the thought of him singing sounded terrifying, but as soon as he began, she found herself slipping into an almost comatose-like state.

His voice was amazing.

There were very few words to describe what it sounded like. Gorgeous? Breath taking? Orgasmic? Surprisingly, the last word did it justice. The voice wasn't deep and sounded almost tenor range, but when he hit the low notes, her body shivered. The higher notes did just the opposite and seemed to make her blood boil.

Quite the experiences.

The lyrics were just as beautiful and the redhead could only imagine what the music was supposed to sound like. A soft accompaniment echoed in her head, but whether it was the right one, she didn't know. Either way, when he stopped halfway through, the redhead found herself wanting to beg for more.

Very unbecoming of our heartless weapon.

"We still have about twenty minutes," Heine complained as soon as he returned. He wore the same green spacesuit as Eclipse, which was startling since they were both elites. Perhaps it was easier to just make them all look alike.

Either that or their superiors forgot.

No surprise there.

The redhead didn't reply. At any other time (with any other person) the singer would've been offended, but this female rarely said a word. Peculiar, but challenging at the same time. "I wonder why they had us change early. I mean I didn't mind, but having you change in a separate room seemed unfair." He glanced briefly at the pilot staring out the window, but saw no reaction. Not even a flinch. "Such beauty should be displayed, not hidden."

Nothing.

"Ugh! Do you ever talk?"

"I don't want too—"

"Finally, she speaks!"

"—encourage you," Eclipse continued, ignoring his outburst. "You don't need anymore hot air for that head of yours, sir."

"Blunt as always. Tell me, how can you end such a statement with 'sir'? Do you honestly talk to your superiors that way?"

"I'd be dead if I did," she muttered, remembering again her experience at the facility. She flexed her right hand and the thought.

"Huh?"

"Never mind."

Heine blinked, but let the matter go. He heard her mumbling and couldn't help but wonder what she was talking about. _Maybe if I did know, I'd be able to figure her out._

_Why does he care? Who—no what am I to him? _Eclipse thought.

They both sighed and the blonde laughed at their synchronization. The weapon just shook her head, hiding her own smile.

* * *

"Your beacons should be working automatically, but I want all of you to make sure that your hand-held devices are functioning properly." They all sat quietly as the pilot talked. Some of them wondered who was flying the craft and, lucky for all the soldiers on board, Heine was one of them. He made a point to say something, but after a stern "Don't worry about it!" all the muttering ceased.

Bothersome as always.

Eclipse swung her backpack out in front of her and set it on her lap as she found the contraption that her superior was talking about. The thing was small (about the size of her cell phone) and circular with some sort of grid on the front. Two dials framed the device; one on the top and another on the right side. The right one moved the screen up and down, while the other moved it left to right. A button on the left side zoomed in on the target (a large, white, blinking dot in the middle of the screen).

Basic design, low technology, fool-proof, and yet someone still couldn't figure it out.

"You have got to be kidding me," Heine groaned, throwing his head back with the effort. "There's three buttons! Our urinals are more complicated than that!"

_Thank you, Heine, _the weapon thought. _If he doesn't grow up soon I'm going to strangle him. I don't care if his voice gives me goose bumps. _A few off to her left muttered their own insults, but talked a little softer than the elite. Of course their superior heard the blonde's remark and glared his way, but nothing more than that. _Lucky bas—_

"We're dropping two pairs off at the two smaller colonies and three pairs at the two larger ones. As I mentioned before, you're all given two days to scout out the entire colony, so don't be quick, but don't be too slow either. At 2100 hours two days from now, meet at the same hangar we drop you off. We will then proceed picking up each of you and go through the information that you found. Each group is going to be given a main radio that will contact you both to the outside GINNs as well as to the carrier. Report in your status periodically and any new information that you acquire. Now, your groups are…."

_Why do I have a feeling that I'm going to get stuck with Heine? _the weapon thought with a long sigh. Her life so far had been full of awkward circumstances so what would make this time any different? _I'm sure I'd kill him within the first night. Then again, that might be doing him a favor, or at least his superiors._

"Alright!" Heine suddenly cheered, slinging an arm around Eclipse's shoulder. "I get to sing you to sleep!"

"W-what?" the redhead stuttered. She had been so lost in her thoughts that she didn't even hear her name being called. Not like she needed to. And lucky her, she was one of the first teams announced. That meant she'd be in one of the smaller colonies and glancing at the other pair, she'd be doing most of the work. Heine might do his share, but the other two were just rookies, straight out of the academy; probably had the highest markings in recon. _Oh please no! _

* * *

Like Eclipse figured, her and Heine (along with the newbies) were the first ones to be dropped off. The pilot said his last words, saluted, and sped the carrier away almost immediately. _I don't want to be here anymore either, _the redhead groaned, watching the blonde as he introduced himself to the two others. Both were about Heine's height, so a little taller than Eclipse. The one on the blonde's left, named Rait, had a higher voice than the other and a soft, but evident English accent. The weapon had always been fond of that particular accent, so telling him apart from the others wasn't going to be hard. The other, Joab, had a very low voice, almost a second bass by singing standards. His wouldn't be hard to pick out either.

And then there was Heine. Thanks to his constant blabbering, she had his memorized.

Observing them a while longer, the weapon almost laughed. The rookies looked so scared at first, but after a while they started chuckling nervously at the singer's jokes. They were poorly executed, to say the least, but perhaps that was because the redhead had such a low outlook on the comedian.

Eclipse had to turn away and hide a smile. _I have to admit, though. He really is charming, but Prince Charming is another matter._

"Are you all from ZAFT?"

The four turned (and the newbies jumped), especially the redhead who was directly in front of the voice. Two more soldiers stood behind the group with rifles strung over their right shoulder. They wore the same green, pilot uniform and even had the brown backpacks like the rest of the squad.

Question was, were they?

"Yes we're from—" Rait began, but was silence by Heine with an upraised hand.

"Who are you, soldier?" he asked instead, not wanting to give away anymore than their appearances already have.

"We're from ZAFT, and judging by your suits, I presume that you are as well. Are you here to relieve us then, sir? We were sent here three days ago with no message of pick-up. Our rations ran out about a day ago, so we're a little anxious to be rid of this hellhole," replied the one on the right. He seemed to be the talkative one of the pair.

"We haven't heard anything of another team being here. Can I see your IDs?" the blonde continued, walking over to the pair and holding out a hand. Eclipse stood a step behind him, pulling out a handgun and aiming it at the newcomers. _Hm, maybe Heine does know what he's doing._

"Of course," the right replied, fishing out his first and then turning to the other. "You'll see that they're authentic, of course. These things are impossible to copy."

"Yes, I know the records, but please, humor me." The redcoat took the cards offered, made a quick check of the identities, and then turned away. "Rait! Joab! Take their weapons and stand guard."

"Sir!"

"Eclipse, come with me a moment." She hesitated, waiting for the soldiers to be patted down and the others to put a gun on them before following him. "What do you make of it?"

"Them or the IDs?" she asked, glancing at the four. She really didn't like leaving the rookies with two possible enemies. For all they knew these two were part of the renegade gang.

"Both. Their faces seem to match these, but the only way of knowing is by doing a full DNA testing."

"We don't have the time or the resources to do that much."

"That's obvious."

"Are we sure that the IDs are real? The only way I know of testing them is by cutting them in half and glancing at the computer chip inside."

"You mean look at the manufacture on the chip right?" Eclipse nodded. "That may sound fine and dandy, but how do you propose we do that?"

The weapon glanced over at the four again. "I don't know, sir, but I really don't like this."

"Me neither, so let's do something fast."

"Fine, here. Hold this."

"Huh?"

She gave him one of the IDs and aimed her handgun at the corner. "You sure you want to hold it in front of you like that?"

"Are you crazy?"

"Probably, but do you have any other suggestions?"

Heine sighed. "No."

"Good, then either move it or your face will look a little lopsided without half of it there."

Holding it out at arm's length, he shifted his fingers to the furthest corner and closed his eyes. It's not like Eclipse was going to fire at him, so why was he so scared?

"You'd better have a firm hold on that thing. I really don't want to go chasing after it if it flies away."

"Yeah, yeah. Just shoot."

She was about to make another sarcastic remark, but knowing they were short on time, she held her tongue.

Lucky Heine.

Pressing the barrel against the far corner, she fired. The bullet cut cleanly, which was expected, and the redcoat shared a few colorful words. That was also expected.

"Tell me, sir. How can you be an elite if you're so afraid of guns?"

"I'm not afraid of them, _Eclipse_. Just don't like how you're so quick to resort to them."

"What would you have done then?"

"It doesn't matter now. Here," he shoved the card at her, "finish what you started."

There was no need. After the echo of her shot faded, two more sounded in its place. Turning, Eclipse saw the prisoners each with a gun and the two newbies floating in their own blood. So her gut feeling had been right after all. Damn, she couldn't afford to make that mistake again.

"Nice shot," one congratulated, presumably the one who always speaks.

"Yes, that went clean through to the other side."

"I guess they don't make helmets like they used to."

"Drop 'em," Heine hissed, slinging out his own firearm.

"My, my, so their powwow's finished is it? I'm actually quite surprised how this turned out, Eclipse. From what we remember about you, this seems sloppy," the main soldier said.

The weapon pointed her own gun, masking her confusion with the movement. _Remember about me? From where?_

"What do you mean by that?" Heine asked.

"Oh, come now, this is boring," he continued, ignoring the question. "Why don't you put your toys away and play 'Follow the Leader' with us?"

"I'm not up for games," the redhead spat, receiving a nod from her partner as well.

"Aw, that's a shame. And we have somewhere nice and cozy to show you," complained the quiet one.

A smirk or two was shared before the singer finally spoke up again, "Sorry to spoil the hospitalities, but since neither of us are going to lower our weapons, I advise that we either come to an agreement or Eclipse and I will get that DNA sampling that we were just talking about." The soldier found herself blinking in amazement after the threat. If it wasn't for the handgun, she probably would've given him a pat on the back or something. It wasn't bad.

"Now, that I believe, but the girl'll be the only one walking away if that happens. Her trigger's faster than mine and her aim dead on. I'd probably panic and miss a vital area, so I'd be dead and she'd shoot my partner here before he got a chance for a second shot. You, however, would be dead after his first try." The main soldier shrugged, adding a small chuckle at the end for flavor. "Just a lot of needless violence, if you ask me, but then again, that's what you were made for, eh Eclipse? Being left alone wouldn't bother you."

The redhead's eye twitched slightly. She could've fired and it most likely would've gone down like he narrated. Then again, maybe not. If she--

"Don't," the quiet one ordered, noticing her inner struggle.

The weapon hesitated again, sure of her ability, but not wanting to get Heine killed. She wasn't sure if she'd ever live that one down. Why she suddenly cared for the blonde was beyond her, but maybe it was because she didn't want to make the same mistake twice.

She didn't want to get any more of her comrades murdered.

After a few more moments, she lowered her gun. "What's this? The _great _Lunar Eclipse is surrendering? What a twist of fate," chided the leader.

"Who are you?"

"All in good time, my dear. C'mon, I'm still up for a game of 'Follow the Leader.' Spencer, take the lead, would ya?" The other nodded, walked over to get the redcoats' weapons, proceeded to unload them, and turned while his partner bound their hands with rope.

Eclipse followed close behind Spencer and then Heine behind her. At any other time they might look comical, but at the moment the weapon was doing her best to stay calm and not do anything rash. A fierce rage was burning deep inside of her and she knew that if it consumed her, neither she nor Heine would be getting out of the colony alive. Everything was going fine until she looked up and saw the pieces of their handguns floating by her.

She really had to learn to act on her impulses.

* * *

The two renegades, Spencer and Rya by name, escorted them to an old hotel about a half hour from their drop-off point. The place wasn't falling apart like the many other buildings still left standing, but most of the bricks were missing in some areas. It didn't look stable, but apparently the people inside didn't feel the need to be afraid. Perhaps they knew something that the blonde and redhead didn't.

"Welcome to SIN-ED," Rya said, sweeping his arms in an exaggerated display of pointing.

"Great. What the hell is that?" Heine muttered to his partner, but Spencer heard.

"All in good time," he responded, a coy smile across his lips.

"You really need to stop saying that. What, did you watch some lame kidnapping movie before you—" Eclipse stopped abruptly, letting the singer smash into her. He let loose a loud "Umph!" as he hit, and flew back a few inches before Rya steadied him again. At least it shut him up.

"That female friend of yours is right, y'know. I'd keep your mouth shut," the soldier laughed, pushing the singer back ahead of him. Reaching out, he opened the door and bowed politely as he gestured them inside. "Hostages first."

"You're too kind," the weapon retorted.

The inside of the hotel was a lot better furnished than the outside. Red velvet chairs littered the main common room with small, but sturdy coffee tables between them. Black and green carpet marked a path to the reception desk at the far end of the room, surrounded by wooden flooring on each side. At the very top of the ceiling hung an intricate chandelier, lit by light bulbs. It was the only light in the room, but there was no need for more. The balcony and staircase wound up to the prisoners' right, stretching to the second floor before continuing its ascent.

It was definitely a ritzy place back when it was still open.

"Wow, isn't this unexpected? Rya, you're a tad early." The redhead stopped and looked over at the individual sitting on one of the couches. Luckily, Heine anticipated the move and stepped aside before he hit. "We thought it would've taken longer, given the target. Spencer, please untie them and for goodness sakes let them take off those stifling masks; there's oxygen here."

Spencer nodded and undid Eclipse first, barely getting the ropes off before she threw the helmet to the side and lunged at the man on the couch. "FS!"

* * *

**_A/N: _**Hey guys! Gotta love school and all the insistent homework! See, I don't know if I should blame my classes for not allowing me to write, or thanking them for letting me write while the professor lectured. Tough choice that one. Anyway, I'm sure you can all tell that it was a little hard for me to get into it. The beginning's really choppy and short, so I apologize for that. The only thing I was really for sure about this chapter was that Heine was going to make a grand appearance. Heine! Can you believe it? Who else is as stoaked as I am about that? He had such a small role in Destiny, but he really stuck out to me. It helped too that he was based off of T.M. Revolution (One of my favorite artists). Well, I was really mad he only had three episodes and four panels so I'm having him play a bigger role in the series. Yay!

I know, I know, the ending's really predictable, but hey, sometimes predictable is good. Bringing back my original characters is going to be a blast and seeing what they're going to do now will even be more fun. I have about two more original characters to bring in yet and let's just say that if one of them meets Heine, I feel sorry for all those in the vacinity. Hm, actually that can go different ways for each OC. Interesting...

Okay, let's see a show of hands. Who noticed the "beacon detector" has a striking resemblence to the "Dragonball radar" in _Dragonball Z_? Hah! That wasn't intentional at first, but it kind of just turned out that way.

Oh, and here's another question: was anyone surprised by Heine's appearance? The good surprised, or the bad surprised? Let me know!

A thanks to all the readers and reviewers out there. I hope you'll all stick with me and forgive my long breaks. School is weighing down, but somehow I always semm to have time for my _Weapon's Waltz_. I hope you enjoyed the chapter and see you in the next one!

Darkangelsonic: The real Eclipse is definitely hidden deep and there's really only a few people who can bring her back again, but I have a feeling that shell of her's is cracking. Or is it growing thicker? I guess we'll just have to find out in the next chapter.

CSS.Stravag: Hah, you're right in saying it's nice to see someone that follows orders. We don't need another person with the "Kira complex" or anything.

Death-Scimitar: Always a pleasure to hear from ya even if it's twice in a row. Heh. I feel sorry for that '/ key' of yours. Is it feeling better? I'd hate to have it hold a grudge against you just because things got a little out of hand. If you need any counciling help, let me know.

Strata


	17. A Guppy Among Piranhas

A Guppy Among Piranhas

Heine blinked in wonderment as he watched his redheaded friend lunge and hug the guy labeled 'enemy number one' in his book. Needless to say, he had no idea what to make of it. Here he was trying to get her attention by starting intellectual conversations, but all he had to do was tie her up and sit on a couch covered in red velvet.

Kinky.

"FS! I was wondering what happened to you! And here I was getting so worried when I didn't hear anything. When did you get out? How'd it go? As we planned? Is everyone here? Why didn't you contact me? Where's Stray?"

"Woah, hold on! Here I am about to comment on your complete out of characterness, not that I mind you sitting on my lap, and you start asking a bunch of questions. All in good time, deary." The boy laughed, his red-orange eyes flaring up like Eclipse remembered they did, however—despite their alluring nature—it was his fragrance she noticed first. The redhead had no idea why or how, but he always smelled of expensive cologne. He must've somehow convinced one of the soldiers to get some for him back on Januarias 4—the same way that the weapon got her needed assets. It suited him, in some respects, because FS was always a strong and elegant figure in her life. Just one of those friends who had both the looks and demeanor to be royalty.

And the redhead always hoped she'd be his queen.

It was a combination of his aroma, luscious voice, and smile that had stuck with her through the rough times. His comforting words and strong presence were more than a pillar to her for the past year, they were a constant reminder of what things would be like once they broke out.

Once they all went home.

"Ah, so these two got that aphorism from you then," Heine spat, bringing all eyes onto him and breaking the weapon out of her daydream. He had to admit he felt left out. Perhaps because, for once, everyone else was smiling and laughing but him. Just something he wasn't used to.

"Oh yes. Sorry, but I forgot about you. LE, who's your friend?"

The outburst of her blonde-haired partner seemed to kick her back to the reality of the situation. Glancing down at the seductive smile of his—not to mention his black muscle shirt and jeans—she struggled off of FS and made her way back to the singer near the entrance.

_Is she blushing? _Heine thought as she introduced him. _Oh my, she is!_

"Heine Westenfluss huh? Well, how good of you to accompany my dear LE."

"There were two others," the redcoat remarked, ignoring the 'my dear LE' statement. Was it jealousy or did he just not like the weapon's old friend? "Two other youngins were killed by your flunkies here."

"Youngins? Flunkies? Tell me, do people actually talk like that anymore?"

"You're missing the point—"

"No, no, Mr. Westenfluss, I got it all right. Spencer, Rya, do you have anything to say in your defense?"

"You wanted her here unscathed," Rya spat, wounded by the accusation. "That was your only requirement. The fact that she still has one teammate was thanks to the circumstances."

"And the fact that you're alive is thanks to it too," Eclipse retorted, finally getting back into her 'award-winning' character. For a second there, Heine was missing it. She stood defensively next to the blonde, blocking him from their two previous captors.

"Ah, but you wouldn't have met your long, lost lover if you killed us, now would've ya?" Spencer teased, receiving a scowl from both redcoats; even FS frowned. Although, the blonde couldn't resist the urge to glance at his partner. Was she blushing again?

"I'll talk to you two later. Please, LE, will you and your comrade follow me?" Rya and Spencer seemed to shrink with that last statement. Apparently FS _was _the man in charge. Were they afraid of him? Someone as sweet as that?

Really?

"More 'Follow the Leader'? Honestly—"

"Sir, don't," the redhead countered quickly, seeing FS's fierce glaze shifting Heine's way. "I know sometimes you don't realize you're being rude, but now that I know who we're up against, keep quiet. They might not harm me, but you're fair game."

"Fair game?" the soldier asked, following Eclipse and her friend down one of the hallways.

"Imagine a guppy in a piranha tank."

"Huh?"

"You're the guppy."

"Oh."

Actually it was a poor analogy, but if it got her point across, the weapon was willing to feel cliché. She may have let her guard down before, however she couldn't forget about the singer again.

It was too dangerous for him.

"Ah, so that's what all the commotion's about. And here I thought someone blasted a hole in the colony again. Damn that was a mess."

The man didn't look scary; in fact he looked downright ridiculous. If it wasn't for Eclipse's warning earlier, the blonde might've laughed. He wore a muscle shirt and jeans like the redhead's other friend, but what was amusing was what he wore over the attire. A man wearing an apron, a large chef's hat, and covered with flour didn't seem to be the prime example of a piranha according the Heine. The spatula didn't help matters either, but he was going to listen to the advice and not take him lightly.

He'd never look at the Pillsbury Dough Boy the same again.

"Stray!" Eclipse shouted, running over to the cook and lunging into his arms. The silver-haired soldier matched her laughter and swung her around in a circle before squeezing her hard. It was a cute reunion, but one that left the redcoat guessing. These people were labeled renegades by ZAFT and yet one of their soldiers acted as if they were brothers that deserved some grand welcome home party. The looks in both FS and Stray's eyes didn't do much for the singer's nerves either. There was a strong bond between these three—one that he'd never be able to understand—and he was partnered with one.

Did that make Eclipse an enemy too?

"Oh, LE, how we've missed you!"

"And I, you! Tell me," she sniffed, "what's that smell?"

"Huh? Bread of course. I've been making it all day, among other things," he added, holding up the spatula and smiling. "You could say it's become a hobby of mine."

"Well, I think it stuck onto you."

"You like it?"

"Very much."

FS cleared his throat loudly, bringing all the attention back to him as well as the situation at hand. "Sorry to cut this short but we have a lot to discuss. Stray, will you be joining us?"

"Of course."

"Well, then as much as I want our guests to get covered in flour—at least more than one already has—can you please go get cleaned up?"

Stray and the redhead exchanged glances and then grins at her sudden dirtiness.

"Yeah, looks like a good idea. I'll meet you inside."

The leader nodded and escorted them down the hall further to a set of wooden doors on the left. Grasping the bronze handle, FS pulled and held the door open. Awaiting them on the other side was an old ballroom, complete with dance floor and stage. Two chandeliers lit the room, but were more extravagant than the one in the lobby.

Bigger lights, more intricate designs, and more painful if it was to fall on someone.

Four marble pillars held up the balcony that circled the dance floor, giving the place a more Roman feel than the Elizabethan one the velvet chairs and coffee tables lining the walls were giving off. The staircases to the balcony spread out on either side of the guests, looking grander than the one they saw when they first came in.

"Ritzy," Eclipse said, still in awe.

"Chic," FS added, leading them further.

"Roomy," Stray stated, finally catching up to the group. His apron was gone and no flour could be seen. But the delicious smell was still lingering.

"Tidy," the redhead continued.

"Expensive," FS muttered.

"Romantic." The chef swooned as he said it, causing more than a few lifted eyebrows. That was Stray for ya.

"Flashy," the remaining redcoat grumbled, but was only critical because he was left out of the group. Actually, he found the room gorgeous and the thought of holding a dance or party there gave him goose bumps.

That was if the primary guests weren't murderous machines of course.

"Sorry, LE. This may seem too grand for something as little as a meeting, but really there's no other room in better condition. The walls are thick and there's only one entrance, so we'll know if someone comes in. And besides, it has a nice atmosphere." The leader smiled his luscious grin again and directed the group over to one of the tables.

"I made a thorough search of the place and when no one could be found, I got bored and started baking. Oh! I put out some snacks for us too," Stray added, holding out one of the chairs so that Eclipse could sit down. After she thanked him, he walked around to his chair on the opposite side, passing FS. "Must he be here too?" he whispered, referencing the blonde who sat on the redhead's left. There was no reply.

The table was small and round, covered in a white cloth that was soft to the touch. An assortment of desert cakes and cookies were arranged in the middle, making the scene look more like a bake sale than a talk between friends. One kind of cake caught Heine's eye, but he waited for Eclipse to grab something first. A tray of drinks stood off to the side and by the looks of the ice bucket, it was put there recently. _Were they expecting me? _the redhead thought, nodding when Stray held up the pot of coffee.

"So, I'm sure you want to hear about our escape," FS began, taking a sip of his own cup. No response was needed. "Everything did go as planned actually. The uproar in the cafeteria brought a lot of the instructors running, but unfortunately for them, not all were armed. We grabbed the guns of the ones that were, made short work of the rest and then met Roan at the front gate. He arranged cars for each of us and tickets to earth."

"Wait, Roan? And why earth?" Eclipse asked.

"We're not entirely sure why Roan decided to betray his uncle; all we know and care is that he was our way out. Vindur was found dead an hour after he spoke to you actually. We think it was Roan, but he denies it every time we ask. There's something in his eyes that says otherwise, though," Stray explained and grabbed a sugar cookie. "Why earth? It would've been too easy to find us if we stayed in outer space. Besides, on earth we were able to gather together and work on what we were going to do next. Frankly, we had no idea. Kross mentioned—"

"Wait, Lieutenant Kross too?"

"Yup. There were only three instructors that came. Kross, Roan, and Miato. Roan helped us get out, Miato gave us some fire power, and Kross covered our whereabouts. Just for that, we let them live," the silver-haired boy went on. "We only lost one in the escape, Crimson Tear, and a few others were injured, but other than that, everything went well."

"I took out Ameria for you. Got her hand pretty good first of course," the brunette added, taking another sip as if it didn't matter. "She cried like an infant too."

"I was embarrassed _for_ her it was so bad. But hey, she hurt you, we hurt her; it was as simple as that," Stray said, turning to Heine and offering a piece of carrot cake. The redcoat just stared, not knowing how to react. These two were talking about killing people like kids would a video game. The only catch was, this was real and he was sitting down having drinks with them?

Obviously he denied the cake.

"How'd you guys get back in space then?" Eclipse asked, not noticing her partner's distress.

"The suspicious rebels that were rumored about caught our attention. Nope, that's not us," FS said before the redhead could ask. "A group of fifty-two soldiers from the Earth Forces are the ones you're supposed to be looking for. We contacted them from Earth and set up a meeting where we decided to join forces."

"Join forces? For what?"

"We'll talk about that in a little bit. We came expecting fifty trained soldiers, but in fact we found thirty teens our age, six adults, and sixteen children ten years and younger," the brunette said.

"Children?"

"Yup. They said they were from some laboratory called De'Amelith on earth. None of them have gone into detail on what happened there, but one did mention drugs and Coordinators. Judging by the power gap between Coordinators and Naturals, I'd say the Earth Forces were trying to make soldiers to contend with the ZAFT military," FS went on. Stray was enjoying his cakes and coffee too much to explain.

"Are they stable?" the redhead asked, figuring that certain medicines would no doubt mess with the mind. Especially if the doctors prescribing the drugs were trying to make different human beings out of them.

"I haven't seen anything drastic so far."

"Well, that's good, but where are they all now? There were only about six others in the lobby when we walked in."

"They're spread throughout the colonies. Oh, don't worry I doubt your ZAFT buddies will find them; they're pretty well-hidden. Despite their age, some of those kids have impressive skills. The plan was that one of our groups would find you. Thank goodness Rya and Spencer got last minute information on the teams and mission drops, or we never would've found you before you left the district all together. They hurried to get here to cut you off and we followed soon after," the brunette finished.

A short silence passed as Eclipse digested the information. Well, silence if you don't count FS's rude sipping, Stray's loud chewing, and the singer's obvious disgust. Other than that, it was just one big happy family.

"Wait, you said that Rya and Spencer knew about the mission? How? ZAFT's database is much harder to tap into than the Earth Forces," the weapon wondered.

"They didn't need to. At that time they were still members of the military," the chef said, accenting his statement with a few flicks of his fork. Heine flinched when a piece of his lemon cake landed on his cheek and the remaining two smiled. The blonde was finally seeing the full extent of Stray's eating habits.

"Still members?" the girl asked.

"Two others besides you, Chronos, and Avalanche were sent out of the facility; Revelation and Specter. They heard of the rebellion before you got wind of it and have been our inside source until recently. Stray—" the brunette sighed, watching vaguely as his friend now began taking the chocolate chips out of his cookie and setting the rest aside. The boy's lemon cake was pushed away half-eaten to make room for his new treat. Looking up innocently, he smiled and plopped the chips into his mouth one after the other.

"Hold on, Rya was…."

"Revelation, LE. You see, our codenames were chosen from the first letters of our first, middle, or last names. I'm not sure if 'creative' is a good word for it, but no matter," FS said.

"So, Fire Storm stands for—"

"Revelin Fidel Sloan."

"Revelin?" Eclipse cocked an eyebrow, withholding a chuckle.

"Yup. I like it a lot better than Fire Storm, personally."

"I don't know. Fire Storm has a nice ring to it. Wait, then Stray is—"

"Jaeger Seoras, my dear Lexi." If he was standing he would've bowed and if he had her hand he would've kissed it. Since neither happened, the silver-haired boy just smiled. Aside from the chocolate stain on his front tooth, it was cute.

Instead of laughing, the redhead cringed. It had been so long since she had heard the name and honestly, she didn't like the sound of it anymore. Lunar Eclipse seemed to match her better now.

Lexi sounded too human.

"Lexi Rymyr actually. I wonder, where does 'Eclipse' come from then? A middle name perhaps?" FS asked.

"Nice try," the weapon spat.

"Aw, Lexi c'mon!" Stray pouted.

"No, and please stop calling me that. Eclipse or LE fits me better."

"Why do you say that?" Heine asked, turning all attention to him. The brunette sighed, the chef groaned, and the weapon blinked. She forgot he had a voice.

"Well, you see—" she began, but was cut off by FS.

"Let's make a deal, Mr. Westenfluss. If you keep your mouth shut, we'll let you stay. If you don't, we'll throw you to the sharks. Agreed?"

_Another fish analogy? _the blonde thought, but nodded anyway. He could keep quiet for a while, right? _Yeah, just follow Stray's example and stuff my mouth full of lemon cake._

"Now that that's settled, LE continue," the leader said.

"Well, Lunar Eclipse just sounds more like what I am."

"Ah, more inhuman right?" FS asked.

"Well I—"

"Don't be ashamed. You're thinking like our superiors wanted you to. If they were here, they'd be so proud," teased the brunette.

The look that Eclipse gave him was priceless. It said something like "interrupt me again and you'll die" or "you're very attractive when you tease me, but stop it or that tongue of yours is gone."

It was a very painful either way. "You're mocking me," she said.

"No, I'm just stating the truth. We can blame our desperation for that way of thinking," FS explained.

"Huh? What are you talking about?"

"A desperate soldier can be only two things in battle, either extremely powerful—in the sense that their paranoia heightens their senses—or powerless—meaning that it could consume them, ultimately leading them to destruction. At that facility we were all like that, teetering on the edge of insanity. But as time went on, we did what our superiors wanted and learned to control our desperation and ultimately pushing away that insanity."

"FS, where did this come from? Why are you bringing it up?"

"LE, haven't you ever wondered why we ended up like we did?"

"FS, I—"

"That control didn't come without a price," the brunette continued as if Eclipse's question never took place. "With all that paranoia inside, there had to be some kind of outlet or it'd eat each of us raw."

"Desperation? Paranoia?" Heine asked, even though he was supposed to remain silent throughout the exchange. He received a few glares for his interruption.

"Some resorted to excessive violence," Stray said once the matter passed, "going as far as continuing to torture the individual after a large amount of information was gathered, or killing the prisoner—with inhuman methods—before even starting the interrogation. It was always a bloody mess and none of the superiors took the situation lightly. The culprit was usually punished severely, but for some reason the outlet went beyond having the damage done to others. It consumed them as well, making them nothing more than masochists and the punishments, play time.

"Most looked to the sexual side of the picture, proving the more logical reasons behind the many locks on your door, LE," Stray continued, ending his part with a small smirk. The redhead hid a shiver. There were times she actually heard the locks being deciphered, one after another. Usually she'd stand next to the door in hopes of ambushing the assailant, but she never knew for sure who or what was trying to break in. The watch would come by just in time and scare the perpetrator away, leaving Eclipse to reset all the locks.

Some nights, she never got to sleep.

"They found other methods, of course, to use that outlet, but I don't want to get into details at the moment. I'm sure your imaginations will fill in the gaps," the chef said. None of them let their mind's eye try. "And the few that couldn't find a sufficient outlet embraced their insanity. I think Avalanche was a prime example. He may not have been as bad as a few others, but he wasn't sound minded either. A little too devilish even by our standards."

"Despite all of this," FS continued, taking a glance at the weapon. Something had obviously spooked her, but what he wasn't sure, "there was a method that worked; one that the three of us used. We embraced that desperation, but buried, or even lost, something in return. Our humanity."

Eclipse stopped, remembering then the page back in her journal. Was that what she meant by those words? Did she lock everything away in hopes of getting it back later?

Was that possible, or just naiveté?

"We suppressed our emotions and with all that extra space, the paranoia had enough room to change and develop, ultimately turning us into what we are now; killing machines. Our way seemed to work the best and that would explain our rise to the top ten in the facility, but the sad part is we followed the rules to the point, and I hate rules. Unfortunately, no matter how hard we try, the heightened state of mind that we were in during our desperation, is how we are all the time now. That, LE, is why we are such valuable assets. As long as we are kept working and the paranoia at its peak, we can do almost anything."

"FS, that's ridiculous. We can't do _anything_. No person alive can."

"Are you so sure? How many mothers have been able to somehow lift cars from their injured child? How many fathers have run miles to find lost children and come home barely out of breath? In the moment of pure desperation, a person can do anything," Stray explained, finally pushing his plate away from him. Even he knew this was no time for food. "I guess it all depends on who you speak to. To the military, we're perfect soldiers, but to others we're monsters because of our abilities."

There was a brief pause before Eclipse spoke up. "If this is all true, what do we do now? Just go back to how we were before? Is that even possible? How do we go back to being something that we know nothing about? I don't know about you two, but I can barely think like a 'human' anymore. Even as a mechanic all I saw were the flaws in combat and how to correct them. Not even the deaths of my comrades made me shed a tear or flinch. All I saw were needless sacrifices and the wrong choices that they made; their weaknesses. You could suggest getting out of the fighting atmosphere, but we're in a war. Doing something like that's impossible. How can we reclaim what we lost—no, what was taken in a world like this?" She got more than a few sympathetic looks from the question and most of them from Heine. He didn't understand everything, but putting what he did know together with how he acted on the aircraft made him feel a tad embarrassed. Her actions went deeper than being shy or cold-hearted; she couldn't feel many emotions at all. She was stripped of them at a time she needed them most.

_At her age, a person feels the most emotions of his or her life. Pride, love, courage, hope, even loss and regret. They shape an individual. How can she know who she really is without them? I wanted to know why she was who she was, and now I do. A fool, that's what I am. A selfish fool._

"There isn't much that we can do to bring back who we were, but slowly, we can make someone new," Stray said quietly, surprising both FS and Eclipse. Where did that come from?

"He's right.," the leader added after a moment. "Only what we do from now on will decide who we become."

"That's good and all, but I don't understand. Why did you tell me this? Sometimes ignorance _is _bliss and I really didn't want to know that I'm full of paranoia. What does this have to do with anything?" the redhead asked, looking each one in the eye. Something funny was going on and no matter how well she thought she understood them, she hadn't the slightest idea. Perhaps was because of the strange looks exchanged between her old friends but she wasn't sure. Whatever the case, she didn't like it.

"Motive," the silver-haired boy stated, grabbing the last piece of lemon cake once his other one was finished. Thanks to him and Heine, the thing was practically gone. The chef, of course, ate most of it.

"Motive? For what?"

"Think about it, Lexi." The weapon was too confused to care about the title. "We're all in the same boat. The soldiers from the Earth Forces were experimented on as much as we were, maybe even more. We became lab rats of a war that's getting out of hand and because of that, we're going to stop it," FS explained, pouring himself another cup of coffee. If it wasn't for the engaging conversation, the "party" may have been called a "coffee race." That was FS's second cup, Stray was on his third, and Heine still had his first.

Eclipse was beating them all with four, going on five. "Stop it?" she asked, stirring the mixture idly.

"Yes, end all the fighting," the leader responded.

"Okay, how?"

"By doing the most logical thing; get rid of the people involved," he said.

"People involved?"

"Man, LE, I thought you were smarter than this. Both militaries of course." The brunette sighed and grabbed two sugar cubes. He passed the bowl over to his partner, sharing a suspicious look that the redhead didn't miss.

"What? You call that logical?"

"In order to stop this thing, we have to use what skills we were given. ZAFT and the Earth Forces made us this way, why not give them a cut from their own sword?" FS asked. He seemed to be doing all the talking and his redheaded friend was doing a good job at counterattacking. Not that it was unusual at all, but Stray always had _something _to add no matter what the subject was. Why was now any different? Did he not agree with some of it?

Or maybe he was too busy with his coffee.

"Is this a cry for peace or revenge? Guys, we're out; we're finally free. Why can't we try and go back?" Eclipse pleaded.

"Back? Back where? We never had homes or families, remember? There's no where to go back to," the chef said, finally speaking up. He seemed angry for some reason. Frustration maybe?

"Then start over."

"How? You sad it yourself, we're not human anymore," FS said.

"Then you rent an apartment, watch high-action films, and take karate lessons. You don't attempt to take out the entire universe."

Stray groaned softly and the brunette sighed before answering. Apparently things weren't going as planned. "Not the universe, just the people responsible for this war."

"What one person can you hold responsible? There's no couple of people to blame. The drive—the vengeance is in all of us." Heine watched his partner carefully. He didn't like what they were saying, but definitely didn't have the perseverance that Eclipse did. He would've given up a long time ago and yet she was still trying to get them to change their minds. Did they really mean that much to her? Maybe that love went both ways because those two were trying hard to get her to believe them as well.

Belief tug-of-war was the game and the singer was glad he wasn't the rope.

"Then we take out everyone."

* * *

**_A/N: _**Hey all here's the new chapter. A little shorter than the past ones and full of _a lot _more conversation so hopefully it was a quick read. If you had any trouble following who was saying what please let me know. I didn't think it was hard, but then again I can see it all in my head too.

I realize that they're sounding like they have a Creuset-complex, but really there was no other way. I tried so hard not to have it turn out that way and I'm still tweaking the process so maybe it won't end up like that, but hey, who didn't like Creuset's idea?

My next question is, does it make sense? I tried really hard to make their circumstances tie in with something that could really happen and to me it all fits together perfectly, but I have to remember, not everyone understands what goes through my mind. I don't think many people want to either. Let me know.

I have to admit that the hardest part about this chapter wasn't all the technicalities (Yeah, that was a pain too), but where to end it. Actually, my original ending spot is a long ways off. I have a tendency to underestimate my wordiness and if I didn't have a conscience, I'd make you all sit down and read 11,000 word chapters. How does that sound? I like ones that people can read in one sitting, so that's why I'm all for the smaller chapters, even though 6,000 words isn't exactly short, but no matter. At least you'll be able to eat a bag of popcorn. Wanna share?

Next chapter finishes Stray and FS's diabolic plot (or is it?) and starts a new beginning for our favorite weapon. Will she choose her friends over anything else? What does she owe anyone besides her fury? I guess you'll have to find out. Because I cut this a little shorter than I planned, some of the next chapter is already written and it's all outlined, so hopefully it'll be up relatively soon.

Thanks for all the support! I really enjoyed all the reviews and thank you for all who have been reading. I hope my long breaks aren't scaring anyone away and please understand that I'm trying my best to dish out these chapters.

_Gundamfanatic123_: It's amazing how you can say so much in so few words, hah. Actually you're going to have to wait and see. As the cliche goes, "only time can tell." I'll just say this: I really like Heine as a character and want to give him a larger role than four episodes and a dramatic death scene. Will that suffice?

_Darkangelsonic_: I'm glad you liked the Heine appearance 'cause I definitely did. T.M. rocks, I don't care if he's short. Hah! Just thought I'd throw that one out there. I hope this chapter keeps you guessing and coming back like that last one!

_Saiyukigallie_: Thank you for your "professionally" and "un-professionally" given advice. I'm trying really hard not to stray (hah Stray!) from the main SEED line because it's a good story; just has a lot of holes. Oh, what did you find on Heine? I pretty much know everything (brags). Heh, not really, but he is an interesting character and has a website all to himself even!

_CSS.Stravag_: You don't know how hard I had to try to keep Eclipse from doing just that. Heine begged and begged not to be killed. Little did he know he'd be having a dramatic exit in Destiny... Anyway, the blonde's suit was picked up by his squad eventually. An over-zealous Earthling did try to show off to his girlfriend, but luckily he was scared of heights and ended up frozen in fear as soon as he reached the cockpit door. Little did he know "free falling" didn't exist in outer space. Don't worry, his girlfriend still said yes when he proposed later that night, but because of the problems he caused, she got an "IOU" instead of a ring. Oh yeah, Heine'll get billed as well for just being a pain.

_Death-Scimitar_: Well, I'm glad you're taking a step in the right direction. For a few days there you weren't getting along too well with yourself and I was getting a tad worried, but I'm glad things are back to normal. I thought you'd enjoy the little remark about the OCs. See? Isn't it fun to have inside information? I'm sure everyone's jealous of you right now 'cause I left them on a huge cliff hangar. Will you manage crowd control then? Thanks!

**Strata**


	18. Mending Hearts and Breaking Minds

Mending Hearts and Breaking Minds

_Who made you god? _Heine thought, withholding a scowl. The only reason he was still in his seat was because of Eclipse's silent order to do so. They made eye contact soon after FS finished speaking and more was shared in that look than words could say.

"What you're suggesting is—" the redhead began, but was cut off by her two friends. They seemed to be doing that a lot lately and frankly, she didn't like it.

"Realistic?" the leader suggested.

"Obvious?" Stray asked.

"—suicidal," Eclipse finished. "There's no way you can kill everyone in both the Earth Forces _and _ZAFT."

"That's why we take out the biggest threat, ZAFT, first and then move on to the Naturals. For goodness sakes, LE, we pick 'em apart gradually, not all at once," FS groaned. The conversation wasn't going as well as he thought it would. This girl was supposed to be their number one supporter and rally together with them. What was going on? "You're right. The reason people turn to violence, is because there's some, secret impulse to. We get rid of that impulse, we end the war."

"But by killing everyone?"

"Only in the militaries."

"Why?"

"Each person may have this "vengeance" you speak of, but there must be some kind of passion for fighting in each soldier. Without that love, they couldn't have accepted killing other individuals. If we get rid of them, we stop the war and keep another one from happening. As long as there are people who want to fight, wars will never end."

"You're not going to give them a chance?" Eclipse asked, trying her best to remain calm.

"Why should we? You know yourself there are no innocents in the military. Whether the people are killing others directly or indirectly by fixing machines," the brunette explained, pouring himself more coffee. How could he drink at a time like this?

"I realize that, but if you're trying to get rid of everyone to stop the fighting—for revenge—or whatever—you might as well start right here. Have you ever thought that by doing this you'll be starting another war _yourselves_? We might as well destroy each other."

"It may come to that," FS said, matching the redhead's stare with a cool one of his own. "But we'll have to wait and watch things unfold."

"Damnit, FS, you're not making any sense. So, you plan on killing everyone, destroying their will to fight, _and_ committing suicide all at the same time? Now that's what I call a community event."

"Lexi, Lexi," he chided, shaking his head. "You know there is more than one way to kill someone, and not all of them include a knife to the heart. Are we not prime examples?"

There was something about the way he smiled that unnerved the redcoat across from him. Heine was getting goose bumps from the experience and none of it was from being cold. Was he scared? "You're insane!"

"You stay quiet," the chef hissed.

"If you don't want him to speak then why tell us so much? What is any logical person supposed to think when you spew this kind of garbage? Destroying both armies? Ridiculous!" The weapon rose from her chair at the exclamation, angry as well as surprised at the whole ordeal. What the hell were these two thinking? They were going to get themselves killed and a bunch of other random people too.

Insane.

"What do you mean? This is what we were aiming for all along," FS said, getting up for a moment to push Eclipse back into her seat. Trying to ignore her inner turmoil, she didn't have enough will to resist his urging and practically fell back down. Stray jumped and stared, a worried expression etched on his face when she did.

"I-I don't remember you saying anything about destroying the entire human population."

"It's not the entire population," FS corrected.

"Close enough. After those massacres who is supposed to be left?"

"The ones willing to keep the peace." What they were saying sounded logical enough—in a sadistic sort of way—but the look in FS's eyes terrified Eclipse more than his words.

He couldn't be. Could he?

"But how long will that take? Let's say for a moment I've decided to help you, what you're suggesting needs a lot of time and people, not to mention an advanced organization. The war will probably be over with by the time you achieve all those things."

"Do you honestly think the war will end soon?"

"I don't know, but as things are going—"

"In response to your comment earlier," Stray cut in, not wanting the conversation to sway off topic, "we _do _have an advanced organization called SIN-ED. LE, we have a plan, have methods of achieving that plan, and have the resources to do it. This is the only thing we can think of to end all of this."

"Wait, SIN-ED?"

"Yes," the brunette said. "It's an acronym for Space's Internal Nemesis and Earth's Destruction. Flashy, yes, but it stands for what we are trying to do."

Eclipse glanced at each of them individually. How had it come this far? Stray looked like his old, smiling self, but she saw something different in his eyes. There was knowledge there, but not the knowledge that should be shared or acted upon. Her eyes shifted to the scar over his eye, the one she gave him so long ago. Back then she probably would've agreed, but why not now? FS hadn't changed either, at least not in looks. Was she so infatuated with his physical appearance she was blind to everything else? How had she missed such a huge change?

Then again, wasn't she the same?

Deep down, did she think this was the right decision? She was more like them than anyone else, but if that was true, why was she so eager to disagree? Had she, like them, changed?

But why couldn't it have been in the same direction?

"There here has to be another way."

"No, LE, there isn't. To stop death, we have to use it." When FS put it that way, it seemed so plausible. Sometimes it was impossible to change a person's mind when he or she was set and war was no exception. There were so many different visions among the troops and selecting just one was impractical. Was destruction the only outlet then?

Was death really the only answer?

"Sleep on it. Spend the night here—both of you—and we'll talk more in the morning. I'm sure you'll see no other option, like we have. Please don't make a decision now because I don't want you to regret it later on." Eclipse didn't respond and Stray took that as a 'yes.' "Here, follow me." The chef got to his feet and walked over to the redhead, grabbing her hand and helping her up.

Heine got to his feet a second later, casting a small glance at FS who was whispering something to Eclipse. The sight of them so close made his heart twist, but he didn't think it was from his affection for the redhead. _What will you decide, Eclipse?_

"G'night, Lexi. We can finally all be together. Isn't that what you wanted? You're right, we're out, but we still have a lot of work to do if we want to be free. Think about it, okay? I mean really think about it. We don't want to lose you either." He pulled her closer, his lips practically touching her ear. "Especially me."

* * *

Stray escorted them back to the lobby and then up the main staircase. Pausing to grab some keys from behind the front desk, he suddenly snapped his fingers and disappeared down one of the hallways. Many of the SIN-ED members were still in the lobby, but what they were doing neither redcoat had a clue. Gambling it looked like. The chef returned a few minutes later, flashing a smile. "I forgot I left something in the oven."

Not even Heine was in the mood to groan.

Eclipse was in a daze for most of the walk, lost in her thoughts, so when Stray asked some simple questions, the blonde had to respond.

"Mr. Westenfluss, you'll stay in this room and LE, you'll stay—"

"We'll be staying together," the redhead responded quickly, matching her friend's stare with a stern one of her own. "I may trust you and FS to keep him safe, but the others are a different matter. He's not leaving my sight."

"No others are on this floor. Revelin and I are on the one below, so we won't be bothering you either."

"It doesn't matter; we're in the same room."

The chef sighed and flipped through his keys for a different room. He motioned them to the third door down, muttering something about FS and how displeased he was going to be.

"Here's a room with two separate beds. I'll have some different clothes brought up for you because I bet those space suits are getting pretty uncomfortable right now. You should have towels in the bathroom and the water's working so you can freshen up if you'd like. Um, is there anything else? Well, if there is, I'll send it up with your clothes." He smiled faintly, but upon seeing the redhead's look, it slowly drooped to a frown. "There was a time when just the sight of me would make you smile. You were like that when you arrived and I wanted nothing more than to keep that happiness on your face. Now it seems to have melted off and I know that not even a 'sorry' will bring it back. Revelin's changed—both of us have—but change is what we needed. We're not the mindless weapons we were back on Januarias, but we haven't evolved past the two friends you came to rely on." When Eclipse didn't reply he sighed and took her hands in his.

Heine, seeing that as some kind of signal, walked into the room and out of sight, but not out of earshot. He was still worried about his partner.

"Please think about it—what Revelin said. Only when we stop others from going backwards, can we move forward. You understand that right? Please, we want you here—no, need you here. LE, we're so close; so close to the future we wanted. Just a few more steps and we can rent all those high-action movies and take that karate class. We'll find some way to survive this thing together. Don't leave, okay? I want you here, with us." There were no words to describe the look on his face. It ranged between love and fear, but which one it was, Eclipse couldn't decide. She didn't want to leave them, that was the problem, but if she didn't leave, she might not be able to protect them.

"Stray, you do realize FS might be—"

He kissed her forehead before she could go any further, stopping her mid-sentence and leaving her frozen in the doorway as he left. He was the boy that had always surprised her with his antics, but this time she didn't have a sarcastic remark or wise crack.

She was speechless.

Heine left her in peace for a few moments, allowing himself this chance to go to the bathroom. Closing the door after him, he scanned the marble interior and then sat down on the edge of the tub. _I don't even think saying sorry would make up for all that I've done. On the ride here, I acted like an immature fool. How could I forget we were in a war and how serious it is? Eclipse's appearance just threw me off guard. I didn't expect a woman on the mission because I thought it was too dangerous for one. That was the first time I underestimated her. Then, when I started talking to her, her responses—or lack thereof—made me curious and I had to know more. I pushed and pushed, but to what avail? To find out she's some emotionless soldier with two very dangerous friends? The whole way here I was devising some huge rescue scene to get her to notice me. Damsel in distress if you will. Little did I know she can take care of herself and even go through an entire conversation like that with a straight face. I took her for granted._

He sighed and got to his feet, glancing at the mirror above the sink. "Just don't act like that anymore," he told himself, turning on the faucet and splashing his face with water. "Treat her as the equal she should've been treated as before."

Eclipse shut the door after her and made her way to one of the beds. Sitting down on the edge, she just stared, not caring that anyone who walked in would mark her as crazy for staring so.

Crazy.

That's what her friends turned out to be. They talked about paranoia and insanity, never once referencing themselves, but the sad thing was, they had crossed the same bridge as Avalanche. Destroying everyone? Did that seem like a logical solution to this war? No, not at all, so why did they suggest it? A house, that was all that she wanted. A nice quiet house in the middle of nowhere she could relax and forget everything she went though. The sight of FS in the lobby had been the light of hope in her darkness of death. They were going to take her away from the war and ZAFT. That's how it was supposed to be.

Was it such a bad idea?

"I think I owe you a huge apology," Heine said quietly, coming out of the bathroom. "I acted so childish to you and yet you didn't do anything. Why? I'm sure you were frustrated with my naiveté."

At first the redhead didn't say anything, still trying to erase the sight of her non-existing, happy future. Only when he stood in front of her did she respond. "You don't have to apologize for something you didn't know about. Actually, no one was supposed to know about that. My plan was to go through the war, do what I was told, and then die. Morbid, yes, but no matter how much I fantasized about a peaceful life with those two, deep down I knew it would never happen. I mean, being what I am, how can I look forward to a quiet life? Heine, I'm sorry you had to be dragged into that. No doubt you're second-guessing everything you know and were taught. Yes, ZAFT made us who we are and the Council approved of it, but why, I don't think I'll ever know. I am like them, and maybe even more, but please don't let anything you just heard scare you away. They're the ones who are wrong, not you; I realize that now. Yes, you may have been rash and downright annoying at times, but naïve isn't the right word. It hasn't become clear until now, but you've helped me actually. Helped me a lot. I might be like them if you haven't showed me a little about myself."

"Like them?"

"Insane."

The blonde wanted to ask what he did and then at the same time save what little feeling she had by denying their insanity. But she was right. What they were proposing was impossible and almost the dictionary definition of 'insane.' How could he tell her everything would be okay when he didn't even believe it himself?

_Will I end up like that too?_ Eclipse thought, gripping her knees.

She dreaded the answer.

A loud knock at the door bumped them out of their thoughts. Heine went to open it and came back with a laundry basket full of four sets of clothing (pajamas and a set of clothes for the next day), a manila folder, and a plate of bread. "The guy said it's banana-flavored and from Jaeger. I'm assuming he cooked it just for you. You like bread or something?"

She smiled, "I don't have a huge passion for it, but I don't mind it either. Was there a note?"

"No, nothing. It smells really good though."

"I bet it'll taste just as good. Did you want a piece?"

"Oh no, I ate way too much in the ballroom. You go ahead and have some then tell me how it tastes," the redcoat smiled and put the plate on the desk next to the door. Carrying the basket inside, he shut the door with his foot and handed his partner the folder before spreading the clothing out on the other bed. "Hey, it's our backpacks!" he exclaimed and set them aside. Muttering something about Stray's thoughtfulness, he went back to organizing.

The weapon watched him work, noticing how in just a short while, he seemed a bit different. He wasn't trying to climb all over her or attempt to woo her. His apology was genuine and that thought alone made her smile again. "Thank you," she said, and the boy looked up. He nodded a response, thinking she was thanking him for laying out the clothes.

If only he knew.

Returning to the folder in her hands, she saw that there was a note taped to the inside flap. She tore it off and began reading:

_This'll be short because I don't want to bother you more than I already have. Inside is your profile we took from the facility's records. This is how we found out your name, among other various gifts. You're very special, Lexi, and it goes beyond your alluring personality or ability to tame renegades like Revelin and I. The profile's yours to keep because technically we have no claim of it. _

_Also inside is some information on our group as a whole. Not too much for security reasons, but enough to piqué your interest I hope. This is also yours, so do with it as you will._

_P.S. I made the bread especially for you. The chocolate is for how sweet you are and the bananas are because you've always been my favorite fruit cake. The nuts have no reference to your personality whatsoever._

_Love always,_

_Jaeger (Stray)_

Eclipse smiled, withholding the small chuckle in the back of her throat. _That boy was always a strange one, _she thought, _but adorable just the same._

She set the folder down on the desk after reading the letter, not finding the courage to open it yet. She was special, Stray had said, but what characteristic made her so? It wasn't her femininity because Vindur despised that. Then what was it? Plenty of things skipped into her head, but none of them were pleasant. So, deciding not to worry about it for the moment, she began devising an escape attempt. No matter how much she wanted to stay with her friends, she knew she couldn't.

She couldn't be a part of what they were going to do.

"_Furete temo, tsumetai yubisaki._

_Kkooritsuita, tsuki ni terasarete._

"_Hibiwareta kokoro ga, moetsukiru yoru o dakukedo._

_Isshun no kanata de, kirameita omoi ga, ai nara, maboroshi ni shitemisete." (***)  
_

The redhead almost cried when Heine began, knowing it to be the same song he sang to her on the way to the colony. It was lovely then, but now it seemed sad. So much had happened since the long ride and it all seemed like a dream. A good dream, because for once she was away from the tragedies of war. And then she got here.

But Eclipse couldn't dwell on the past now because the future was the thing at stake. She had to get them out and away from this place.

But how?

She needed to find a weapon, something to defend them both until proper artillery could be found. To stop death, she'd have to use it.

Maybe FS and Stray were right after all.

"_Hanatsu hikari, sora ni ochiru, nozomu dake no, netsu o sasagete._

_Shini yuku hoshi no, unda honoo ga, saigo no yume ni, yakarete iruyo." (***)  
_

She made a quick look around the room, trying to find anything of use, but came up empty-handed. The Bible may have done some damage, but her heart wrenched at the idea of using such a book as a weapon.

Only as a last resort.

Her next stop was the bathroom. Fishing through the drawers, and even opening the medicine cabinet, left her with nothing more than a hair brush to work with. Not very promising, but looking up she saw it.

A mirror.

"_Furitsumoru, tsumi wa yasashisa ni, toge wa emi ni, kaete yukeru nara._

"_Chiru magiwa no hana no, todokanai sakebi nimo nita_

_inori no hakanasa ga, motomeru—" (***)  
_

Eclipse heard him stumble over the final line. He had gone a little further than the last time she heard, but only by a word or two. He cursed loudly and started the verse again, but still couldn't think of anything.

"Hey, you have any idea what the next line should say?"

"I can't concentrate on something like that right now."

"Oh. Nothing at all?"

"Sorry."

He sighed loudly and tried again, this time starting back from the beginning.

Pushing the song into the background, she returned to the task at hand. She glanced at the reflection in the mirror and found herself frowning. As usual, she wasn't happy with the face staring back at her. Grasping the brush firmly, she struck the bottom, left corner of the mirror. Long cracks spread over the surface, distorting her image, but still picking up the smile that appeared on her lips

"Ah-ha!" the singer proclaimed from the other room. "I have something now!"

"_Furitsumoru, tsumi wa yasashisa ni, toge wa emi ni, kaete yukeru nara._

"_Chiru magiwa no hana no, todokanai sakebi nimo nita_

_inori no hakanasa ga, motomeru setsunasa ga, futari no, deatta, toki o yurasu." (***)  
_

"Sound good?"

"Not now."

"Ah, but you're my inspiration; what you say matters. Can't you see I've come up with so much more now that you're with me? I've been working on the line for weeks and you don't have any words of encouragement or congratulation for me? That hurts, partner."

Same old Heine.

"Yeah, either help me out or I'll have them put you in a separate room. I'd hate to see what they'd do to you without my watchful eye about."

"I'll take my chances. Besides, you'd miss me too much. So, what are you—hey! That's seven years bad luck!"

"Being lucky's the least of my worries right now."

"Well, you could always get lucky with me. We do have this whole room—"

Eclipse sighed and shook her head, pausing mid-motion. "Ugh! If you have enough energy to sing _and _think about that then you can definitely help me get us out of here."

"Aw, you're no fun."

"And you're a bothersome little maggot," the redhead spat. "You're fortunate there aren't any cameras or speakers in this room or you would've just busted us both."

"Maybe the mirror means back luck for you and good luck for me. That means I'll get what ever I—Ow!"

"Back off!"

"Relax, it's just a bunch of harmless fun," he muttered, rubbing the side of his head. Eclipse had a nice right hook. "I was feeling a little left out when you were going around and hugging everyone."

"It wasn't everyone."

"Well, just the bad guys."

"You know nothing about it."

"Well, whether I do or don't isn't the problem here. At least you're back to your old self. For a while there I thought you were going to break down into tears."

"I don't cry."

"After all this is over with you might. I don't know how close you three were, but from your generous displays I'd say you were pretty attached to them."

The weapon managed to lift out one of the bigger pieces using the end of the brush. She handed it to Heine who grabbed a towel before taking it. "Please stop," she begged, returning back to the mirror and the other larger piece below the first one. "We don't have time to think or talk about that now."

The blonde wanted to make another remark and he almost acted on that impulse, but his newfound respect for Eclipse stopped his tongue. "Do I want to know what we're going to use these for?" he asked instead.

He was learning.

"It's so we can make sure our make-up stays nice as we avoid gunfire," the redhead retorted, pushing past him to the main room.

"Hey, I don't wear—wait, did you just make a joke?"

"Damn, you're slow."

"And what do you mean by gunfire?"

"Do you think they're just going to let us waltz out of here with all the information we know?"

"Yes?"

"I guess you are naïve."

"Just optimistic."

"Sometimes they mean the same thing," Eclipse sighed, grabbing her backpack on the bed. She slipped the manila folder in one of the pockets before tossing it to Heine.

He caught it with a snort and slung it around one shoulder, careful of the glass still in his right hand. "You're just pessimistic."

"No, realistic."

_I knew that was coming,_ the redcoat thought, wishing he hadn't said anything in the first place. Sometimes she was even too quick for him. "What are we going to do for helmets? I don't know about you, but I can't hold my breath long."

"There should be a store room at the end of the hall. I'm hoping there'll be two in there."

"Hoping?"

"I'm trying the optimistic thing."

"It's not working for you."

"Well, a person can't be good at everything."

"That's comforting to hear, now, let's get out of here." He stepped towards the door, shifting the glass fragment to his other hand so he could put the backpack around both shoulders. He was about to turn the handle when he saw Eclipse near the desk chewing something. "What the hell are you doing?"

"I would've felt bad if I left without tasting Stray's bread."

"You're kidding right?"

"Like I said before, there are some things you wouldn't understand about Stray, FS, and I."

Heine just shook his head.

They were out of the room a few moments later, Eclipse still licking her lips from the delicious banana taste. Stray and FS had held true to their word and no one was on the floor, at least not visibly. The redhead was having her doubts about the sincerity of the SIN-ED members, hence the mirror pieces, but, for what it was worth, she still trusted her two friends. They may be crazy, but love has roots deeper than insanity.

Well, she hoped it did.

There was that optimistic thing again.

"Which way?" Heine asked quietly, shutting the door behind him.

"I'm guessing left since we came up here from the right," the redhead replied, taking the lead. Holding the shard down at her right side, she prayed she didn't have to use it, but knew their good luck wouldn't hold out for long.

They stopped at a door labeled "Storage" and Heine kept watch while Eclipse picked the lock with a hair pin. The blonde decided to ask where she got the pin later on when they were out.

Good decision.

"Anything we can use?" the singer asked.

"Yup. Two helmets, just like I thought."

"Score one for woman's intuition, now let's get going."

Eclipse nodded and handed her partner one of the helmets. It was from the Earth Forces, Heine guessed, by the slim and narrow look of it. "Are you giving me this bright color so I'll be picked out first and shot?" he wondered aloud, examining the item with a frown.

It was orange.

"I gave it to you by default, so stop complaining. At least yours isn't white."

"What's so bad about white?"

"What's so bad about orange?"

"Oh never mind."

"Never minding." They continued their way down the hall, still seeing no sign of interference. Quite unusual. "It can't be this easy."

"You have a problem with things being easy?" the blonde asked, opening the door to the fire escape.

"Stop, don't open—"

Two soldiers awaited them on the other side, but fortunately they were just as surprised as the redcoats in front of them. Apparently Heine had good luck after all.

"What the hell—" one of them began, but was cut off as soon as Eclipse stabbed the mirror shard up and under his helmet, catching his throat with gruesome accuracy. Her first instinct was to act, not talk.

That man's downfall.

Heine was a little slower to react and a little more humane on his decision. Instead of using the glass like he was supposed to, the singer punched the soldier's abdomen hard before knocking him against the wall. "Couldn't you have just done that? Now they're going to have one major cleaning bill."

"To what, vacuum the blood? We're outside remember?" The blonde cringed and Eclipse merely sighed. "When this man comes back to kill you one day you may regret that decision."

"Will I?"

"I think you forgot what their main objective was."

"But we don't have to become one of them."

"I'm already one of them," she finished, unclipping the strap of one rifle. Grabbing the unconscious guard, she made quick work of binding his hands to the railing before grabbing the rifle and handing the other to Heine. At least they had proper weapons now. "Here, we need to hurry."

"Don't have to tell me twice," he said, saving his moral discussion for later. They were going to have a good talk as soon as things settled down.

* * *

The loud banging on the door wasn't exactly a pleasant sound for the two friends sitting on the inside. It had been over two hours, three pieces of cheese cake, and four cups of coffee later since the all-important chat with Eclipse and her annoying comrade. Stray and FS still sat at the table in the ballroom, enjoying the company, silence, and good food. They talked little on the conversation earlier, but what they did talk about, they agreed on.

Eclipse didn't like the plan.

They were beginning to devise some way to convince her to stay with them when the announcement of the redcoats' escape found its way into the ballroom.

Hence the loud banging.

The two weapons took the news calmly and dismissed the messenger once he was finished, but that first impression was short lived. "You didn't expect her to stay, did you?" FS asked, setting his cup down on the table.

"I was hoping she would," Stray pouted, shoving a spoon full of strawberry topping into his mouth. "She seemed impressed for a while there, but I don't know what happened."

"Maybe we can blame her partner for that one. He seemed to have some influence on her."

"Which is surprising. That girl doesn't open up to others very well." The chef paused mid-bite, setting down his fork and pushing the cheese cake off to the side. Suddenly he didn't feel like eating.

That was a scary thing.

"Do you think we should follow her then? Try and bring her back?" FS asked, leaning back in his chair and rubbing his fingers at his temples. A headache was beginning.

"I don't want to force her to be here, if that's what you mean. What good is a follower who doesn't believe in what we're doing?"

"But remember, it's LE."

"And since it's LE, we can't make her do anything. It could be unhealthy for both the organization as well as us."

_But we need her, Jaeger, _the brunette thought, deciding not to respond to his partner's comment. _If only you knew how much._

"Sir!" a SIN-ED member shouted, barging through the doors without so much as a knock. He seemed out of breath and with a frightened look on his face, but whatever for, neither of the weapons knew.

"What is it now? We know about Eclipse's escape, so what could be more important?" FS groaned.

"Sir, two ZAFT GINNs have entered the colony. We should get out—"

"They're probably here to find Lexi and her teammate," Stray said, taking another sip from his cup.

"Sir—"

"Sounds about right. Shall we be going too, then? There's really no more reason to stay," the brunette said, getting to his feet and stretching.

The chef followed suit a moment later. "So, we're going to just leave her?"

"There might be other chances to convince her to join us."

"Sir, I really think—"

"Why the hell are you still here?" FS hissed at the guard, causing him to stiffen and stutter a little before fleeing out the door. The leader sighed and shook his head. "That was one of the Naturals, wasn't it?"

"I think you're giving up on her too early."

"Jaeger please, we have to get out of here before we're spotted. I thought you said you didn't want to force her? You're just running in circles."

"What I want is for her to come willingly."

"Well, we can't all have what we want."

"Why are you just giving up?"

"Because we don't have time to talk her into following us!" The brunette slammed the table after the remark, sending more then a few dishes falling to the floor. Stray didn't even blink. "If you want to risk your life running after her then by all means go for it, but as things stand, I will _not _risk the safety of this organization. Right now, Jaeger, LE is gone. I'm sure there'll be plenty of other chances to convert her later on, but that's the least of my worries. If we're captured and killed, how can we hope to accomplish anything? What good will our deaths do other than help out some war statistic?"

"But there'll be other chances later on?"

"Yes, I'm sure there will be."

The chef left it at that, chasing after FS once his coffee was finished. He would talk LE into joining them, it was as simple as that. There was no reason she should be stuck taking orders while him and Revelin were trying to save the human race—well, at least they were in the long run. _Hm, I wonder if she tried the bread, _he wondered as he grabbed his spacesuit and green helmet, seeing as his white one was conveniently missing.

* * *

"Check the radar again," Heine ordered, ready to throw the radio onto the ground. He was going on his sixteenth try and still the only thing answering him back was static. Some might say he made a new best friend. "Nothing's getting through."

"I looked at it five seconds ago. I told you, there's nothing," Eclipse said, just as frustrated as her partner. It had been almost an hour since they fled the hotel and they were on edge, if not downright paranoid. One of the renegades could be after them in a matter of minutes and there they were trying to find some way to get help. Camping near the harbor seemed the best option, but nothing had happened since their arrival. _Isn't back-up supposed to, well, back you up?_ the redhead thought with a sigh.

"There has to be something. Check it again."

"Honestly, sir—" An explosion off to their right stopped the redhead mid-sentence and actually sent her flying into the blonde. He caught her and steadied them both as the trembling wound down. "T-the explosion came from the harbor," Eclipse said.

"Maybe we finally got through," Heine responded, holding her shoulders until she found her balance again.

"Either that or SIN-ED just got their reinforcements."

"That's a scary thought."

To their relief, what walked from the harbor was two ZAFT GINNs, fully armed. Figuring them to be the back-up the two redcoats were hoping for, Heine tried the radio again and this time got through to one of them.

"How do we know you're not lying to us?" one GINN pilot asked after the singer explained the situation. At any other time Eclipse might've praised the pilot for being thorough, but since they was no time for meaningless questions, she grabbed the radio from Heine.

"If you want us to tell you anything about this mission we can go as in depth as the number on our damn carrier, but why would anyone care to know that? We have our IDs with us if you'd rather see those, or there's that beacon in our spacesuits if you'd just use your heads and lock onto that. Then again, as I've been trying to get you to understand, if you'd rather not waste all that precious time and get us in contact with our superior, we can get off this hell hole and the ZAFT military can get some very valuable information on these rebels. It's your choice, soldier, but I doubt the council's going to be pleased when it has to wait another day and miss out on some tips that could've prevented an attack on a military base or the PLANTS."

Heine whistled once she finished and stared her down with a goofy little grin.

"What?" she hissed.

"Oh, nothing."

The pilots finally agreed on their authorization and the carrier came in another hour to pick them up. Their superior listened to the report, and quickly got on the radio to call the other teams. "I'll call the PLANTS next and inform them of what's been going on. You're sure they left as soon as you spoke with them?"

Heine glanced sideways at his partner. It had surprised him when she yelled at the pilots in the harbor, but she had outright lied about the SIN-ED as soon as she was asked about their whereabouts. The blonde was sure they hadn't left the colony yet and was thankful the GINNs were ordered to search it, but why had she lied? Was it to protect her friends?

Even though they wanted to kill everyone?

"Yessir. I'm not sure why they let us go so easily. Perhaps they're just overconfident, but we tried contacting you as soon as we knew it was safe."

"But you had five GINNs at your disposal. Surely they didn't have much more power than that," the carrier pilot said.

"We weren't sure of their strength and I wasn't about to find out. If they were willing to leave us all this information, then I call the day won and not lost because we didn't kill or capture any of them."

"Yes, you make a valid point, soldier. Heine, what do you have to say? Do you agree with your partner?"

The blonde paused for a moment, but ended up supporting the redhead. Even though she did lie, if the SIN-ED members were still around, they wouldn't be for much longer.

"Alright, I'll go inform the PLANTS. You two sit down and relax, we'll be heading out soon to pick up the others and then back home." They saluted and went their separate ways, the pilot to the radio and the redcoats to their old seats.

Eclipse sat down first, but Heine swung the backpack off and took out the manila folder before taking the one of the seats a row behind her instead. He smiled knowingly when she gave him a quizzical look, but said nothing else. _Thanks, _she thought and stared at the folder in her hands. It wasn't a surprise both Stray and FS stole the member records, but she felt somewhat violated they looked at them. But why? Maybe she was beginning to like her secretive nature and knowing others, even those considered her only friends, had looked at her identity made her nervous.

Or maybe she didn't want anyone to know, including herself, why she was so "special."

She turned the folder over, unwinding the thread around the clasp. Did she really want to know? Would it make things easier, or harder? Would anything change? _Only one way to find out,_ she thought, opening up the flap and pulling out the papers inside.

A younger-looking Eclipse stared back at her, making the redhead want to look in the mirror and match images. Her hair was long, about should length, and framing a juvenile face. Even though the picture was taken almost a year ago, the weapon didn't even recognize herself. Question was, is that a good thing or a bad thing? Moving away from the picture, Eclipse glanced at her profile.

_Name_: Lexi Emilia Rymyr

_Age_: 14

_Birthday_: March

_Blood Type_: AB

_Codename_: Lunar Eclipse

_Soldier Number_: 8704298

_Personal Information_: Runaway (believed to be from Orb). Family Unknown

_Abilities_: Ambidexterity from wound to right hand. Highest marks in mobile suit simulations and gun use. Detached. Unpredictable.

_Weaknesses_: Female. Low commanding skills. Rebel.

_Other Notes_: Berserker. Given _Muscimol _one week into training. Taken appropriately. Successful.

She stopped and stared at the highlighted word 'Berserker' and felt her stomach wrench. What could that mean? And what was the _Muscimol _all about? Was that the medicine she was given? It had to be. Some more, smaller stack of papers were behind the profile, going more in depth on her personality and skills. There was, however, a large amount of information on berserkers. Steadily, she looked them over, but her calm façade soon turned to panic. Phrases like "…object of hate and scorn," "…only purpose was to kill," "…do things an ordinary man couldn't," "…butcher men and women indiscriminately," and "…genetic flaws," whispered through her mind as she read them, quickening her breath and causing her hands to sweat. This is what made her special? She was this? An animal; a monster; an outcast.

She remembered now, all the times she went into this "frenzied state" and did things she didn't think possible. Sometimes the pain from her wounds wouldn't register until hours after the battle simulations and reading the information, she knew why. Berserkers felt no pain and fought through injuries. They were set loose on communities and "killed everything they met, not even distinguishing between friend and foe." That was why she felt no remorse when she hurt Stray and how she killed MR so easily.

A weapon. That was it; that was why she was so important.

She was what they were looking for.

"Eclipse? Hey, are you okay?" Heine asked, noticing how pale and shaky she was getting. Something was wrong. She looked like she was going to pass out. "Eclipse—"

"Can you sing that song again, Heine? I really need to hear it right now."

The blonde paused, his surprise outweighing his concern for a second. Did she just call him by his name and not 'sir?' "I don't think—"

"Please," she pleaded, scaring Heine even more with the quivering in her voice.

But should he keep prodding?

_No, _he decided and sat back in his chair. _But I can still keep an eye on her. _

The redhead listened quietly as he began the song, glad he wasn't sitting beside her and no one else was on the carrier. _Perhaps FS, Stray, and I aren't so different after all,_ she decided, looking down at the profile again.

_Maybe we're all insane.  
_

* * *

**(***)**

Song: "Meteor"

Singer: T.M. Revolution

Composer: Daisuke Asakura

Writer: Akio Inoue

Personal Notes: I take **no** credit for this song whatsoever. I do not own it, nor do I own any part of it. It is an insert song for _Gundam SEED_ and as such I felt it okay to put in the story. Also, since the character "Heine Westenfluss" is based off the original singer T.M. Revolution, having him sing the song only seemed appropriate. Since music is a main theme for this story, having the songs from the series worked well for both the plot and characterization. There will be more songs in the future for those same reasons.

Sincerely,

Strata-Assassin

* * *

_**A/N:**_ Please note the notice above. The Japanese lyrics were intentional and so is the action between the phrases. The whole song is not there because Heine is still in the process of making it. Also, if there are any concerns or comments, I ask that you message me personally instead of putting it in a review. Thank you.

A huge "Thank you" goes out to all who have been reading and reviewing on this story. Also, a huge "I'm sorry" should go out as well. This is a long chapter and for some that may be frustrating, but I hope it is worth the read. This one took a while to get put up and I have a many number of excuses, but no one likes to hear about those, so an apology is all I can give.

The plot thickens, is all I can say for this chapter. I'll (hopefully) be getting back into the main SEED story next chapter, so please stick around.

_Death-Scimitar: _Wow, you're the first reviewer. Yay! It's always nice to hear from ya especially when you make references to the random things that are going to be happening later on. :) I am so excited! I really like my fish analogies apparently. Honestly I didn't think it'd turn out that way... (Shrugs) Well, you know I love my coffee so having some characters who are also obsessed with it is only natural right? And who doesn't like bread? Especially when the smell's sticking to Stray. :) Now that you put that "Collerbone" comment on there I want to play the game... I think I will.

_Darkangelsonic: _You're the person I have to apologize to the most. You mentioned you like shorter chapters and this one is the largest by far. I'm hoping the conversation made it go by quickly. I try to keep them short, but with everything going on, it's not an easy thing to do. Honestly, even though my character has a thing for FS, I like Stray a lot more. He's just so cute... I know Heine can get a little annoying, but he is still rather young and hasn't experienced the harshness of war... yet. He had a revelation in this chapter that will help him on his road. Thanks for being honest. I didn't realize how much everyone hated him until you an many others brought it up. Also, I know the last chapter was boring, and this one may be too, but there has to be a break from the action somehow. My other chapters have been all about the action, so sooner or later there had to be one explaining the plot and characters. Please understand it had to be done.

_Saiyukigallie:_ Yay! I'm so glad you know so much about him! All of that's correct by the way. :) I actually like Stray and FS's plan. Not in the sense it should be attempted, but that it's different from the other ones in SEED. It's cool how people have different aspects of how to stop wars. Some are a little more insane than others, but, in a way, they make sense. Like I said, I'd never try their way or tell anyone else to try it, but they're kind of a long the right track. Oh, and what does "Nyuu, gambatte ne~!" mean?

_CSSStravag: _So, you're one of the many who thought Heine was annoying in the last chapter, huh? Seeing as I adore the guy, I don't think an axe handle is the way to go. How about a really hard pillow? Anyway, at that age he kind of wants to be some super hero or Prince Charming. Unfortunately, Eclipse isn't exactly a damsel in distress. Heh. Honestly, when you said you liked the SIN-ED's thinking, I was scared. Probably because I knew the whole plan and how it'd end up, but who knows.

_Asmus: _Thank you for reviewing. New people are always nice to hear from. I hope you've made it to this chapter 'cause I'd really like you to read this. Anyway, even though I like cheering for the underdog, I like ZAFT a lot better than the Earth Froces. Mainly because with focusing more on the ZAFT perspective, I can let my imagination roam more and make some surprising/interesting connections. (You'll see what I mean.) I should thank you for pointing out the method behind the facility. I had a huge epiphany concerning that detail (one _Death-Scimitar _can vouge for) and finally have everything in order. So, thanks! The reasoning, however, will come into play later on. You'll just have to wait and see. It _will _make sense though, I assure you. The pointers were a good thing to add and I'm getting better at going back and fixing some things in my chapter before posting it. I like to mix up my names/descriptions for my characters instead of constantly repeating the name over and over, so that is the reason "weapon" and "bluehead/redhead" were used a lot. I took the suggestiong to heart, though, and have added a few more "Eclipses" in this chapter (if you've noticed).

Again, a big "Thank you" for all who reviewed and I hope to see you next chapter!

Strata


	19. PP, DD, and GG

Persistent Pilots, Dictator Dads, and Genetic Geniuses

Patrick Zala was exactly as Eclipse thought he was going to be. When she and Heine were ordered to talk to him personally, she was surprised. Why would they talk directly to the man in charge? Usually information went through twenty different people before getting to the "head dog." Maybe SIN-ED just meant that much to the military.

The Chairman of Defense looked like Athrun, it was as simple as that. Athrun may have more girlish looks and fairer skin, but the face and body structure was the same. Patrick was older, obviously, with brown-purple hair cropped short. No wrinkles were on his face, but it appeared worn and by the look in his eyes, he seemed on the verge of a headache.

Probably too many hours working at the office.

"Is this the information in here?" he asked lightly, holding up the manila folder. His voice had a melodious tone to it, appealing in some ways. However, there was still a commanding edge.

_A dictator, _Eclipse decided. _That's what he sounds like._ Although, she'd never say it aloud. "Yessir," she replied instead, her eyes resting on the photo sitting on his desk as Zala scanned the material. It was a picture of Athrun and his mother, the redhead deducted, noticing the matching hair color and eyes. _Maybe he looks more like his mother,_ she thought, glancing at the father again. _Then again, why do I even care?_

It was a dark office, both Heine and Eclipse realized and when the blonde covered a yawn, the weapon figured it was too dark.

Either that or his coffee high was over.

Then again, they haven't had any sleep in over a day.

The desk wasn't large and looked frightfully small compared to the size of the room. The walls looked bare and plain, but—knowing the money council members must have—large televisions were a remote away of displaying some Soap Opera or Lacus Clyne concert.

Convenient.

A few minutes later, after another suppressed yawn by Heine (even Eclipse was getting tired) Zala set the papers down on the desk. "So, you talked to them directly?"

"Yessir," both replied simultaneously.

"And why didn't they kill you? Or why did they bother giving you all this information and let you escape unscathed?" He fixed the cuffs on his purple, councilmember suit as he asked, wanting to upkeep his professional image.

_Would you've rather had that? _Heine thought, but kept his mouth shut. For some reason he was still anxious even though he was back in ally territory.

Strange.

"Because I know them personally, sir," Eclipse admitted, taking a while to speak up. While sharing that information may get her in trouble later, right now she knew she couldn't directly lie to the Chairman of Defense like she did to the carrier pilot. Especially not to the scale this lie would've been.

Even after everything that happened, she still thought of duty before personal affairs.

"Ah yes, you trained with them on Januarias 4, correct?"

"Yessir."

"So, you're close with this powerful band of renegades then?"

"Only two of them, sir."

"Only two?"

She nodded.

"Mr. Westenfluss, how much importance do these two hold in this group SIN-ED?"

The singer really wished he hadn't asked him that question. Eclipse was handling the questions just fine, so why switch to him? The last thing he wanted to do was tell Patrick Zala the two people his partner was so attached to were the leaders and the ones who thought up the massacre in the first place. Maybe he could tell him they made good cheese cake.

"Soldier?" the chairman pressed.

"They have pretty big roles, sir." When in doubt, be vague.

"_How _important?"

Well, that was short-lived.

"From what I could discern, many of the members look up to them." It wasn't a complete lie. Given, half of SIN-ED would probably rather have FS and Stray out of the way—at least from what he could tell—but they were the ones in charge so, in a sense, they looked up to them.

"Well, as things stand, we may have to go after this group before they come after us."

"Go after?" Heine asked.

"Track down, stake out, or assassinate, whichever one you like better. According to this data, they plan on going after our military first and then face-off against the Earth Forces. If that happens, we may lose some prominent leaders in the military and that we can't afford. Since they are a small bunch, I'm hoping to dispose of them quietly before they get a chance to start this plan."

_Dispose? _ Eclipse couldn't believe what she was hearing. If he said the group was so small, why was he going to worry about them? Did Patrick Zala think they were powerful despite the numbers? If that was the case, how did he plan on "disposing of them quietly?" She didn't think ZAFT could afford to send a team after them.

"I'm sorry to be speaking so bluntly about this since you're so close to them, Lunar Eclipse, but please understand how serious this is. Not only are we going to have the Earth Forces to contend with, but these rebels too. Two against one is not good odds in any scenario and even worse in war."

"I do understand, sir," the redhead said, hiding her own surprise. He might be right, but kill them all?

Kill Stray and FS?

Wait, maybe she could keep them alive.

"Did you have any ideas on who to send, sir?" Eclipse asked, receiving a quizzical look from Heine.

Zala paused before answering and leaned back in his chair. Honestly, he didn't want to send anyone. The decision to just leave SIN-ED alone was tempting to say the least, but most of those members were from ZAFT and trained in every elite training program the military had. Not to mention they had an abundance of information on ZAFT personnel and armaments. If he was to just let them do as they pleased, the PLANTs could suffer drastic casualties and maybe even lose the war.

And losing to a bunch of Naturals was not part of the equation.

"No, I don't have anyone in mind right now. Why, do you ask?"

"I'd like to go, sir."

Heine could feel the silence thicken around him and being a talkative person, it wasn't a pleasant feeling. Did she just say what he thought she said? _But you'd be chasing after your two friends,_ he thought, extending a hand as if to shake her out of her insanity. _That responsibility would crush you._

"And why should I trust you? Besides, you'd need help. I can't just send you alone." Zala asked, taking a moment, like the singer, to digest what she had said.

"Knowing the people in SIN-ED and knowing my friends, they're going to try and do things on a small scale. Most likely, there'll be individual teams spread out in different areas of both space and the earth." The Chairman of Defense didn't look convinced. "Think about it, sir. If they attacked ZAFT directly with a large group they'd be killed for sure, but if they split up and went secretly to different bases they could do more damage. Plant a bomb here, assassinate a commander there, steal some data; it's not as noticeable and harder to trace."

Zala took a moment to think it over. There were others he could send—not too many, but some—so why should he readily choose her? He eyed Eclipse suspiciously during that moment, trying to read the emotions on her face.

Well, that was a useless effort.

"As much as I hate your 'matter-of-fact' take on the situation, you have a point. Using individual groups seems to be the way they'd work, but you didn't answer my question, why should I trust you? Do you not have a strong connection to this organization?"

"As I stated, sir, I only know two. The others I don't care about."

"But the ones you may have to kill are the ones you know. If Mr. Westenfluss is right and they play a large role, they will be your prime target."

"That has yet to be decided."

"And what will you do when it is decided? Can you kill them?"

Heine didn't like how the conversation was going. He knew Eclipse would answer "yes" because she didn't know any other way _to _answer. She had to have some underlying meaning for volunteering. Was she, in a way, trying to protect them? _It would make sense. By her being the only one to take them on, no one would be able to kill FS or Stray. She would ultimately decide their fate._

"I will kill them, sir."

"You will need others—"

"No, sir. I'd like to do this alone."

"That's insane, soldier. There are too many out there for you to handle it on your own."

"I'll help," the blonde blurted, barely thinking about what he had said. Even if he did, however, he would've come to the same conclusion.

She was not going to do this alone.

"No," Eclipse countered. "I won't be detected if I'm by myself and infiltration will be easier too."

"Larger numbers are more successful than lone missions," Heine said.

The redhead ignored him and turned to Zala again, matching his stare. "You know I'm more than qualified to do it on my own."

The chairman looked down at the portfolio open on his desk and nodded slowly. Sure her credentials were impressive and the fact she was a Berserker put his worries at rest, but the problem was she knew the group. But then again, that would mean she could predict their movements. And if it was only her, he wouldn't have to worry about sending other, needed troops. "I'm sure you'd get help on some missions if you needed to."

"Sir, you have to be kidding me!" Heine cried, appalled by his decision. He was going to send Eclipse out on her own? Ridiculous!

"I don't appreciate the outburst, Mr. Westenfluss, and I'd like you to know Lunar Eclipse has my full confidence. She has raised some good reasoning and I have to agree. If you have any other objections please speak to her privately, but as far as I'm concerned, Lunar Eclipse is officially assigned to taking out the organization called SIN-ED. Now, I have nothing more to say and a great many of things to get working on. You are both dismissed."

"Thank you, sir," the redhead said before saluting and exiting the room. Heine did the same and followed quickly after her, a small but evident frown on his fair face.

Zala silently watched them go. This girl's appearance had posed a few interesting developments. He had a low impression of her when she walked in, but as soon as he read her profile he knew he struck gold. Hiding a smile, he reached over and pressed down the intercom button.

"Yessir?" asked the girl on the other end.

"I need to get in touch with Gilbert Durandal right away."

* * *

"Are you insane?" Heine yelled as soon as he caught up with Eclipse. They hadn't gotten far from the office, but the blonde wasn't about to waste any time in settling matters.

"Probably," she responded.

"That's not what I mean," the singer groaned, grabbing her arm when she tried walking away again. "Just let me help you."

"No."

"Why not? Please, don't shut me out! I want to help you. No one should do this alone." Heine looked small, Eclipse realized, as he stood there pleading. Before he looked so confident in everything he said and did, but now he was about to drop down on his knees and beg. But why? Why did he care so much?

"You come, you'll die, and in the end, I'll end up alone again," the weapon said matter-of-factly, pushing away the warm feeling in her cheeks.

"You don't trust me?"

"I don't trust _them _to keep you alive."

"You doubt my skill then?"

"I doubt your emotions. Against SIN-ED they'll get you killed."

"Emotions aren't a weakness," the blonde reasoned.

"Not against humans, but we're not humans remember?"

"They aren't; you are."

"How can you be sure?"

"Because I know you and from what I know about them, you're different."

"You've known me for a grand total of 28 hours. How can you begin to think you know me?"

"As much as you are led to believe, you are easy to read." He leaned on one leg after the statement and propping his right fist under his chin. He looked studious—if that particular flirt could look that way—and very thoughtful.

For a second he looked familiar. _Lathan? _she thought, remembering how her brother used to scold and teach her in much the same manner. _Why the hell am I thinking of him right now?_

"There are certain people you want to recognize you as human, but as soon as they do, you want them to treat you like a weapon. And then, to make matters worse, there are other people you'd rather just have treat you like a machine, but want them to see you as human. I'm confused just saying it—and thinking about it is giving me a headache—so how the hell do you understand it? I think, right now, you have to decide who or what you want to be." Despite looking and acting like her brother, Eclipse noticed his deduction was dead on. Of course she'd never admit it.

So Heine was nosey, loud, impulsive, _and _observant?

Those were some dangerous combinations.

"How can I decide when it's already been decided for me?" she responded obstinately. But then again, she honestly believed what she was saying.

"That's your problem right there. You're letting other people decide for you. Fine, if you're doing that then listen to me. I think you're a strong-willed, stubborn redhead that on more than one occasion has had the right solution to a problem. That is if you ever have enough nerve to speak up. You long to be noticed and mostly by what you do. That being the case, you tend to exaggerate or dwell on how good of a 'weapon' you are."

"But I am."

"No, you're not. Forget what you've been told for the past year because it was a bunch of lies. You're a human being, female, emotional, and mortal. You aren't invincible and all-powerful, and for goodness sake you aren't cold-hearted. I've never seen a 'weapon' act like you did on that colony."

"That's what you think, huh?" Heine nodded. "Well, this is what I am."

The blonde wasn't sure where she got the firearm, but as soon as she swung it up and aimed at him, his heart jumped. If she had been hiding it during the entire meeting Patrick Zala—and even managed to slip it past the guards—then he was impressed. However, right now wasn't the best time to be admiring her skills.

"I know you peeked at the portfolio over my shoulder, so I'm sure you saw the line about me being a Berserker. They are warriors bred for fighting, in other words, they are weapons. That is what I am and the facility on Januarias 4 only helped hone my skills and make me more of a killing machine. Did you read the part about me 'killing everything I meet,' and how I 'don't distinguish between friend and foe?' Did you read about how my 'only purpose is to kill?'"

"Do you honestly believe that?"

"Heine, as much as you think you 'know me' you don't know what I've been through, or have done. I am trained in the art of infiltration, interrogation, execution, and torture, but mostly I do anything and everything I'm told. Why? That is what I was made to do. I have no background—because the ones chosen for that experiment were either runaways or orphans—and no future—because we were trained to die. We're haunted by the ghosts of those we tortured and killed and cursed by their families. Tell me, does any of that sound human?"

"There you go being dramatic again."

"I could pull this trigger. It wouldn't matter that we just went on a mission together or the experiences we shared. If I was given the command, I'd shoot." Eclipse stared him down, not even blinking as she held the gun steady.

The blonde matched her gaze and tried confidently. "No you—"

Bang.

Well, click.

Heine's breath stopped when he heard the sound. He didn't know whether to be relieved Eclipse left the safety on or scared because she didn't hesitate to try and kill him. "See," he began, "I knew you couldn't do it."

"I wasn't given an order," Eclipse stated calmly.

"And if you were?"

"You'd be dead."

At first the singer refused to believe her, but he looked into her eyes again and saw only cold confirmation. She would've, but why? "Please, I only want to help."

"No."

"Before, you told me I kept you from going insane. Well, I want to keep you that way and the only way I know how is to stay with you. Don't push me away. You're not a weapon like them, so stop acting like one. Just stop being so damn stubborn!"

"I have to be," she countered, putting the gun away. "As soon as I convince myself I've changed, Stray and FS will truly become insane and I'll lose them forever. If I believe I'm just like them, they're still the friends I came to know and love."

"But Eclipse, they're—"

"Then what am I? Show me some differences between a Berserker and a ZAFT weapon."

"You're sane, they're not."

"Are you sure you're not trying to convince yourself?"

_Do you want to get rid of the human race? Obviously not, you said so yourself. I don't give a damn what that profile said. It may be true, but a person is not judged on titles alone, _Heine thought, trying to find some way to get through that thick skull of hers.

"Please stop trying to make me change my mind. I don't want to see you get hurt because of something I couldn't prevent. Goodbye, Heine and thank you. If you make it through this war alive, then I'd say it's because of fate. But if we meet again it will be because of luck." At that, she turned and walked away, but this time the singer didn't follow.

He angrily watched her go, but that fury was directed at himself and not at the redhead. He wanted to stop her, but he had no idea what he'd say when he did. "I guess we're both stubborn," he said quietly with a wry smile. "But you're wrong, y'know? If I survive this war, it's luck; if we meet again, it's fate. And I have a tendency to choose my own fate." He chuckled ironically, turned and walked in a different direction as soon as she disappeared. "We _will_ meet again, Lexi Rymyr. In one way or another, I will see you again."

* * *

It had been about an hour after the meeting with Eclipse and Heine before Patrick Zala got in touch with the genetic expert, Gilbert Durandal. The latter was always busy, so the fact that they arranged a meeting that same day was surprising. "So nice to see you again, Defense Chairman Zala. I trust you and your son are doing well?"

"Yes, we are doing quite well, thank you." Zala rose to grasp Durandal's extended hand, liking how this man never failed to be polite, but honestly wanting to get onto more pressing matters. The genetics expert had always been that way, courteous, sophisticated, and elegant in everything he said and did. In some respects he was a lot like Rau Le Creuset.

"I'm glad to hear it." He had longer, black hair with stunning orange eyes that went nicely with his white shirt, blue tie and black dress pants. Normally he had a lab coat on over the attire—so perhaps that was the reason behind the loose collar and drooping tie—but speaking to a council member, even one he was personally acquainted with, required a more professional appearance.

"Thank you for coming on such a short notice."

"Really, it's no problem. I just hope I can help you out."

"Well, as I was saying over the phone, there's some information here I'd like you to look at." Zala pointed to the manila folder on the desk as he spoke and offered Durandal a seat.

"Yes, of course. I admit I was getting a tad curious when you wouldn't go into depth earlier. Would you mind, then, briefing me on what I'm supposed to be looking at?" He grabbed the folder and pulled out the papers.

"You remember the experimental program we approved about a year ago?"

"The one created in reaction to the information found about the Earth Forces facilities, correct?" Zala nodded. "Yes, I had been getting regular updates until a month ago. Things were going smoothly, so what happened?"

"The trainees rebelled, the staff killed, and most of the facility records destroyed. The files we do have contain some information on progress reports, but nothing encouraging."

"What do you mean by that?"

"It seems none of the trainees came back positive, or so I thought until this portfolio was given to me."

"By who?"

"The only experimental subject still under our control."

Durandal looked at the chairman quizzically after the statement, setting the papers down on his lap. "But you said they all rebelled."

"Some were sent out on missions as the mutiny was taking place. The only one to survive was that trainee there, Lunar Eclipse. She recently came in contact with the rebels from Januarias 4 and because she knows two in the organization, received intelligence concerning their plans."

"So, you're telling me one experimental soldier—the one in this profile—managed to survive the program and get top-secret information from a group bent on destroying humanity—sorry, I just read that—because she knows two of them personally?"

Zala nodded. "She also volunteered to be the one to dispose of them."

"Hold on here," Durandal held up a hand to accent his point, "you're just going to trust her? Even after knowing all of this? Are you crazy?"

"Look at the bottom of the profile and you'll know I'm not."

The expert did just that and had to read t he material twice in order to believe it. "So they do exist," he muttered quietly, scanning the other pages as well. He knew the probability of Berserkers existing was low, but ever since read the data from the Earth Forces, he began getting curious. _So there is one in this age,_ he thought with a small smile. "I didn't know about any of this," he said, addressing the chairman.

"I didn't think you did. It seems Vindur kept the secret to himself."

"Maybe not to himself because he had to get this drug _Muscimol_ from somewhere."

"Have you heard of it?"

"No I haven't. As far as I know, no one specializing in this area has come up with it."

"You're thinking he got it from somewhere else then?"

"He had to have. All prescriptions sent to that facility had to be approved by me first."

"Any ideas on where he got it and why?" Zala asked, leaning forward on his desk, expecting some names and places, but as soon as Durandal shook his head, the chairman sighed. "I'll have someone look deeper into the situation then. If this information got into the wrong hands…"

"Yes, we could fall further behind the Earth Forces."

A long silence passed between the two. Zala's mind was on overdrive, trying to piece together scenarios and troop movements if the worse was to happen, but the longer he thought about it, the more he dreaded it.

If the Earth Forces succeeded, they'd be dead.

"At any rate, we need to confirm Vindur's suspicions," Durandal said, ending the feud in the chairman's head. "We can't make rash decisions based on suspicion alone."

"You'll need a blood sample then?"

"I'm sure that's all I'll require. I can't just keep her in the lab for studies because we need her skills on the line, but if further confirmation is needed…"

"I'll give her to you, no questions asked."

"Thank you."

"Now, onto this group called SIN-ED. What do you make of them?"

The expert smiled and offered a small chuckle. "Shouldn't you be asking the council's opinion on the matter and not mine? I'm only a genetics expert."

"Yes, but you are knowledgeable in this too and have had your share of council meetings. What do think?"

_I think they're moving in the right direction,_ he thought, not voicing his outlook right away. _However, killing people probably isn't the way to go. What if we changed—_

"Gilbert?" Zala asked, still waiting for an answer.

Making eye contact with the chairman again, he decided to save that thinking for later when he had more time to develop his idea. "I think they're insane and have to be stopped, but how is going to be the problem. Although sending Lunar Eclipse is a good idea, I don't think she can do it on her own."

"I can't afford to send anyone right now. Not if the Earth Forces gained another step on us."

"Then we'll just have to see how she does," Durandal sighed, getting up from his chair. "Can we trust her though?"

"Do we have a choice?"

"No, I guess we don't."

The intercom buzzed on the chairman's desk and he held up a hand to tell his guest to wait. "Yes?" Zala asked.

"Sir, there's some urgent news about Lacus Clyne."

* * *

Eclipse had barely opened the door to her room on the _Vesalius_ when the news about the famed pop star reached the ship. Two new mechanics were muttering about Lacus on their way to the hanger, sounding rather flustered about the story.

They were probably huge fans of her songs.

The redhead had to admit she found the story puzzling, at least from the bits she heard. Why would a civilian ship be attacked? And if it was, by whom?

Eclipse sighed before setting her things down on the bed and following the gossipers to the hanger. She wanted to work on her new mobile suit, seeing as it was brought in before she arrived back on the ship. It wasn't impressive, at least not compared to the prototype weapons, but thanks to the information from the Blitz, the Mirage Colloid system was added to the mobile suit's itinerary.

Apparently the people higher up thought she'd be going on some stealth missions.

It was a GINN in every respect, right down to the beam rifles, beam sabers, and sword, but Eclipse was just happy to have a suit. Now she wouldn't be left behind.

Passing the two mechanics, she glided up to the cockpit and took a seat. _Hm, smells like new mobile suit, _she thought with a smile, rubbing her hands across the levers and buttons. _And it's mine._ After taking a moment to let everything sink in, she pulled down the keyboard and switched the screen to the GINNs controls and mechanisms. Absently, she bumped her left arm and cringed. The area where some nurses took a blood sample was still sore, but the weapon knew she'd forget about the pain soon enough. There were more pressing matters to attend to. She cracked her knuckles and began making alterations, going as far as adjusting her seat belts.

Eclipse wasn't sure when she fell asleep, only that she had. Neither was she sure when she woke up, she just did. _Damnit, what time is it?_ she thought and pushed the keyboard out of the way. The screen was black, almost as if the machine shut itself off as she slept, so attempting to figure out where she stopped working was impossible. Deciding to forget the mobile suit for now, she made her way down to the locker room and passing, "Athrun?"

"Huh?" The boy looked up as soon as his name was called and seemed to be just as surprised as Eclipse at the meeting. He was making his way to the Aegis, but being in mid-glide when he saw the weapon, he had no chance of stopping his momentum.

As soon as she hit an ammo crate on the floor of the hangar, the redhead propelled herself back the other way towards the pilot, curious why he was aboard the ship so early. "I thought departure wasn't for another day or so? Why are you back so soon?"

"You haven't heard?"

"Heard?

"About Lacus Clyne."

"Oh, yeah I heard the news. Any new developments?"

"Yeah. The _Vesalius _is ordered to find her and we leave in an hour. There are also two more ships assigned to Commander Le Creuset's command. Didn't you know?"

Eclipse blinked, steadying herself on the cockpit door as Athrun made some adjustments inside. Funny, their positions were the exact opposite of their meeting a battle or two before. "How long was I out?" she muttered, catching the redcoat's attention, but shaking her head when he waited for an explanation.

It didn't take long for Athrun to wonder why she was talking to him. She had, after all, brushed him and Nicol off plenty of times during their attempts to socialize. And not only did she initiate the conversation, but she was standing outside his cockpit in complete silence and not feeling the least bit awkward. _Well, she did look tired so maybe she just zoned out,_ he thought with a shrug and just kept typing.

"Aren't you worried?" Eclipse asked suddenly, pulling him away from the screen again.

"Huh?"

"About your fiancé."

"Oh, well, at first I just thought they lost contact with the ship and were going to get through again soon, but when I heard a reconnaissance GINN was destroyed, I started getting worried again. I figured I'd busy my mind with the Aegis, but come to find out, there's nothing to do. You _are _very thorough."

Eclipse blinked and then nearly blushed. Was that a compliment? Good thing he looked down when he did because the weapon really didn't want him to see.

But why didn't she do that with Heine's flattering? Wasn't his more insistent and appealing?

"Yes—well—I have to be good at something, right?" she stammered and glided over to her own machine before he could look at her again. Why did she suddenly feel so embarrassed around him? Had Heine's words really affected her that much?

But, then why didn't she fall for Heine?

_Maybe I did a little,_ the redhead admitted, sitting back down in her cockpit. She turned on the status screen again and began making adjustments, every now and again looking across the way at Athrun in the Aegis.

* * *

**_A/N: _**I am officially on my Christmas Break from school and plan on busting out as many chapters as I can. Some may be longer, like the last one, and others may be terribly short, but I want to put a lot out before I start another semester. Seeing as my next classes involve even more reading and writing than the previous one, I have no idea when I'll get around to writing this. Then again, I always seem to find _some _way, don't I?

Well, we can say good-bye to Heine for now. I was amazed at how observant he was though. He seemed to be that way in Destiny, so I guess it isn't too surprising, but still, I'm impressed.

We're getting back into the main SEED story now. I hope you enjoyed the little get together with Stray, FS and Heine, and if it was boring, I'm sorry. The next chapter should get back into the action, and I'm pretty sure from here on out, the action is pretty much non-stop. If there is another stand-still it's because more exposition is needed.

So, who was surprised by Durandal? I always love my random coffee/late night epiphanies and most of the connections in this story come from my addiction to the stuff. The connection fit and it works really well--as we'll see in later chapters. We all know he just didn't begin existing in Destiny and he had some ties to Zala. Also, the fact that he was a genetics expert helped me out a lot. (We can all thank Death-Scimitar for that tidbit of information). I hope you enjoyed his grand entrance.

Eclipse has a crush? Really? And it's not Heine? But why?! Good question. I'm not totally sure who would treat her better, but we'll just have to wait and see who she picks in the end.

Oh, has anyone read _Gundam SEED Astray_? If you have, is it worth it? Please let me know. I've been reading some things about it and really, I'm not finding it too appealing. It seems like they were forcing some acquaintances and plotlines, so please let me know what you think. I'd love to hear about it.

_Darkangelsonic_: I am such a fan of Stray that it's ridiculous. When I first started writing him, I tried to make him so strange and off-the-wall that no one would really understand/like him. Little did I know I made him the cutest/weirdest guy I know. :) I'm so proud of you! You were the first one to review! Woot! Can you be this time too? lol. I'm glad you're enjoying it. As I said before, the action should start picking up here really quick and, most likely, it won't stop for a while. I just needed some chapters for the exposition and interesting twists.

_Death-Scimitar: _...(speechless)...

: "Grammar SNAFU" huh? I've haven't heard it put that way in a while, but I'm glad you liked the longer chapter. Really there wasn't a good place to end, and if there was, I didn't like it. :) Anyway, the logical/bloody method is what makes this plan so appealing. In a way, it does make sense and seems like a possible path towards peace, but when one sits down and realizes the full extent of the idea, it's quite scary. I wonder if the Gundam series will ever find the best way to obtain peace. Oh, and I'm really glad you liked Heine in the end. Hopefully, after this chapter you'll like him even more (I know I did).

Strata


	20. Awkward Silences

Awkward Silences

_You're out there somewhere, _Athrun thought as he stared out into the hangar. _I know I'll see you again. _If anyone knew the circumstances and the turmoil he was going though, he or she may wonder whether this pilot was talking about his fiancé or of his friend. Debating his words also, not even Athrun was sure. It was originally meant for Lacus, but after some thought, he realized it could be meant for Kira too. He sighed.

Just another puzzling matter.

Eclipse looked up at the redcoat in the window. He had been up there for a while now and judging by the look on his face, he wasn't any closer to answering the questions he had been asking when he began his daydreaming. _Kind of like me, _she thought, returning to her adjustments. _What am I supposed to do about FS and Stray?_

Creuset had called Eclipse to his office soon after the _Vesalius _launched. He knew about her new assignment and had informed her that he had no intention of hindering those efforts. "This ship will serve more as your temporary residence than a home base. Since your orders were given from the Defense Chairman himself, I have no authority to change them." He then went on explaining how she was going to get valid information—through help at headquarters and her own investigating—and what her role was to be on the ship. Since there were new mechanics aboard, he wanted her to guide them through protocol and repairs. Basically, if they messed up, it was her job to fix it and then hope they knew what was going on.

Babysitting.

Not just any babysitting though. It was as if she was expected to watch the kids of her cheating ex-boyfriend.

"They'd better not get too close to the blow torch," she grumbled and glanced down at her watch. Only five hours had passed since that meeting and almost three days since she first left for the L4 colony cluster. She suppressed a yawn, thinking about the time span and realized she couldn't recall the last time she took a nap. _Oh yeah, about two minutes ago,_ she remembered, hiding another yawn. _I have to stop falling asleep while I'm working or things'll never get done. I've survived on less sleep than this, so get your act together._

She reached up into the panel on her GINN and attempted to fix the wiring, but sighed and dropped her arm almost immediately after raising it. _I really don't have the energy for this right now. Hopefully, we don't get attacked by the enemy 'cause I'm sure I'd be the first one shot down, _she thought, allowing the arm to flop down over her eyes. _Lying here like this isn't exactly helping either._

"Hey, uh, Lunar Eclipse," one of the new pilots shouted as he kicked off towards her machine. There were two new green coats aboard, this guy and his gangly partner next to him. Honestly, she didn't know their names and never bothered to ask, deciding to tell them apart by their hair colors. The one who yelled had short, dark brown hair while the other newbie had short, light brown hair.

"Yessir?" the redhead asked, flipping around to sit up and see him.

"We'd like you to check out our GINNs."

"'Our'?"

"Yes, 'our'. We tried to ask someone else, but they said to come directly to you," the light brown pilot said.

"The other mechanics you mean?" They nodded and Eclipse sighed. _Do they think I'm wearing this red uniform just because it matches my hair? _"How bad is the problem?"

"We just need a diagnostic test," the light brown replied.

"And you two can't do it yourselves?"

"It's not our responsibility," dark brown said.

"But those are your mobile suits." They looked like they were going to respond, but hesitated. Obviously they knew there was some mechanical work they were supposed to do personally, but maybe a part of them was hoping they could pass the work off to someone else. Seeing as Eclipse had been doing everyone else's work for them, she seemed a good candidate. _Maybe they really don't know how to do a diagnostic, _she thought, but laughed inwardly.

Finding the good in people wasn't really her strong suit.

"Fine," the redhead said with a sigh.

Athrun watched the weapon and the pilots glide towards the two GINNs on the opposite wall. He was still confused about the conversation he had had with Eclipse earlier that day. Either he didn't want to talk and was surprised/angry at her forwardness, or she had had some kind of epiphany concerning her social skills. Doubting the epiphany theory, he figured he was just pissed about the whole Lacus issue. _At any rate, I should tell Nicol. He'd probably be happy to know our lone wolf has evolved into a social butterfly. Although, that's not a very appealing transformation. And it sounds painful from an animal's point of view._

* * *

"What's the matter?" Creuset asked as he glided over to Ades's seat, stopping himself near the captain's right shoulder. He had been going over more details concerning Eclipse's new assignment and was happy to have a distraction.

Trying to figure out SIN-ED was giving him a huge headache.

Ades glanced at the commander, not liking the new development. Why couldn't his ship just have a smooth, uneventful flight for once? "We think they're vessels of the Earth Forces. What are they doing out here?"

Creuset hesitated a moment before pushing off to the briefing table behind the seat. This was an interesting occurrence. "If the 'Legged Ship' was journeying from Artemis to the moon's Earth Forces Headquarters, what would they do?"

Ades joined him and stared down at the map as well, lacing his hands behind his back. "So those navel vessels, they're waiting there to supply, or, perhaps, escort?"

"They haven't detected our presence yet, have they?" The captain shook his head. "Don't lose sight of them. Follow them carefully."

"Go after them?" Ades asked, appalled about the decision. They were on a whole different mission. "But—"

"Of course we will also continue our search for Miss Lacus Clyne. At the same time, though, we can't lose this opportunity all because of one girl. I'd hate to be laughed at by historians of future generations."

Ades still wasn't convinced and glancing at the glimmer in his partner's eyes only made the matter worse. If they stopped to have a battle with the Earth Forces, they could lose any distance they might have gained on Lacus's captors, and she was, for the time being, their prime objective.

But Creuset was right too.

It sucked being sandwiched between duty and intuition.

* * *

Athrun, Eclipse, and the two newbies were called to the bridge soon after the diagnostic tests were finished. Athrun had come down from his thinking room to help Eclipse with some adjustments, seeing as the green coats weren't trying to do anything productive. The redhead had to give them credit, though. They did ask how to do some things so they could fix the mobile suits later on, but whether or not they knew what she was talking about was still under debate.

Eclipse was convinced they didn't but Athrun was leaning more towards a maybe.

"You have to give people a chance," he had said, startling her with the sentimental tone he said it in.

_He's just way too mysterious, _the weapon decided once they were all on the bridge. _And almost as anti-social as I am. Strange._

"This is the projected course of the enemy ships," Ades pointed out, drawing all attention to the map on the table.

"It's unfortunate the Laconi and Porto are joining us later than scheduled," Creuset said. "Those vessels may be there to resupply the 'Legged Ship.' We certainly can't ignore them."

"Intercept them?" Athrun asked, drawing all the attention. "But commander, we've been ordered to—"

"First and foremost we're soldiers, Athrun. Even if we were sent on a mission to search for Miss Clyne."

Saying the redcoat didn't look pleased was an understatement. Usually he was good at hiding his emotions, or at least covering them up in front of the commander, but now he was obviously angry. Eclipse wanted to reach over and tell him to be careful, but chickened out in the end. It would've been an unexpected gesture for her to do anyway.

"I want all of you to be ready in your mobile suits and wait for the order to launch," Ades ordered, breaking the chilling silence. "As soon as we finish the job here, we'll continue our search for Lacus Clyne. Do I make myself clear?"

"Sir!" the four pilots saluted and then left the bridge.

Athrun was the last to leave and arrived in the locker room after the others had changed. It was awkward before when she had to stand in her corner and pull the spacesuit over her undergarments, knowing the other two pilots were on the other side of the lockers, but now that her fellow redcoat was in the room, she felt more embarrassed than anything. A small part of her wanted to wait around and see if he was okay, but as soon as he started unbuttoning his uniform, she bolted out the door.

* * *

Launching was a strange experience. The facility had some simulations concerning the system and how much force the pilot would feel, but they couldn't stand up to the real thing. Eclipse wasn't affected by the pressure to the extent she couldn't fight when she hit open space, but she was breathless for a few moments.

Being the first one into battle, the weapon had some time to assess the situation and her location. The commander had ordered the three GINNs to arm themselves with M66 "Canus," or put simply, rocket launchers. One was given to each and even though the fire power was appealing, the limited movement was not. Eclipse would've rather use beam sabers and demolished them that way, but orders were orders and she was stuck using a weapon she wasn't comfortable with.

The other GINNs launched next, followed by the Aegis. "Let's go," Athrun said over the communication line, causing a few battle cries to sound from the new pilots. The redhead sighed and chased after the three of them, not as excited about the battle as her partners.

There were three vessels of the Earth Forces awaiting their demise and only four ZAFT mobile suits to do the dirty work. The odds didn't look promising and when the ships launched four mobile armors each, the odds took another plunge.

The warships were something to look at. Each one had four boosters sticking out from the sides, forming an x-pattern, and a long nose. They looked to be built for speed with the size of the front, but no matter how fast they were, those ships weren't running away from this battle.

Eclipse just sighed. She was waiting for Athrun to shout some commands over the intercom, but when the battle began and he still remained silent, she took that as a "free for all."

Not that she minded of course.

It took one missed shot and a near fatal maneuver to convince the redhead not to rely on the rocket launcher unless she was taking out a ship. _This kind of weapon just isn't meant for my style of fighting,_ she told herself and used her machine guns to take out a mobile armor. She hooked the launcher onto the back of her mobile suit and depended mostly on her guns and throwing ability.

She always did have good aim.

Eclipse had taken out five mobile armors by the time she saw Athrun fire his "Scylla" at a warship. It was a beautiful sight, in some respects, and one that almost cost the redhead her life. She wasn't sure when the 'Legged Ship' came into the battlefield, but its grand entrance narrowly missed her machine and hit one of the other GINNs. There was a loud scream over the intercom, that the redhead figured was the pilot himself, before the unit exploded. Eclipse didn't have time to dwell on what had happened, because two machines had just launched from the 'Legged Ship' and were headed in her direction. One being the powerful mobile armor called Zero and the other was the famed Strike.

"I'll handle the Strike. You two finish the ships and that last mobile armor," Athrun ordered, leaving no chance for debate.

"Yessir," Eclipse said and removed the rocket launcher from her back, heading straight for a warship. Two of the smaller mobile armors, trying to stop the weapon, figured they'd surround her GINN and attack it from bother sides. While the plan may have worked—because a GINN's armor isn't as advanced as a Gundam's and would eventually weaken after so many hits—Eclipse recognized the maneuver and stopped short. She brought up her shield to protect herself from most of the bullets on her right side, and fired at the armor coming from her left. She destroyed that one just in time to turn and intercept its partner. Seeing an opportunity, she flew towards her enemy, still using the shield for protection and then used her momentum to shove the tip of that shield through the cockpit window. _Now that's more like it,_ she thought with a smirk.

She snapped.

Just like that she went berserk. But why? She'd probably never know. Given, there was a small desire to protect her comrades, but the only one she had a personal connection to was Athrun and even that was curious. Was it just the adrenaline rush from the battle?

Or something more?

Oh well.

Right then she didn't care.

"Damnit!" Her comrade cursed, turning her towards his battle with the Zero. He was faring alright until the mobile armor detached the gun barrels and started sending shots his way. Good thing the weapon didn't arrive too late and as the Zero came into her view, she aimed the "Canus" high on the machine's haul, firing an almost point-blank shot. She cursed loudly when the armor flew away back to the 'Legged Ship' to get repaired. _Apparently I underestimated that suit's capabilities._

"Thanks for that, but how's your unit? You got hit pretty good that time." He just continued when she didn't respond. "Anyway, my GINN isn't damaged too badly, so let's get one of those warships while we still have some energy left."

Eclipse couldn't agree more.

Athrun faired about as well as he had in his previous battles with his old friend. Shots were fired, hits struck, but nothing damaging or even fatal. If Eclipse was paying attention, she probably would've called it dancing again. Actually, that line echoed in the redcoat's head, causing him more than once to lose his concentration. _Damn you, _he thought, using another vague line that could address either his fellow pilot or his enemy. "Damn you!" he repeated, trying to cripple the Strike with an attack from his saber, but only managing to get it parried.

It was going to be a long fight if they kept matching blows, and not one that had a promising ending.

"I'll finish off this sitting duck and you head for the last ship. The Aegis already took out the thrusters, so they have no where to go. I shouldn't need any help," the newbie said, flying off when Eclipse still remained silent. She waited a while—destroying the last of the mobile armors with an elegant and over-exaggerated back flip to shoot the cockpit—to see how the GINN fared. He seemed to be all right on his own and took off for the last ship.

Dodging the cannon fire, the berserker took out one of the turrets on the ship's deck, causing enough confusion for her to go around the back and cut the boosters. Her partner came over to help as soon as his work was done, bathing the battlefield in the explosion's light.

Again, Eclipse smirked.

A worded message alerted the two GINNs of the _Vesalius's_ approach. They backed away, as ordered, and watched as the last ship said its final farewells. The weapon could almost hear a heart-wrenching wail from the 'Legged Ship,' although, it might've been wishful thinking.

"How much ammo do you have left?" her comrade asked.

"Enough to take out that ship," Eclipse responded, leading the way to their prime target.

"Attention ZAFT forces! This is the warship _Archangel_ of the Earth Alliance Forces."

The two GINNs halted just out of the 'Legged Ship's' firing range. _What the hell? _The berserker thought, and wasn't the only one thinking that.

"Presently under the protective custody of this ship is PLANT Supreme Council Chairman Siegal Clyne's daughter, Lacus Clyne. By chance we came across a lifepod with her inside. We brought her aboard as a humanitarian gesture. However, should you decide to attack this vessel, we shall consider that an abandonment of your responsibilities to protect Miss Clyne. We will then be forced to take matters into our own hands."

_Well, isn't that ironic, _Eclipse thought with a wry chuckle. _We end up finding the girl we're looking for, on the ship we've been chasing, with the people we're trying to kill. How… convenient._

"All units cease hostilities and return to the ship!" the intercom shouted, this time referring to the weapon personally. "I repeat, all units return to the ship!"

* * *

_Ridiculous, _the redhead thought, wiping her face with one hand while the other held onto her helmet. The two redcoats were summoned to the bridge as soon as they docked, leaving no time to freshen up. Not like they would've anyway. Eclipse, however, had felt a sudden rush of weariness once she opened her cockpit door. What was strange about the experience, was that she had had plenty of energy while stabilizing her unit in the hangar, so why was it different when she opened the door?

Well, no time to worry about that right now.

Creuset sat thoughtfully in his seat, going through the recent events. Out of all the scenarios he anticipated, this one was honestly not in the repertoire.

Helplessness; it was a weird feeling.

"Even if we continue to pursue their ship, we couldn't take any action with Miss Clyne aboard," Ades said, feeling much like the commander. Well, the bright side was, they had found Lacus.

"And it's likely their next move will be to rendezvous with the Lunar Fleet," Creuset said, a slight annoyance sounding in his voice. Eclipse held her breath. As soon as the commander got worried, they were on shaky ground indeed.

"So that's it? We sit back and watch them take Lacus to the fleet?" the captain asked.

"Where's the _Gamow_? How soon is it able to get here?"

"It's now at 6 mark 509 epsilon, zero comma three," Ades answered, knowing Creuset would know the precise position he just named. "It'll take at least seven hours before it joins us here."

"The 'Legged Ship' will be linking up with the Lunar Fleet well before then." The blonde sighed, not liking any of his options. "This is a tough one."

They were both dismissed after the discussion, leaving them with more questions then answers. Athrun was pissed, as he was expected to be, but for being someone who hid his emotions well, he was slacking. Immediately after leaving the bridge, the two redcoats returned to the hangar, not taking the newbie's advice and grabbing some much needed sleep.

The time in between the bridge and the hangar was spent in an awkward silence. Eclipse glided a few feet behind her comrade, staring down at the ground and at the walls instead of striking up some kind of conversation. She had thought about it, but figuring his head was already a hamster carnival, she decided not to fill it with meaningless comfort words. He probably didn't want to hear any of that anyway.

Athrun glided up to the Aegis once they opened the door and Eclipse to her GINN. She blinked and almost gasped when she saw the damage she had sustained. _When did I get hit there? _she asked herself, seeing the gashes in the upper right arm and torso. Perhaps that knowledge was hidden along with where her adrenaline rush had run off to. She sat down in the cockpit and took a moment to try and remember, but still came up blank. The newbie had said something about her machine getting damaged after she attacked the Zero, but did it fire at her? Was she so involved with the fighting she didn't even know she got hit? _Well, it has happened before, _she thought, pulling down the keyboard and calling over a mechanic. _Back then it happened plenty of times—wait, does that mean I did it again? Without even realizing it? Just like that? I turned into a—_

"You need my help, ma'am?" the mechanic asked, steadying himself just outside the machine.

"Y-yeah," she said, deciding to focus on the repairs of her mobile suit instead of the repairs in her mind.

The GINN, after all, made more sense.

* * *

Eclipse awoke to a very awkward situation.

She had been drowsy throughout the whole repair process on her unit, but she never knew how much she craved some shut eye, until she fell asleep halfway into a conversation with Athrun. Given, it was about their two mobile suits, but when a girl falls asleep to the words "We should go to bed…" and then the next words she hears are "…perhaps we should do it together," some jumping and yelps seemed justified.

Athrun, however, didn't seem too amused.

"I'm terribly sorry, sir. I guess I never realized how tired I was."

"I've been trying to convince you to get some rest for the past half hour now. Are you finally going to listen and get out of here? There's nothing more we can do, especially in the condition we are. Besides, if something should come up, we need to be ready."

"Yes, uh, sorry sir. I assume you're not going to hang around here either then?"

"No, we were going to go to the bridge together to check on updates and then get some sleep, remember? Goodness, did you not hear anything I just said?"

_You don't want to know what I heard, _she thought and smiled sheepishly.

The redcoat sighed, "Anyway, let's get out of here."

After a few more orders, and threats to cut out the tongues of some whiney mechanics, they left the hangar and locker room, agreeing to stay in their spacesuits just in case anything should happen. The bridge was their first stop and when Creuset gave them an annoyed look for dropping in on his conversation with Patrick Zala, they realized there were no new developments and left in a hurry.

This time the trek to the rooms wasn't so awkward.

"Did something happen back at the PLANTs?" Athrun asked, stopping a moment to let Eclipse catch up.

"What do you mean, sir?"

"You seem different. A little less reserved, you could say."

"You think so?" the redhead wondered, looking away in embarrassment. "A lot happened, yes, but I'm not so sure I've changed that much, sir. And why are you bringing this up now? Are you only mentioning it so you can get your mind off your fiancé?"

"Well, that's one way to change the subject," the redcoat muttered, but ended up sighing anyway. "Either you're very observant or don't like to disclose."

"How about both?"

"That's a dangerous combination."

_I thought the same thing about Heine, _she thought, smiling lightly. "I think it's just really hard for me to trust people, so when I do open up, it's when I know they won't stab me when my back's turned."

"In other words, you don't trust me?"

"On a military level, I trust you with my life, but on a personal level, I haven't quite decided."

"So that's why you won't talk to me or the others. Well then, what kind of people do you trust? I'm sure they're close to gods if you can't trust your own comrades."

"No, not gods, just insane."

"Huh?" Athrun blinked and cocked his head to one side, but Eclipse just smiled.

"Never mind. Y'know, you're giving me this whole speech about disclosure, when you open up less then I do."

"Less?"

"Alright, you're a close second, but you get my point."

The redcoat sighed, stopping when they reached his room. The weapon's was two doors down. "Perhaps my philosophy is just like yours. Either that or I'm a shy person by nature, but I'm not really sure yet." He smiled lightly and Eclipse's heart skipped. "For the record though, I'm worried sick about Lacus and yes, I tried to start that conversation about yourself to get my mind off of it. Sometimes I wish you'd learn to play along instead of pointing out the underlying meanings."

"Would it make you feel better if I said we'll get her back?"

"No, not really."

"Didn't think so. What if I said, when we get her back, I'll make sure nothing like this happens again?"

"Skipping right over the 'getting her back' part, eh?" The redhead shrugged and Athrun shook his head. "But how can you promise something like that?"

The weapon smiled warmly, "Sorry sir, I'm trying something new. I'm not used to giving others hope."

* * *

"Captain Ades, sir!" one of the bridge members shouted, breaking the captain's conversation with Creuset. It really didn't matter because they were no closer to solving the dilemma then they were four hours ago.

"Yes? What is it?"

"The 'Legged Ship' seems to have launched a mobile suit, sir."

"Launched a mobile suit? What could they be thinking?" Ades wondered, turning to Creuset for some input. He merely shrugged. "Level one battle stations! Tell the pilots to prepare at once to launch!"

"Yessir!"

It was a rude awakening, to say the least, but Eclipse and Athrun were at their mobile suits as soon as they could get there. The light brown haired pilot was already in his GINN as the announcement began. They saluted each other and strapped themselves in before closing their cockpit doors.

"What's all this about?" the newbie asked over the intercom.

"I'm not totally sure. I've been trying to contact the bridge, but they haven't responded," Athrun replied, finishing some minor adjustments. "I guess we'll just have to sit back and see."

"Attention ZAFT vessel! This is the pilot of the mobile suit Strike. I am from the Earth Alliance vessel, _Archangel_. I am bringing Lacus Clyne to you. The _Nazca_-class is to cut its engines. I will hand her over on the condition that we are met only by the pilot of the Aegis. If you do not meet those demands, I cannot guarantee her safety."

_A boy?_ Eclipse thought, listening to the broadcast with interest. _He doesn't sound to be any older than me or Athrun. _

"Commander, allow me to go!" the redcoat shouted to the bridge, startling both GINN pilots.

"Their true intentions are still unknown," Ades responded. "We haven't even confirmed if Miss Clyne is inside it."

"Commander!" Athrun persisted, but why Eclipse didn't know.

_Is this pilot the reason Athrun's so confused right now? _she thought._ It would explain the dancing_.

"Alright then; you have permission," Creuset finally answered, sending more then one person back on his heels. Even Ades sounded like he was going to argue, but the pilot ended the communication before anything more could be said.

"Thank you, I appreciate it."

Eclipse sat back, as ordered, and watched Athrun walk himself into a possible trap. This was either way too easy, or about to get really ugly. If Athrun really did know the pilot of the Strike, then things were about to get complicated. There was no way either side was just going to let this happen and then have everyone go along on their merry ways. They were both being juvenile and naïve.

But now it was too late to stop him.

"Lunar Eclipse, as soon as the transfer is made, I want you to launch with me," Creuset ordered over a separate frequency. "This is the perfect chance to get rid of that mobile suit and warship, do I make myself clear?"

"Yessir," the redhead responded, realizing her deductions were correct.

That Strike pilot had no idea what he had just gotten himself into. His noble intentions were only going to get him and his comrades killed.

The commander boarded his new suit, the CGUE, which was nothing more then the white version of a GINN. Oh, and with more accessories of course. _Now we wait, _he thought, leaning back and making himself comfortable. _Foolish pilot._

* * *

"The Strike has lowered its weapon and is parting ways with the Aegis," Ades announced, ordering the _Vesalius _to start its engines in the same breath.

"Very good. Commander Le Creuset, launching in the CGUE."

Eclipse launched and hit open space about the time Creuset was giving Athrun the order to return to the ship. She couldn't help but sigh, realizing what his face must look like right now. Considering the circumstances, the Strike pilot probably didn't look any better, wondering how such heroic actions could be punished so.

So naïve.

"Lunar Eclipse, I'm leaving the Strike to you. The Zero seems to have launched as well, so I'm going to take out that fly."

"Very good, sir."

"Ades, ready the main guns for—"

"Commander Rau Le Creuset! Stop this at once!" a higher voice screeched over the airways. After some brilliant detective work—more like remembering what Athrun sounded like and knowing he didn't have a voice like that—the weapon figured it was Lacus Clyne speaking.

What a brave girl.

"Are you attempting to make this place a battlefield in the presence of a memorial representative like myself? I will not permit this to happen! You are to cease any and all hostile actions immediately! Can you not hear me?"

_Damn, _was all Eclipse could think, waiting for the commander to give her the next order. After a speech like that, there really wasn't any other option then to flee. Was there?

It took a few more moments, but finally Creuset's voice sounded over the same frequency. "Lacus Clyne, I understand."

And just like that they had lost all advantages and the possible destruction of a strong, enemy warship. _Damn. _ Eclipse was still impressed. _Damn._

* * *

"Everyone has been worried sick since your disappearance, Miss Clyne. How good it is to see you back and in good health," Creuset cooed, doing his best to look formal even though he was still heated about the missed opportunity.

"How very kind of you to say, commander, and I'm sorry to have caused you all such trouble." Lacus's voice was light, much like it was over the intercom, but not without its commanding edge. She may have stood there next to Athrun in a flawless white dress and pink hair down passed her butt, but she didn't sound nearly as innocent as she looked. Some may have questioned her authority before, but after the incident with the commander, Eclipse wasn't about to underestimate her again.

"Oh, no trouble at all, representative. Please, you must be tired. Unfortunately, due to the lack of space on this vessel, we have no separate rooms for you to use. Lunar Eclipse has, however, offered the extra bed in her room if you'd wish to stay there."

_I have? _Eclipse thought, not masking her surprise as well as the commander would've probably liked. She was sure there were plenty of other rooms available, so why did he feel the need to lie and stick the pink princess in her room? Was he expecting her to entertain Lacus or something?

"If not, I'm sure other arrangements—"

"Sharing a room with Miss Eclipse would be just fine," Lacus interrupted, turning to the redhead and offering an award-winning smile. Eclipse matched the look with one less perfect and locked glances with Athrun. She tried to send out some kind of SOS, but it fell short when he shrugged and turned back to Creuset.

"Athrun, Lunar Eclipse, won't you both escort Miss Clyne to her quarters?"

"Sir," they saluted and left the bridge, leaving Ades to deal with the commander and the plans on what was going to happen next.

The walk was filled with some talk, mostly between the love birds, but that was to be expected. The redhead listened in vaguely, trying to decide how someone like her was going to entertain a celebrity like Miss Clyne. After a while she could only sigh. There was no other alternative then to avoid the pink princess altogether.

That wouldn't go along too well.

"Here we are. Eclipse, I'll let the mechanics know that you won't be coming down to the hangar right away and to start repairs on your suit without you," the plot said calmly, helping Lacus through the door as soon as it opened.

"W-what?" Eclipse stuttered, wishing her plans weren't always dashed the second she made them. "N-no really I—"

"I'm sure getting Lacus settled will take some time, so don't worry about anything else."

"But I want to worry—"

"Now, I'll be around later. Please get some rest, both of you." Before the weapon could argue again, he had closed the door and she was officially alone with his pink-haired fiancé. _Oh God. And I thought being alone with Heine was scary._

"I'm sorry to intrude on you like this," Lacus said, causing Eclipse to do the slow turn around that is always shown in over dramatic movie scenes.

"No, not at all, ma'am."

The singer smiled and sat down at the desk, her pink Haro muttering a "No problem!" before jumping into her open hands. The thing was quite a sight and almost as startling as its owner's sudden invasion of her personal space.

Eclipse just sighed.

Lacus's appearance was, to say the least, a tad unexpected and even the thought of her staying in the weapon's room seemed unlikely. However, there she was sitting comfortably in her only chair and talking to a pink ball. "I'm really sorry about this. You probably had some things that you wanted to do," she apologized again. Eclipse shrugged and was about to add a "It's really no problem" when she spoke up again. "Well, don't mind me. Please, do whatever you need to do."

The redhead thought of taking her up on the offer, but then she remembered her plans. Seeing as she finally had some downtime, she was going to try and track FS and Stray. Cracking into the database of an Earth Forces facility probably wouldn't look too good to the Chairman's daughter. "Don't worry," she lied, "today was my relaxing day." She smiled, although it was obviously forced. "Did you want to go anywhere or anything?"

Lacus shook her head. "No, I'm fine here thanks."

The weapon had had her full of awkward silences—especially when they concerned Athrun—but she had to admit that this was one of the worst. The PLANTs' most loved celebrity was there in her room with nothing but her Haro to keep her company. No clothes to speak of, and no other effects besides her singing voice, quick wit, and charming personality.

Great.

Well, at least they didn't expect Eclipse to do much right? The last time she sustained a decent conversation she was giving her report to Commander Creuset and everyone knew those were one sided anyway.

"Am I making you uncomfortable?"

"No, not at all. Really, ma'am, it's okay."

"Call me Lacus. I really don't like formalities between friends."

_Friends? _She thought not really grasping the concept because they had only just met.

"And you don't have to lie on my account. I know this is probably a little awkward and I'm sorry. I'm glad we get to sit down and have a conversation like this though." She smiled, holding the Haro close to her face as it squealed "Lacus!"

"Uh," Eclipse paused, not even able to form the words that she was thinking. She just couldn't figure out this pink songstress. She had just been taken hostage on an Earth Alliance ship and she didn't even look the least bit fazed. "Are you sure you're not hungry or anything?"

"Nope, I'm alright thank you. They took good care of me over on that ship."

"They did?"

"Yes. There was a young man there that was very nice to me."

"Oh, I see." Eclipse paused again, trying to digest what she had just said. She remembered Athrun talking about someone she knew on the 'Legged Ship,' but the irony of him being the one to help Lacus seemed impossible. Then again, her life seemed to be full of ironic occurrences.

"So, you're named Lunar Eclipse, correct?"

The weapon quickly tensed and saluted. "I'm pilot number 8704298 Lunar Eclipse, to be exact."

Damn she was bad at this, but why only with this girl? She seemed fine with Athrun and the others.

Hah, only because she was downgrading their every move.

"Wow, so formal. There's no need to be."

"Uh, right." Eclipse sighed softly. It seemed that whatever she did offended Lacus in some way.

"Lunar Eclipse. That's kind of peculiar. Is that your real name?" She nodded and the girl sighed. "I see, you're from that facility on Januarias 4 aren't you?"

"Huh?" Eclipse blinked for the second time in the span of seconds she was speechless. She figured it wasn't that unlikely Siegel Clyne's daughter would know about the training, but then again would a father confide in his daughter about such a secret matter? "Why do you ask?"

"You see, I overheard my father talking to a member of the council about that place. I know a little about it and what I do know, I hate. I'm really sorry that you had to go through all of that. I know that my father is too because he didn't seem too pleased when he was talking to that man."

Eclipse pretty much stopped functioning all together after the statement. That facility was supposed to be a secret, but apparently this pink-haired beauty knew something about it and not only that but she also showed her some sympathy. The last time someone even acknowledged her existence after leaving the place was Athrun and everyone knew him to be of the strange sort.

Why this girl?

And for goodness sake, why now?

* * *

**_A/N: _**Hey all, I thought I'd put this up as an end of the year thing, but I have a feeling it will be put up in '09 instead of '08. (shrugs) Oh well, it's up right? :P A tad on the longer side, and really I planned on having it be even longer, but this was a good spot to end. Lacus finalyl shows up, huh? And Eclipse sharing a bed with Athrun? Hm, possibilities... O.o Anyway, the next chapter should bring a lot of excitment and a new character! It might be long, so I'm warning ya now.

_Death-Scimitar:_ Yeah, Durandal is pretty much awesome/sexy, I'll agree with you there and the fact that he's a genetics expert just fits all too well with the story. Heh. Honestly, the title wouldn't fit, so I had to undersize it. I'm glad you liked it that much and doesn't it just remind you of DD, BB and HH? Hah! I really have to read those again... Oh yeah, thanks for reading the chapter again... that really meant a lot... jerk...

_CSSStravag: _Oh, good review by the way. When everyone said Heine was immature and annoying, I was laughingin the background 'cause I knew what was coming up. :P But, I'm glad you like him now and yes, this did change his perspective on some things--especially what comes up in Destiny. I love Heine!!!!!!! .....Anyway.... Eclipse does have a tendency to ignore those around her... 'cept Athrun... huh...

_Darkangelsonic:_ Thanks for the Astray comment. I heard it wasn't very good, and honestly I do have a manga, but it was really cheap... Just seemed like the author tried to hard to tie it in with SEED and Destiny to me. I'll probably ignore it altogether then. I was debating whether or not to take some of the concepts into consideration, but now I won't. Yeah, not quite in love with Athrun yet, 'cause she does have feelings for Heine (hence last chapter) and Stray ('cause he's so sweet) and Fs ('cause she'll always love him... and he's sexy), but she does have feelings for that particular dolt. Who knows why.... (Destiny reference "Uhh... okay!") Well, we'll just have to find out now won't we?


	21. Lightheaded

Lightheaded

"Why are you sorry?" the redhead asked, clearly unable to see Lacus's reasoning. Normally people were impressed by her credentials, not feeling sorry about them.

"You mean I shouldn't be?" the representative asked, cocking her head to the side and cuddling her squealing Haro.

"Uh, n-no that's not what I meant. I mean you can say whatever you want, it's just that—" She paused and looked away. Lacus's blue eyes were intimidating and Eclipse dreaded the idea the pink princess might have the ability to know what she was feeling or thinking.

"Just what?"

"You see, no one's ever shown me any concern before. Well besides two people I've known for a year and someone I only knew for 28 hours, but they're all insane so it doesn't matter. Well, one isn't insane, but—"

She just started laughing, breaking Eclipse's concentration and then making her realize how foolish she was being. It was like she was six again and trying to have a civil conversation with her friend's dad. _Damn, this is ridiculous. Why the hell does this girl throw me so off balance?_

"I'm sorry, I really didn't mean to laugh, but you're so cute."

"I'm _what_?"

"Sorry, it's just that you're nervous and I really don't know why."

"I just—don't do this very often."

"Really? Don't they treat you well here? Perhaps I should talk to the commander and—"

This time the weapon started chuckling—stopping the singer in mid-thought—and if it wasn't for her pride she may have even broke down in laughter. Why, Eclipse wasn't really sure. Perhaps it was because this pink-haired beauty was showing her respect and kindness when others had just walked away. Even her previous roommates had said a grand total of six words to the redhead and this girl was a complete stranger with no similar backgrounds. How was it she knew exactly what to say and when? "You're amazing you know that, Lacus?" Now it was the representative's turn to look confused, but there was still something in her eyes. A small glimmer that proved she really _did_ know what was going on. It was then Eclipse decided not to underestimate her again. "So Lacus, how are things going for you?"

She smiled and placed the Haro down on the desk before fixing the wrinkles in her white skirt. The nervousness seemed to have disappeared. "I'm doing very well, thank you."

* * *

"So, what are we going to do with Miss Clyne?" Ades asked, propping his head up with his right hand. It had been a long day and still they were no closer to disposing of the Earth Forces warship. At least they finished their primary mission and found Lacus alive and well.

Too bad they didn't realize they placed her in a room with a rampaging Berserker.

A pity.

"Well, we can't just let the 'Legged Ship' join up with the Lunar Fleet so easily. However, with Miss Clyne aboard we can't do anything. She'd be in too much danger and I, for one, really don't want to have a heated conversation with the chairman over the matter." Creuset was sitting in much the same manner in his tradition spot to the right of the captain. To some he may have looked bored, but really he was still angry about the situation. They had stopped chasing the 'Legged Ship' in hopes of rendezvousing with the Laconi and Porto teams. What they were going to do after they met up was still under debate.

"That's why I leave all the politics to you; I'm a fish in a skillet when it comes to that stuff. Chairman Clyne may come off as a mild tempered individual, but I've seen him fly off on someone and it wasn't pretty."

"So you understand my reasoning for avoiding the situation?"

"Of course, but let's get back to the real problem. What are we going to do about Lacus?" Ades asked again, swiveling back and forth slowly. It was a very unprofessional habit and Creuset had been tempted to tell him so many times, but other, pressing matters usually bumped it to the bottom of the queue.

"The _Gamow_ is pursuing the 'Legged Ship' as we speak, correct?" The captain nodded. "While I think they can defeat the ship on their own, we have had a fair amount of bad luck with it. Keeping that in mind, we should probably join the _Gamow _as soon as we can."

"Hand Lacus off to either the Laconi or Porto team, then?"

"That's probably our best option."

"I'll inform Zellman. I'm sure he'll be happy for the backup and no doubt Yzak and Dearka have been giving him one helluva time."

"No doubt, but they are good at what they do."

"If not egotistical about it," Ades muttered.

"Captain, we seem to have received a private message for Lunar Eclipse," said a crewmember. "Would you like me to inform her?"

The commander looked away at the statement and responded before Ades had a chance. "Send it to my cabin and I'll let her know myself. And before you say anything, Captain, I do have authorization to do such a thing. All her missions are to go directly though me, or if she is no longer under my command, the responsibility falls upon her superior. So, to my cabin please, soldier."

Ades knew about Eclipse's special assignments, but nothing more then that they were special. Expecting Creuset to take charge of the situation like he did, the captain just sat back and manned the bridge. He'd worry about those missions if they came to him directly, but otherwise, he'd let the commander have his fun.

* * *

The talk between Lacus and Eclipse was beneficial on both ends, or so the redhead believed. She learned about some current events in the PLANTs and on Earth, even a few things concerning Orb. She may have fled the country, but she still felt a strong attachment to the place.

Once the conversation had died down, Eclipse realized the state she was in. She was dirty, sweaty, and exhausted. Not really a good condition with a representative in the room. "Would you mind if I stepped into the shower?"

"No, not at all. Please take your time and don't worry about me."

"Well, I'd offer you something to do, but honestly I don't have much here. I'm terribly sorry."

"Oh, not to worry. I'll keep myself occupied." The smile was priceless and on any other person, Eclipse may have called it the perfect mask; however, knowing this girl, it was genuine. The redhead couldn't help but smiling back after that realization.

Eclipse had barely turned off the water after her short shower when she heard the door open. Not the bathroom door, but the main entrance to the cabin. She was unsure why it opened in the first place, but when she heard the high pitched squealing of a particular pink blob, she could only sigh.

"Haro is overly excited," the weapon heard Lacus say before her talking became inaudible. Apparently, someone had stepped into the path of the flying ball.

Ouch.

She tried to hurry in order to stop Lacus and keep her out of trouble, but when she heard the door reopen and the singer's voice again, she calmed down.

At least until she heard Athrun.

"Can't be helped can it? That's the situation you're in right now." He sounded exhausted, or, perhaps, frustrated? Either way, the redhead didn't want him in her room with her being so… adventuresome.

Lacus sighed and then everything fell silent. Eclipse was tempted to open the door and see what was going on, but her garments made her hesitate. A towel wasn't a very good impression.

"Athrun? Is something wrong?"

"Uh—it's just that I was wondering how you are getting along. I mean, you were taken hostage and were forced to go through so much."

"I'm in very good spirits, thank you. Rest assured, your friend treated me with respect and dignity while I was on their vessel."

"Is that right?"

"I found Mr. Yamato to be a kind individual. And he has a very strong character." Eclipse had always wanted to ask Lacus why she called everyone Mr., Mrs., or Miss. It was too formal and actually made the redhead a bit nervous. Perhaps she'd ask later.

"He's nothing but a misguided fool. He insists that he's not a soldier and yet he's still piloting that thing. He's just being used, but he justifies it. Something about protecting his friends. It's because his parents are Naturals. That's why—" he stopped, and even Eclipse could hear the frustration in his voice.

"He told me himself that he'd much rather not fight against you."

"He's not the only one! Why would I want to—" He paused and the weapon couldn't help but feel forlorn. She wished he'd open up to her like that, but then again they were fiancés and disclosure like that was expected.

Wow, either Heine's words _did _have a huge effect on her, or she was becoming just one big sap. Then again, it wasn't long ago she transformed into her demon-like self. She mustn't forget that.

"I ask for your forgiveness. If you'll please excuse me."

"When I look upon you, there's a different person there. Lately, I can only see bitterness."

"I can't exactly fight a war with a big smile on my face." He shut the door after the statement, leaving, as Eclipse imagined, Lacus standing there alone with Haro in her hands. She listened a little longer, but when she heard the chair creak with the representative's weight, the redhead figured the conversation was over.

Unfortunately, it wasn't a happy ending.

Eclipse walked out about ten minutes later to, surprisingly, a very happy Lacus. Her Haro was on the floor spinning and muttering something like "Lacus, sing! Lacus sing!" The girl giggled and shook her head, holding out her hands to the mechanical ball. "Damnit!" the thing squealed, startling the redhead with its choice of words.

_Did that thing just swear?_

"Oh, Miss Eclipse, do you feel much better now?"

"Uh, yes I do thanks. I hope you weren't bored or anything."

"Not at all, I had my Haro here with me."

Yelling another "Yay Lacus!" it jumped from her hands over to Eclipse who caught it rather awkwardly.

Pink.

Why did it have to be pink?

"Who are you?" it asked and the redhead just stared. "Hello?"

Ignoring the ball, Eclipse turned back to the representative. "This looks like something my older brother would be interested in."

"You have a brother?" Lacus asked, catching Haro when he left Eclipse's observing.

"Yeah, he's a pretty big geek when it comes to electronics and stuff. I know a little and I must say that your pink—what's it called? Haro? Anyway, that's quite impressive. Where did you get it?

"Athrun made it for me."

"What? Really?"

"Yes, I liked the first one so much that he kept making them for me. I really do adore them."

"Don't they ever get to be too much?"

"No, not at all. They make very good company."

"Whatever you say," Eclipse mumbled, clearly seeing the things as the dictionary definition of `annoying.'

"He's very sweet, Athrun is. I'm a little worried about him though."

The redcoat could only agree, remembering the conversation she had overheard. The singer obviously didn't like how much he's changed, but to Eclipse he still acted normally. Perhaps it was because she hadn't known him before the war even began. "He _has_ looked a little depressed lately and quite spacey, but I really don't know why."

"I may have an idea. One of the pilots on the Earth Alliance battleship is a good friend of his. It's actually thanks to him that I'm here right now." She turned towards the pink ball when it squealed another "Damnit!" but her look was very solemn. "War is a very ugly thing. Both Athrun and Mr. Yamato are kind individuals and not ones that should be forced to fight each other. If only this would come to an end."

"That young man, Mr. Yamato, he is the pilot of the Strike correct?"

"I don't know of the machine, but I've heard that name before." When Lacus turned to look back at Eclipse, she noticed something other than sadness in those eyes. Was it respect?

Or perhaps something more?

Before the conversation could go any further, a private at the door told the redcoat to see the commander at his quarters. He didn't say anything other than that and left before she could ask any questions. Sighing, she apologized to Lacus, slipped into her elite jacket, and left the room, wanting to crush the Haro when it muttered a "Whatever" before the door closed.

* * *

L4 was about two hours from the _Vesalius_'s current position, giving Eclipse a grand total of seven hours to dispose of the SIN-ED representative—taking into account the return trip and the ship's new location—in order to get back in time to attack the Lunar Fleet. _That should be plenty,_ she reminded herself, although, she was still worried she had underestimated the time. Actually, going back to the colony cluster made her nervous. Last time she was treated like royalty, but this time she was coming to kill SIN-ED, not scout them out. Knowing the meeting was on a different colony than the one she met FS and Stray calmed her nerves, but now she was in unfamiliar territory and having no idea what to expect.

Well, other than human-machines-of-mass-destruction what else was there to be worried about?

The ride was boring, even if she was studying blueprints, and the fact that she was ordered to take her GINN made things very uncomfortable. She had never messed with the temperature gauge so much in her career and the scenery wasn't very extravagant either. The redhead had always enjoyed staring into space and watching the stars, but now that she was surrounded by them, they were getting redundant and there was still an hour of flight left. _Alright, I drop this thing off in the harbor. Hide it, somehow, and then stake out at the warehouse. The entrance is at the southern end of the building and I should be arriving an hour before the meeting, so no one should be scouting the area just yet. Both guns are loaded, spare ammunition is at my belt, four knives, wire, and beacon detector for my mobile suit. Mirage Colloid should initiate in three hours unless I set it off myself. Hopefully stealth won't be an issue on the return trip._ She had gone over her plan numerous times in her head since her briefing with Creuset and still she wasn't sure she had it right.

Wing it.

Out of all the strategies that genius knew, the best thing he could come up with was wing it? There wasn't enough solid information on the meeting, only the location, time, and some person named Greed. The one thing that made the whole ordeal look suspicious was that SIN-ED was meeting an officer from the Earth Forces. If that wasn't in the report, it could've just been a tea party at noon.

But wherever SIN-ED went, Eclipse was supposed to be there as well, and not for party treats.

Even though ad-libbing was the best plan, Creuset did provide a personal spacesuit to keep the redcoat out of trouble. Its only use was for SIN-ED related missions, however, and knowing what problems could develop if Eclipse was unmasked as a ZAFT soldier, the decision was reasonable. The suit's main color was black with minimal, silver accents. Nothing fashionable, but far enough away in design to ZAFT's that no one could tell she was in the military. As long as it kept her safe and hidden, Eclipse really didn't care what it looked like.

Another half hour passed before the redhead figured she should switch on the colloid now to avoid detection. The system was good for a maximum of 90 minutes, but Eclipse was able to alter some programs and extended that amount to 120 minutes. The addition cost her some battery life, but at the moment she'd rather be invisible than invincible. Switching on the system, she checked her radars and advanced as quickly as she dared.

There were two harbors located on the colony. One was for civilian ships and the other was for product transmission. Knowing the civilian dock was the more damaged of the two, Eclipse anticipated the Earth Alliance squad to use the merchandise one. It was the correct decision on the redcoat's part and when she arrived safely in the harbor, she released the breath she didn't know she was holding.

If the merchandise dock was in good condition than this one was a dump heap. Debris littered the ground, making it look more like the junk yard next to the facility than anything shuttles could pass through. Three mounds of scrap metal were piled in the northern corner, making it an ideal spot to hide a mobile suit, but knowing the door was on the opposite end of the dock made Eclipse nervous. She'd have to cross a fairly large expanse in order to reach her suit and if she was being chased, she might be shot before she even reached the zip chord. However, there we no other options and piling up the remaining shuttles in the port would've looked suspicious. Making a small hole for the GINN, she set it in carefully, cut the colloid and stepped out to admire her handy work.

It would do.

Careful to stay behind the debris, Eclipse made her way to the far door and then out into the colony itself. Judging by the state of the harbor, she expected the inside to be quite trashy and damaged, but actually it was well preserved. Many of the buildings were still standing and the abandoned cars on the streets added some flavor to the landscape. If it wasn't for the lack of light and strong smell of waste, the redhead would've called it inhabited.

The meeting place was located in the center of the colony, so finding it wasn't hard, but no matter how she looked at it, the whole thing made her nervous.

Was SIN-ED linking up with the Earth Forces?

The warehouse was quite large, but that may have been because of the gaping hole in the roof extending from the entrance all the way to the other side. Just a good sun roof, right? There was a solid catwalk wrapping itself around the upper wall with enough debris from the roof and random storage crates to make it an ideal hiding spot for the weapon. The next question was, what side? _Well, since the entrance is in the south, north would be a bad spot. I'd have to leave myself too open in order to get a good shot. Also, there'd be no way out and I'd have put myself in a corner. East or west? _Taking a moment, she surveyed both ends and found her left to have better cover. _West it is, _she thought and carefully ascended the stairs_._

Six feet or so past the stairs was a rectangular crate, about 3x5 ft. and 4 ft. high with a smaller 3x3 ft. crate next to it. The larger one was positioned parallel to the railing—only a few degrees off—and about 3 ft. from the wall, making it a decent spot to hide out. The 3x3 was angled enough to provide ample cover to the north and helped make a nice corner for Eclipse to camp out in. Diagonals were going to be tough, but at least her enemies didn't have a clear shot at her. The only huge problem was the ceiling.

Damnit.

While it may have been appealing to the many tanners in the building, it was quite disturbing. An attack from above wasn't really something Eclipse needed to be worried about at the moment. She'd just have to be over cautious.

As expected, no one was there, at least not for another fifteen minutes. The redhead had timed her arrival to be before the scouts were out and about. Hopefully, she could avoid their watchful eyes long enough to learn something at the meeting.

And to keep her life.

As stealthily as she figured, the scouts arrived exactly twelve minutes later, and spread out, one at each side of the building. Luckily they decided not to drop in from the roof because the weapon's cover would've been blown right there. Being positioned by the stairs made her first kill easier too. It was going to be a long-shot whether the guy would recognize her as a person and just start shooting or be calm about it and come closer to investigate. Eclipse was hoping he had a cool head and would come to her, but she did have a plan if he started shooting.

Swear a bunch, use his body as a shield and try to kill as many as she could.

See, wing it was a good strategy.

His ascent seemed to take forever. The redhead was sure that anyone else would've panicked and just started shooting—either that or screamed a "Hurry up!"—however, Eclipse was impressed by his thoroughness. Some others may have run up the stairs, tripped, landed face first, and watched helplessly as the bullet from his triggered gun bounced off the cement wall into his forehead.

If only things worked that way.

He reached the top a few minutes after he began, checking his left side before taking the sharp right. The weapon had never felt so vulnerable. She was wide open for a direct kill and if it wasn't for her black spacesuit and the lack of light, she may have been slaughtered within thirty minutes of her first mission. Her gun was the thing giving the impression she wasn't some random piece of debris, but she wasn't about to put it away. Staring at the wire she laid on the ground, she felt a small surge of anticipation.

Or maybe it was excitement.

The soldier stalked towards her, rifle in hand and aimed high on her figure. _A little closer_, she thought. He shuffled towards the wall, trying to get a better look, but since Eclipse was in such a good position, he saw nothing else of substance. That's when he tried kicking the blob he was observing.

The weapon grabbed the foot and pulled, startling him enough to allow an entrance at his remaining leg. Hooking her right foot around his ankle, she knocked him to the ground.

And he didn't even yelp.

What a good boy.

She was on top of him quickly—glad he landed where she anticipated—picked up both ends of the wire, and pulled hard. It dug cleanly into his throat right down to the bone until it stopped, killing him in one swift motion and leaving no time for him to call for help. Sure, she could've taken off the head entirely, but she didn't want to jeopardize her position. _Oh well, maybe next time._

The blood was atrocious and trying to keep it hidden wasn't easy. With that attack she had cut through his main artery, and even though the heart had stopped beating, the fluids refused to listen to reason. _I should start packing towels, _she thought with a small sigh and tried her best with his spacesuit.

A small, red button flared on the victim's left wrist, reminding Eclipse of the "all clear" signal she obvious forgot about. She cursed inwardly when another one lit and the third one caused a little panic. Praying there was no little trick involved, the redhead pressed the final button and checked around her. Good, no movement. She let out a sigh of relief and twisted the helmet off the nearly decapitated body, sending another prayer that she didn't take the head with it.

Halloween gag anyone?

At least the other scouts wouldn't shoot her on sight if they believed she was their comrade peeking over the crates and not some murderous stalker. She tried her luck then, overjoyed when no one shot.

The next ones to arrive were more SIN-ED members, or so Eclipse deducted by the attire. Even though both sides were probably incognito, Earth Forces members in torn up jeans and tank tops didn't seem to fit. One she recognized as Spencer—the quiet member she and Heine had the pleasure to meet last time—but the other three were unfamiliar. Two were body guards, she decided, and the other tall, brunette looked to be a personal colleague. _Maybe he's a Natural, _she thought, remembering the other renegades who signed up with FS.

"Tell me, why are we getting all of this fire power again? We don't have a warship, as far as I know," the Natural groaned, leaning on a crate with his arms folded over one another. Spencer sighed in response, but apparently that wasn't good enough. "Greed?"

_Greed? _Eclipse thought, remembering the name listed in the report. _Is Spencer, Greed?_

"Obviously not to appease your better nature," the Coordinator growled. "We already went over this, Lyke, and I'm not about to amuse your curiosity by explaining it again."

"Don't trust the scouts?"

"Don't trust our allies," he went on, turning and posing a fake smile when seven others, also in shabby clothing, walked through the entrance. Figuring them to be from the Earth Forces, the redhead could only sit back and wait.

Hopefully she'd hear some useful information.

"You're late."

"Greed, I assume, the representative from SIN-ED? No, you're just early." He was an older gentleman with graying black hair and a 5'8 stature. Not very intimidating—even if he was supposed to be a commander—which made the representative wonder why he was chosen to make the transaction.

Well, what ever the reason he didn't like his attitude. "Have what we need?"

"In the harbor. Cash?"

"No, credit," Lyke mocked, rolling his eyes to exaggerate the phrase. The officer obviously wasn't pleased, but Greed held a faint smile.

"Stop being a smartass," the commander snapped, receiving a glare from the Coordinator across form him.

"Since you need us so badly, I'd keep your mouth shut."

"Perhaps you need to tie your colleagues' tongues a tad tighter, Greed. Now, do you have the money?"

"Of course. Who do you think you're dealing with?"

The two parties stared, each refusing to trust one another even though, under the circumstances, they were forced to. It was a fragile alliance between SIN-ED and the Earth Forces, both knew, but they needed each other; Earth Forces for the extra power and SIN-ED for supplies. _Ah, but just you wait, _Greed thought. _Once ZAFT is gone, you guys aren't far behind._

Thud.

There wasn't any other way to describe the body that suddenly fell to the ground. It was unnerving to witness—especially when Greed kicked it onto its back and the gruesome details were present—but nothing the soldiers weren't used to. At least to some degree. The most disturbing part was the head, or lack there of. Actually, it was much like the corpse lying next to Eclipse, just cleaner shaven and missing the part the redhead wasn't able to detach. _Hm, same methods as myself,_ she thought._ Interesting._

"What the hell?" the officer remarked first, pulling out his handgun as his team did the same.

"This is a scout of ours," Lyke muttered, receiving a glare from Greed. He knew the situation and didn't need some rookie voicing the obvious. Not only did the commander not know about the scouts SIN-ED sent out, but if he twisted the situation into being an assassination attempt on them, the negotiations would be over. Greed couldn't let that happen, but there was still something in the back of his mind.

Who killed his scout?

"I thought you only brought these three," the officer hissed.

"For personal protection, but there were four others sent to clear the area first. Would you have rather come in here not knowing if there was some prowler waiting to devour your ass?"

"So, I'm to believe this is not your doing?"

"You think I'd kill my own men? Damnit, we have enemies too."

And with that, the heavens opened again, this time in the form of a torn up slip of paper. This one, unlike the body before, floated slowly into the waiting hands of Greed who read it aloud:

"Sorry, Bob had to go home sick. He felt a little lightheaded."

Eclipse almost burst out laughing, but the others weren't as amused. Apparently, not everyone knew a good joke when they heard one. The officer started issuing commands to his troops, ordering some to go outside and search the roof, but two well-placed shots—seeming to be from the roof—took out Lyke and an Earth Forces' guard near him.

And he was so highly recommended.

Sigh.

"There he is!" one soldier yelled and pointed up.

The redhead couldn't see the target, but she wasn't about to just sit back and let this newcomer have all the fun. Besides, if he—she—whomever was dumb enough to take out SIN-ED too then all the more reason to help.

People like that need to stick together.

Because of the commotion, the scout on the north side recklessly blew his cover, giving Eclipse the perfect head shot. Aiming carefully, without showing her own position too much, she shot and killed the man, causing even more shouts to sound from below.

"There's more than one!"

"We're surrounded!"

While the falling body was a much needed distraction, the weapon wasn't sure which scout was taken out. Using her brilliant math skills, she knew there was one left, but which side of the building was he on? South or East? A clear shot at two more Earth Forces soldiers opened up and Eclipse took the opportunity. She had also hoped to draw out the last scout on the catwalk. The kills were clean and mercilessly quick, but the act had given away her position to her enemies on the main floor. Now she had three SIN-ED and four Earth Forces soldiers to worry about, not to mention that last scout. _Ah, damnit._

Another gun shot and a dying wail sounded, but the redhead wasn't sure where it was. It sounded like it came from the east side of the building, but Eclipse wasn't going to risk her vantage point yet.

Two were coming up the stars near her position soon after the mystery body fell. Not wanting to face both at once, the weapon popped up and shot at one, barely ducking in time to dodge a shot from Greed on the main floor. She cursed again, knowing she merely wounded the one soldier and if she was to make another attempt, the representative would have her for sure. Her second assailant was almost at the top of the stairs and she was a sitting duck if she waited for him to approach.

Eclipse smiled; she couldn't help it. The scene was so complicated and amusing at the same time that it was exciting.

The Berserker was just having the time of her life.

She jumped out of her spot and fell into a forward roll, taking out the advancing soldier on the stairwell and pausing a second to take out his wounded friend with a quick hit to the head. Another roll took her behind some crates to the left of the stairs where she threw off the helmet and reloaded her gun. There were still five people on the floor and three, by the sounds of their footsteps, were approaching fast. _Moths to a flame._

Blowing her cover again, she ran to the steps, firing at the three as she descended, wounding two in the leg and killing one. Shots from Greed and the remaining commander forced Eclipse to bail out over the railing and onto some crates on the west side of the warehouse. Using them as shields, she went on the defensive and took out the wounded men when they gave her an opening.

Now only two were left, Greed and the Earth Forces officer.

"What is that? An assassin? You have got to be kidding me! You set this up, didn't you?"

"And why the hell would I send an assassin after my own men?" Greed asked, reloading his gun. The two had found cover on the east side behind some crates, but knowing how quickly their adversary took out the rest of the men, he wasn't too thrilled about the next volley.

This damn officer wasn't helping much either.

"So you wouldn't have to pay for your supplies, merely take them by force."

"Money is not an issue here! More to the point, you know the size of our organization. Do you think I'd risk such valuable men? You're a fool if you think SIN-ED set this up."

"Am I? Maybe I should dispose of you and then ask your superiors. Perhaps they'll listen to reason with your corpse in hand."

"Yeah, there's a good idea. 'I think your representative here tried to have me and my men killed so they could take off with the goods. Don't worry, I killed him so you don't have to worry about it.' You don't even have any proof."

"I'll make my own," the Natural said, smirking as he planted the barrel of his gun on Greed's forehead. If only he knew how quick his client's trigger finger was; he may have regretted his entire speech.

Bang.

The Berserker had only heard bits and pieces of the conversation, but as soon as it started she knew it was going to end pretty.

Or ugly, depending on personal preferences.

A few more moments passed before Greed spoke up again. Maybe he was wiping off his clothes. "What d'ya say we just drop our firearms and talk? I'd like to see your face before anything…rash happens."

_Nice choice of words, _Eclipse thought, but couldn't help the smirk on her lips. She noticed he said firearms and not weapons. That meant her daggers were still okay and even though the last skirmishes had diminished her ammo, she still had all four of those.

"Here, I'll make my move." The magazine came sliding out first, followed by the handgun and two more spare ammo clips. Apparently, he was serious.

Or maybe not.

"I know there were two of you behind that crate and there's only one gun out here. Either you slide out your partner's or you can forget the cease fire."

"Ah, observant are we?"

"Just good at math."

Greed smiled after the statement, now more eager than ever to see this assassin. Maybe he could convince her—since it was, surprisingly, a female voice—to join the group. They obviously needed more members after the incident that day. "Very well." He slid both parts onto the floor and waited to hear the comforting sound of Eclipse's handgun.

The Berserker sighed, but ended up giving in. She unlatched her extra clip and threw it out before her gun and used magazine. Now they were both unarmed.

Well, in theory anyway.

"Am I to believe you took out all of those men with just one, small handgun?"

"Your scout had a nice sniper rifle."

"Ah, I see, well where's that?"

"Next to the body."

"How quaint," he muttered and stepped out from his hiding spot. Ironically, Eclipse was already out in the open, but Greed didn't recognize her until they were about three feet apart. The pupiless-eyes were what threw him off, but as soon as his initial fear subsided, he laughed. A true, but evil laugh that took him to his knees. "You? Oh my god, it's you? Lunar Eclipse? Pride and Envy's protégé? You have got to be kidding me!"

"What's so damn funny about this? You're obviously going to die."

"There were rumors, yes sweet rumors of some broad coming to send us all to hell, but who would've thought it'd be you? Ironic, how ironic."

_Apparently so,_ the Berserker thought, clearly not seeing the scene as humorous.

"Oh, and you're the perfect one for the job, aren't you? I mean if only we had a mirror you might be as afraid of yourself as I was at first. You remember me don't you? And that lovely day you were ordered to torture me? Ah yes, it's encrypted deep into my memory."

"I don't know what you're—"

"If you hadn't have teased me so I may have called it painful, but oh you were good at it. It was then I realized why Vindur favored you so. It's just so funny!"

She had repressed most of her facility memories, so Eclipse had no recollection of this specific incident. Not like she would've been proud of it anyway. If the tortures gotten a little scarce during the week, Vindur usually had trainees punish their comrades instead of a professor. Greed's memory must've been from one of those times, but the Berserker wasn't about to try and remember. "You're a masochistic freak," she spat, pulling a dagger from her waist and stabbing it high into his right shoulder. Words were getting boring.

He merely laughed again, not able to keep the tears out of his eyes. Although, they weren't from the pain. "It's so hilarious! Pride's little pet is calling _me_ a freak!"

Eclipse grabbed another one from her waist and squatted down to twist it into his upper thigh. It was about time he started answering some questions instead of babbling like a fool. "Now tell me, who the hell is this Pride you're always referencing?"

He just kept laughing.

"Y-you stand there, torturing me now like back then and you think _I'm_ the monster? Oh, by all means continue the mutilation because why should I live? I want to destroy all humanity remember? Oh, but you're so righteous because you want to destroy me, is that it? You're a pathetic liar that doesn't deserve Pride's attention, or Gluttony's and Envy's for that matter! _You're_ the monster who should be killed!"

"I'm no monster."

"Oh really? How can you be sure? Do you feel noble right now?" She seemed wounded after the statement, but like before, Greed could only laugh.

Perhaps he had finally gone insane.

"How long, huh? How long do you think it'll take before you're hunted down for what you are? You're just like us, or perhaps even worse. How hard is it to make friends, huh? Have a hard time keeping people…unafraid? So, if you are to kill me here, then I'll be happy just knowing I was one of the firsts in your grand massacre for acceptance! I beg for my death, demon, because I am nothing more than a monster in your eyes! I am just happy knowing you gave it to me gladly."

Eclipse had heard enough and so had the Berserker inside of her, but she wasn't about to just stab him in the heart and be done with it. _Hah, that's too easy._

A thrust up and into the skull was more appealing.

The figure on the roof just smiled, kicking its feet back and forth as it watched the scene below. In some ways it was inspiring. "So, the devil brought a double-bladed scythe to the festivities after all. Interesting." It smiled and got to its feet, wiping off some dirt before grabbing the sniper rifle and wire. "How about a race, then? Yes, a race to get the most spirits in hell to curse our names."

* * *

**_A/N:_** Hey all, this'll probably be my last chapter for a while. School started again and the schedule's pretty hectic. As you know, I'll try my best with the story and, no matter what, I always end up writing some things here and there. But be patient okay?

New character!!!! Be excited. Be very excited. :) I tried not to give the gender away or anything, so the person's not an 'it', don't worry. An interesting character, and one who'll give Eclipse a hard time later on. You'll see what I mean.

I hope all the action made sense. I tried to describe it best I could, but I know all the jumping around and visualizations are a bit difficult to follow. If you have any huge problems feel free to let me know either by e-mail or review. I'll reply as soon as I can.

Oh, one thing about the snapping into Berserker moments. I'm trying to find an obvious, but not redundant way of letting you guys know when she switches over. I hope you can pick it out, but if not, the main indicator is "Berserker." When Eclipse is just being her normal, humanish self I use descriptions like "redhead," "redcoat" and the like. When she's in battle, I use "weapon" mostly and when she snaps, I use "Berserker." I'm trying to keep it consistent like that, but if there's any mistakes on my part, please let me know so I can fix them right away and not confuse any more people. Thanks!

Other than that, thanks again to all the readers and reviewers out there. You're the ones keeping this going so kudos! I'll see you all next chapter! I wonder what Eclipse's Berserker side is going to do this time? O.o

_Darkangelsonic_: Let's just say Athrun versing those four wouldn't be pretty. Well, on some levels. I'm sure the whole thing would be downright sexy, but that's just me. I wonder who'd ultimately win? (shrugs) Anyway, it's always great to hear from you! Your energy and exclamation marks are so much fun. :)

_CSSStravag_: Actually, Athrun's disclosure surprises me. I might have to tone it down a bit 'cause sometimes I can't see him saying certain things... (shrugs) But, I'll work on those battle scenes for ya. Yes, it was horrible and as soon as I get the hang of things I'll go back and fix it, but for right now, everyone's stuck with mediocre work. Next time, though, I'll make sure it's the most awesome thing you've ever read! Maybe...

_Death-Scimitar_: Thanks for the sane review! It means so much to me that you can be civil about this, but after this chapter I dunno. You do really like the new character and all... Anyway, I was really mad when I had to put Kira in the story. Well, I knew he had to come in eventually, but... why? O.o He was really heroic/naive in that part with Lacus though. It was kind of amusing actually 'cause he isn't naive often but he is, unfortunately, always heroic. Oh well. Yeah, I think Athrun and Eclipse sleeping together would be cute... and we both know why that is. O.o Anyway, the new character finally made an appearance and gotta love that first line, huh?

Strata


	22. Harmony

Harmony

The cleanup was swift and brainless, making Eclipse wonder why she even bothered to do it in the first place. The extent of said cleanup was dragging the bodies across the floor and to hide them behind crates and other various pieces of debris. Nothing tricky and definitely nothing time consuming, but for some reason, it took the redhead about 45 minutes to pull the whole thing off. Why?

Probably because the Berserker left, leaving her exhausted and not without some painful scraps and bruises.

That time Eclipse remembered switching over to her other self—which was an improvement—but she still didn't know how to stop it from happening. Given, she appreciated the heightened skills and whatnot, but after Greed's monologue, she was terrified. He had gone insane, obviously, there at the end, and no matter how much the redhead tried to convince herself his words were nothing but babble, she just couldn't shake the feeling he was right.

She was a monster.

As she had hid the bodies, she was admiring her work. Other than the decapitated body, the nearly decapitated one, and Greed's, all of the shots were precise hits to the head. Even the two scouts who were wearing helmets on the catwalk had fatal head wounds. The northern scout had taken the bullet through his right eye and the eastern one had a nice angled grove starting from the bridge of his nose and down through the back of his neck, proving Eclipse's ally had really staked out on the roof.

And had one hell of a time with a sniper rifle.

She never found "Bob's" head, which made her think of the newcomer again. _Who was that? _the redhead kept asking herself. _He's good, if not gruesome._

With the bodies hidden and any useful items stripped, Eclipse left the warehouse and made her way back to the GINN, praying no straggling enemies were waiting to attack her. She didn't have the energy to defend herself if they did and honestly, she didn't care. If what Greed said was true, she'd end up dead soon anyway.

"There you go being dramatic again," a certain blonde's words echoed in her head, causing a scowl and a well-thrown rock to go flying into an abandoned car.

_Shut up, Heine. I don't need you haunting me now too._

Other then the disturbing—yet uplifting—words of her one time partner, the walk back was quiet. Both SIN-ED and the Earth Forces kept true to their word and only had the body guards they took in with them. Either that or they fled as soon as the shooting started.

Not like Eclipse was surprised.

The GINN had just diploid the mirage colloid roughly ten minutes before the redhead had reached the harbor. She applauded herself for the time accuracy and for not having to worry about being chased, but that "happy feeling" was short lived.

The weaponry SIN-ED wanted.

Aw, damnit.

She couldn't just leave it sitting in the other harbor—that is if it was still there—and attempting to haul all of that back would be time consuming; not to mention impossible for her alone. There was no warship available to pick it all up—at least none she knew of—but she wasn't about to sit there and baby sit either. _Well, we'll figure things out when we get there._

Switching off the colloid, Eclipse put a foot on the zip chord and slipped into the cockpit. She did a quick diagnostic to make sure nothing had happened while she was gone and when the only major thing she had to worry about was her battery life, she climbed out of the hiding spot and into open space. _Please let there be no cargo._

Luck favored her this time when the place turned up dry and the only clues found that anyone was there were skid marks on the floor and some obvious debris movement. Eclipse figured there were some other Earth Forces soldiers in the harbor and when there came no response from their superior, they fled. Smart on their part, but it would've sucked if some Alliance forces did manage to survive. They would've been stranded with not even a deck of cards to keep them amused.

Leaving the harbor, and then ultimately the colony itself, the redcoat switched on the colloid and left, leaving Greed and his insane observations behind.

Or so she hoped.

* * *

Eclipse arrived back at the _Vesalius _earlier then planned, but her untimely coming was a welcomed sight to Creuset. He called her to his office as soon as the GINN was docked, and had the redhead standing at his desk in the matter of five minutes.

The first thing he noticed about his soldier was her condition. While her hair may have been patted down, there were still random stragglers and after closer inspection, he noted some dry blood near a cut in her forehead. Her face and hands were filthy—even though she took an extra second to wash them both—and by observing her stance, he could see an open wound on her knee seeping through her uniform. Despite all that, however, she was exhausted.

Now he _was_ curious.

"Lunar Eclipse, report."

She saluted. "Sir, both SIN-ED and the Earth Forces were there as planned, but their numbers were far fewer than anticipated. Only eight from SIN-ED and seven from the Earth Forces were at the meeting, but I'm positive more were in the harbor with the goods."

"And what goods would that be?"

"I don't know for certain, but one of the SIN-ED members mentioned something about a warship. They don't have one yet—that I'm sure of—but they were going to get enough firepower to equip one."

"Do you know why?"

"No, sir. Another assassin came on the field to start the battle prematurely, so my knowledge is limited."

"Another assassin, you say?" Eclipse nodded and Creuset leaned forward with his hands folded near his lips. "Do you know anything about this person?"

_They're reckless,_ she thought, but said, "No sir," instead.

"But you're sure they were there to stop the meeting?"

"They took out Earth Forces and SIN-ED members alike. However, because of their impetuous arrival, I don't think he cared about information, sir."

"A rash move on his part then," the commander said, taking a moment to think things over. Patrick Zala had mentioned Eclipse getting some help on the missions, but was sending another assassin really what he had in mind? Sounded a bit careless even by Creuset's standards, especially since the two didn't know each other. The curious thing though, was how the other assassin didn't attack Eclipse. Did he know she was going to be there?

Or was it all a fluke?

"The ammo is gone, though, I take it?" the commander asked, deciding to think about Zala's plans later.

"Yessir. I went to go check, but there was nothing left behind."

"Well, that is unfortunate, but we'll save that for another time. Did you confirm who this Greed was?"

"He was SIN-ED representative and a fellow trainee at Januarias 4."

"Was he now? Anyone we should be worried about?"

"He's dead, sir," the redhead stated deadpan, even surprising Creuset with the tone.

"Very good. Any others you recognized?"

"Only one of the scouts, but a few names came up in the conversation I did hear; Pride, Gluttony, and Envy, sir."

"Obviously, they're copying the seven deadly sins," the commander remarked, "but is it merely to hide their true identities? Or maybe they have a form of a republic instead of a dictatorship. That could be a reason for no civil unrest, but that also means there could be seven different agendas floating around the organization. Would they tolerate something so dangerous? There has to be some kind of motive or reward holding them together."

"I'll look into it, sir," Eclipse said, sounding so sure of herself that the blonde almost let her go after the statement. However, she just wanted to leave and get some rest. Either the Berserker had stolen a lot more stamina then she realized, or the shoot out had been more strenuous than she anticipated.

Either way a hot shower and fluffy pillow was looking really good.

"Very good, although you'll have to save that venture for another time. Currently, we're making plans to attack the 'Legged Ship' and Lunar Fleet stationed not far from our position. We believe the 'Legged Ship' is trying to make it to Earth and this might be our last chance to apprehend them in outer space. Everyone's at the _Gamow_ and for right now, I want you to join them. If anything, that ship has the refill for the colloid and since there's some tune-ups for the new GINNs still going on, your best bet for getting repaired is over there."

"Yessir."

"You are dismissed then. We'll send for you and Athrun in about an hour to go over the final plans."

She saluted and left the office, making her way back to the locker room. It seemed her long shower and nap would have to wait, but she could at least wash some of the fifth away. Besides, she had a lot to think about and get straight before she met up with her teammates.

She didn't want to go psycho on them too.

* * *

Dirt gone, wounds bandaged, and smells perfumed, Eclipse arrived in the _Gamow_'s hanger fifteen minutes after her briefing with Creuset. Exhaustion was still a major problem for her, but judging by what she had to do and the amount of time she had to do it, there was no way she could sneak in a cat nap. A mechanic offered to work on her GINN—giving her a brief moment of hope—but when the next thing she heard was Dearka's famous scoff and the two minute version of Yzak's injury, the infirmary seemed to be her next destination.

She wasn't sure why the tanned redcoat wanted her to see his rambunctious partner, but when he opened the door to two more confused elites she realized his intentions.

It was a family meeting.

Woohoo.

"Eclipse, when did you get back?" Athrun asked, stepping to the side to give them room and a clear shot at the boy on the bed. He didn't look happy to see them.

"You look awful," Yzak sneered, but really he was in no position to say anything. He was pale—at least paler than usual—with a large bandage covering most of his face on the right side. He sat hunched over in nothing more than a blue muscle shirt and boxers, glancing every now and again at the trashcan near his left foot. If he ended up using it, the redhead knew she'd be next.

"You don't look much better," Nicol retorted, taking the words straight out of Eclipse's mouth. Then again she was too exhausted to make any kind of wise crack.

"I got back about a half hour ago," she said, grabbing onto the back of Nicol's chair to steady herself.

"Where'd ya go?" Dearka asked, gliding over to stand next to Yzak. Such a cute couple.

"No where important."

"Given a rookie job, were ya?" Yzak mocked, involuntarily wincing when he tried to smirk.

Eclipse almost laughed. "Something like that."

"But why would they send you so close to a battle?" Athrun asked, still seeming concerned about what was going on in Eclipse's little world.

"It couldn't wait, I guess," she replied. "Oh, how was the rest of Lacus's stay?"

"Fine, I assume. We left her with the Laconi team and she should be nearing the PLANTs as we speak." He smiled lightly, almost as if he was remembering some fond memory. Then again when it concerned his fiancé, Eclipse wasn't surprised. "Thanks for hosting her, by the way. I realize the commander sprung it on you at the last second."

"Well, it was interesting, to say the least."

They both smiled—although the redhead's wasn't as wide and even more unenthusiastic—causing Dearka and Yzak to glace sideways at each other. Either something was going on and they didn't want to know, or they knew enough already to blackmail the Aegis pilot into doing anything they wanted.

They were guessing on the former, but hoping for the latter.

"So, do you know what the plan is now, Athrun?" Nicol asked after a small silence. He assumed his tanned teammate dragged them all in there together to swap battle strategies, so why not get the ball rolling? The Blitz pilot was getting sick of the small talk anyway.

"We're going to attack the Lunar Fleet and destroy the 'Legged Ship' before it descends to Earth. At least that's what we're supposed to do, but it's not going to be that easy."

"It's not called a 'Fleet' for nothing, y'know," Dearka sighed. Eclipse watched him closely after the statement, realizing something was different about him in a way. It might've been his friend's sudden and dangerous injury, or maybe guilt? She didn't know the whole situation and what all happened, but she guessed the only person at fault was Yzak himself.

His anger must've been what tipped her off.

"Yes, but we've failed so many times at getting that ship. If it gets to Earth without us pulling a trigger, we'll be the new court jesters in the ZAFT army," Nicol said.

"I think we're already a freak show," Dearka muttered.

"That damn Strike can be blamed for everything!" the Duel pilot shouted, lifting a fist in the air to add flavor, however, the others weren't impressed, especially the redcoat sitting across from him. Athrun looked away at the declaration and straight into the gaze of Eclipse. They locked stares for a moment before another comment by Nicol broke them apart.

She knew more then he thought she did.

"But it's just one mobile suit."

"With surprisingly good luck," Yzak said.

_Or is it skill? I wonder, _Eclipse thought, deciding not to voice her opinions out loud. Not only would they reward her with a painful hit by her silver-haired comrade, but by his blonde friend as well. A double whammy just didn't seem appealing at the moment.

"Well, whatever the reason, we have to come up with some way to destroy it or it'll get us," Dearka said.

"Just leave him to me," Yzak announced to the annoyance of the others. Did he ever quit?

"You're in no condition to—"

"Shut up, Athrun! You haven't done any good against him either! You've had plenty of chances to destroy him, you bas—"

"Enough!" Nicol yelled, jumping up from his chair to intervene. Dearka and Eclipse just sighed. "With things as they are now, we won't even get to the 'Legged Ship' let alone face the Strike. Can we please learn the melody before we start playing in four part harmony?"

"Huh?" the Buster pilot asked, cocking an eyebrow.

"Four part what?" Athrun added.

"I'm not doing _any _harmonizing with you guys," Yzak said, not able to mask the disgust on his face. Apparently, he was connecting the musical term with something perverted and judging by who was in the room, Eclipse could see why he was appalled.

She still found it hilarious anyway.

Covering up a smile she turned away as Nicol tried to clean up his mess. He should've known better then to throw a cell phone at Neanderthals.

"My point is, we have a whole fleet to take out before we can get to the 'Legged Ship', so let's focus on that, shall we?"

"Fine, but what more is there to do then hack and slash?" Dearka asked, causing a few raised eyebrows and more internal laughter for the redhead. This was ridiculous.

"Can we keep the metaphors to a minimum? I think we're all getting headaches," Athrun suggested.

"Yzak already had a headache," the musician grumbled.

"Damnit, Nicol, I've had a fuckin' migraine."

"Anyway…" Athrun rolled his eyes and sighed, wishing everyone would just calm down. This always seemed to happen when the four—well five now—of them got together to talk about things, and frankly, he was sick of it all—especially when it concerned killing Kira, but he was in no position to voice his opinion about that. He was having a hard enough time trying to remember his vow to not hold back in his next battle with the Strike. Their little waltz was hurting their allies more than helping the torn relationship between the childhood friends, but just saying he'd try and kill Kira next time wasn't easy. Then again he had to start thinking of his team now and realize they needed him more than his enemy. If they even suspected he knew the Strike pilot, they'd be coming after him instead. Not like it was unusual for Yzak and Dearka to blame him for everything, but if Nicol and Eclipse were added to the group he didn't even think his Aegis was enough to keep him safe.

But he was too stubborn to give up on Kira entirely.

"Well, as entertaining as this all is, if no one has a descent plan I say we break this little pow wow. I have a lot to do before we commit social suicide, so if you'll excuse me," the redhead remarked, heading for the door. Honestly, she did want to stay because the conversation was very amusing, but this was her only chance to get some rest and spending it arguing over whether or not Yzak was going to harmonize with anyone, was not her idea of well-used time.

Although, it was very tempting.

"You're just going to go out there blind?" Dearka asked.

"Whether it's you guys who come up with something, or the commander himself, it doesn't matter to me. Either way I'll hear it and execute it, so the point of me being here is nonexistent. Let me know when the four of you can work together because as it stands, you're going to get us all killed, so keep that in mind the next time you want to organize a battle plan."

She left after the statement, leaving the group utterly speechless. Even Yzak who always had some kind of comeback, sat with his mouth agape. "When did she get balls?"

"Dear God, let's not go there," Dearka muttered next to him.

* * *

The maintenance on her GINN was finished as soon as she arrived in the hanger. All that was needed was some internal adjustments, but seeing as she had gained a sudden burst if energy, doing those small computer calculations didn't seem so bad. The redhead figured it was probably from her meeting with her four teammates, but whether it was from the ridiculous metaphors or the fact that she had finally stood up for herself she didn't know. Whatever the reason, one thing was clear.

Those four had to get their acts together.

Each redcoat was too wrapped up in his rivalries and selfish ambitions to see the bigger picture.

They were in a war.

Nicol was heading in the right direction, but still he was too soft to control the others. Yzak was on a personal vendetta and didn't give a damn about the rest of the crew. Dearka wasn't far behind with his guilt trip and Athrun was still too afraid to open up and help.

It was all so ridiculous.

Then again, what gave her the right to judge so harshly? Wasn't she still stuck in a fantasy? Stray and FS had outright shown their insanity and yet she wanted to save them. She didn't give a damn about the 'Legged Ship' or personal glory. All she wanted was her life back, or at least save what little of it she had left.

Was she really so different?

"Eclipse, hey, are you all right?" Athrun asked, having followed Nicol out of the infirmary soon after the redhead left. The Blitz pilot led him here to the hanger in some desperate crusade to find some stability on the team, but when he tried to confide with Eclipse, she outright ignored him. More like she was too lost in her thoughts to notice, but they didn't know that.

"Eclipse?" Nicole prodded again, but she kept typing—quite vigorously actually—oblivious of the two outside her little world.

_Greed was terrified of me,_ she thought, _but is it really 'cause I'm a Berserker? Heine wasn't scared and neither were FS and Stray, but then again they haven't seen the true horrors of what I can do. When I snap, do I change that much? Greed said something about a mirror, but why? Damnit, this makes no sense! A monster? He called __**me **__a monster when he's trying to destroy everyone? But is me killing them any different? Heine mentioned that, so was he right? Have I turned into some kind of beast? I have, haven't I? Look at what I did to those people. I nearly decapitated one, killed the others with deadly accuracy, and felt no remorse. Hell, I'd do it again in a heart beat. But why? Can I blame it one my training? Paranoia? Myself? Or is it just a fact of fate and I'm some demon?_

"Eclipse?"

_Well, if that's the case, why am I here trying to make friends with some children? Shouldn't I be with SIN-ED awaiting my death? Me, the monster?_

"Eclipse, for goodness sakes!"

_That's it; that's who I am. Fate dealt me some cards alright. The joker more or less and I have to find some way to deal with it. Alone? Greed was right, as soon as I'm spotted for the monster I am, they'll all come chasing me with pitchforks. Yzak, Dearka, Nicol, Lacus, Heine, Athrun; all of them will kill me for being such a creature. For being someone who 'kills without remorse.' Who 'doesn't distinguish between friend and foe.' _

"Athrun, something's wrong. She'd beginning to shake really bad."

"I know, but it's like we're not even here. Eclipse, please!"

_They'll hate me, hunt me, and ultimately destroy me._

"Eclipse!" Athrun reached in and grabbed her shoulders, going as far as trying to shake her back to reality. He had heard of people being lost in their thoughts, but this seemed a bit drastic. Something else had to be going on.

_Because of what I can do._

"Please, what's wrong?"

_Because of what I am._

One last violent shake had her looking up and matching the stares of her two comrades. However, what she saw wasn't a comforting smile, but an expression that twisted a knife into her human heart.

Fear.

Raw fear.

Eclipse had never seen her friends so terrified, not even as they went to battle, but here they were pale and wide-eyed. Just like how Greed had looked before she killed him, but hopefully they wouldn't go insane in the end. She wasn't sure anyone would overcome a blow like that.

She tried to speak, to ask them why they were so scared, but her voice failed and her tongue lay idle.

She was speechless.

They were frozen in fear.

For the first time in over a year, tears swelled in her eyes and slid down her cheeks, but they were outmatched by the hideous smirk on her lips.

The Berserker was merely amused.

* * *

Eclipse shut the cockpit door immediately, unwilling to answer any questions or even get swept into small talk and awkward laughs. It just wasn't something she could handle at the moment.

They saw.

Two of the few who could've accepted her, saw what she was.

More tears fell as she digested the situation, causing her to almost burst out in sadness, but her pride was holding her back. Actually, she was surprised she had any left seeing as it already had a deep crevasse, and one that was widening quickly.

Athrun and Nicol stood motionless outside the GINN, still trying to figure out what had just happened. Something in the redhead had changed the moment she looked up, but it was something so frightening they couldn't really put it to words. Her eyes were the same grey they had always been, but there was no life, no pupils in them. They were just endless pits filled with cold hatred, unreserved fury, and mild amusement at the looks the redcoats must have given.

They seemed inhuman.

"W-what was that?" Nicol asked, being the first to find his voice.

"Hell if I know," his partner replied, still staring at the hatch. Some part of him wanted her to open it back up and explain what was going on—better yet have her say it was all a huge joke—but another part wanted it to remain closed. Athrun was never one to own up to his fears, but seeing that smirk on Eclipse's lips sent him, for a moment, wanting to flee the hanger and even the _Gamow _itself. How could the girl he was just getting to know turn out to look something like that? Wasn't she just this quite, observant, and blunt individual? _But wait_, he thought. _Weren't there tears on her cheeks?_ _Was it ultimately fear in her eyes?_

"Eclipse!" Nicol shouted, pounding on the cockpit door. He had been running through his own thoughts on the matter and found them to be more accepting than the redcoat next to him. Sure he was scared, but there had to be more to this then she was letting on.

If only he could get her to explain.

The redhead heard the call—hell the whole hanger did—but knew it was best to merely leave the matter alone. What could she say to them anyway? That she was a killing machine and apparently looked like some beast? Yeah, that would go along well.

"Eclipse, please. I only want to talk," Nicol pleaded, banging a few more times, but it was obvious she wasn't going to open the hatch. All he was doing was forming some nice bruises on his hands. "Athrun, c'mon. We have to get her out of there."

"And do what? Talk to her? Does she look like she wants to talk? Don't you think she would've opened her cockpit by now if she did?"

"You're just going to give up?"

Athrun stopped. Nicol knew he didn't give up on much—if anything—and throwing that question into a predicament like this one began complicating matters. Did he want to know what was going on?

Or did he like being ignorant?

"Attention. We are about to begin our operation. Nicol Amalfi and Dearka Elsmen to the bridge. Athrun Zala and Lunar Eclipse are to meet at the _Vesalius _for further instruction. I repeat. We are about to being the operation. Nicol and Dearka to the bridge; Athrun and Lunar Eclipse to the _Vesalius_."

The redhead had never been happier to hear the orders, and confirmed her launch with the bridge a few seconds later. Athrun and Nicol—hearing the launch sequence and noticing the GINN movement—retreated to the locker room. It's not like they could've done anything more even if they tried. "What're we going to do about that?" the Blitz pilot asked, deciding to wait on going to the bridge until his friend was changed and gone. Dearka was probably trying to keep Yzak from storming into the briefing anyway.

"Nothing for now."

"Nothing?"

"We have a huge battle to worry about and sticking this little mess into the fray will add to the chaos. We'll just have to forget about it until we can confront her properly, that is if she even wants to talk to us about it."

"So, we forget it? Just like we forgot about who she was? Does she mean nothing to you?"

"If you don't, it could cost you the split second you needed to evade enemy fire. Unfortunately, her personal drama is the last thing we need to worry about." Athrun opened his locker door, but paused, not able to grab his spacesuit just yet. Did she mean nothing?

"You can't mean that."

"I can't?"

"Damnit, I'd believe it if Yzak or Dearka said that, but you're not that cold-hearted."

He sighed and fixed the collar of his suit before shutting the door. "I think I'm still digesting it all." Nicol could only agree as his teammate grabbed his helmet and opened the door into the hanger.

Why was everything getting so complicated?

"Do you think we'll ever get a chance to ask her about what's going on?" the musician asked, stalling Athrun's exit.

"Huh? Why, do you plan on dying some time soon?"

"Plan on, no, but we don't have a say in whether we do or don't."

The pilot sighed and turned to the redcoat one last time. "Nicol, you're a great pilot, and an even greater friend. You never seem to worry about battles or whether we win or lose, but you do care about what goes on within the team. For that I envy you and it makes me sad at the same time. Mostly for myself because you'll probably be the only one of us to survive this war."

"Why do you say I'll survive?"

"Because you care about life and not death. Just promise me you won't let it cloud your judgment? You're in a high ranking position and have to learn to find the balance between the two."

Nicol smiled lightly and nodded, wondering where all the sentimentality came from. Then again he was just happy to know Athrun had found a way to voice his opinions again.

There was hope for the team yet, even if Eclipse's alter ego had thrown a wrench into the plan for the time being.

* * *

**_A/N:_** Okay, the first thing I have to ask you all is this: Is this getting way too much like a Soap Opera/dramatized? Is it getting really over bearing and redundant? Let me know because I'm not sure if it's my knowledge of future events that's making me worry so much, or if it's well-placed. Please, I would really like to know if I need to tone it down or whatnot. Thanks!

I planned on making this a little longer, but because the next few scenes are going to be a huge mobile suit battle, I thought I'd take a few whacks at it before posting. That being said, I decided to put up what I already had as to not keep you all waiting. It might've been a little boring, but don't worry, the next one will have so much action that you won't know what to do with it all.

Also, if you hadn't noticed, I did have some yaoi references in here and I couldn't resist. It was the perfect moment so I owe you yaoi haters a huge apology. Anyway, without the reference it still works out well. (Shrugs)

Nicol and Athrun seeing Eclipse as Berserk so soon was something I had been struggling with for a while now. I knew I wanted them to see, but could never find the best spot. Greed's words--no matter how insane they were--hit her hard and seemed to dig quite a rut in her mind, so the prospect of her "snapping" outside of battle seemed greater and believable. Hence why they saw her now. It's sad because she had been making such progress with Athrun, but now it looks like her old frame of mind is going to come back. I guess we'll have to see who'll slap her out of it this time, or even if they'll be able to.

Next chapter will be the huge space fight and descent to Earth. Seeing as I'm new at the whole mobile-suit-battle-thing and school's a bear, it may take a while to post. Then again, maybe I'll have an epiphany one night and just dish it all out. Wouldn't that be nice?

A special thank you goes out to all of my loyal readers. I get such a surge of pride when I see new reviews and hits on this story and surprisingly this has lead to some reads for my _Blades of Fate_, _Time's Folly_, and _Other Worlds II_ stories. Thanks! I'll get along to writing them soon enough, but this one has been taking up so much of my time and since it's going to be such a huge project, summer looks to be the next time I even open their documents.

_Darkangelsonic:_ Sometimes I think you just try so hard to be the first reviewer and I can't thank you enough for that. Also, I love your reviews so much, so don't worry about the annoying thing; it'll never happen. :P When you mentioned the four Coordinators ripping each other's shirts off and the much needed drooling, I laughed so hard. I'm thinking the yaoi reference in this chapter appealed to you in particular then? It seems we are of chipped off the same insane block, if you ask me. Also, I'll look into the conversation between Eclipse and Greed (Spencer/Spector). _Death_ pointed out to me the other day that my conversations can get really confusing so I'm going to work at it. How did this chapter go? Hopefully a little better.

_Death-Scimitar:_ I really don't know what to make of your sane reviews. I mean how can I make any dumb statements with you being all serious? Honestly, I think I liked the old you... :P Anyway, I didn't even think of the _Gundam Wing: Endless Waltz _movie! (Y'know, looking at that title and then at mine kind of makes me feel like a copycat... O.o) I'm so glad you brought that up 'cause I really want to watch that show now. I know you started it and ever since then I have gone on a _Gundam Wing_ picture spree. Unfortunately, I have most of the pics out there, but I did find some nice new ones. I do enjoy writing Berserker parts, mainly because if I'm heartless, it's a good thing. I don't have to worry about guilt or emotional drawbacks because the Berserker really doesn't give a shit. Kind of refreshing actually. Oh, and I'm really glad you liked the "Bob" part. I mean it being such a good American name and all. :P

_CSSStravag:_ It's funny that you mentioned Athrun x Cagalli fans because I am one of the biggest. :P I've been shuffling between many different outcomes concerning Eclipse's and Athrun's relationship and have honestly not come up with a solid "Yes, they end up together" or "No, he's still gets Cagalli." Being such a hard-core fan doesn't help matters otherwise I would've left Cagalli out of the entire equation and just went with my character getting the guy. I guess we'll all have to wait and see what happens. Also, after reading your AAA story I have gained a few tips on mobile suit fighting, so I guess you deserve some kind of "thank you," huh? I wished I could just change the whole space battle into a battle royal between the pilots alone, but that'll never happen. I'm better with hand-to-hand combat writing--and am more comfortable with it--but the prospect of having all the characters dying in outer space for the lack of air and heat pushes me towards the mechanical fighting. (Sigh) Oh, and if only you knew the extent I was taking this story. Oh my...

Strata


	23. Breaking Apart

Breaking Apart

The briefing was, well, brief. The elites had been split up into two teams; Athrun was with Nicol and Eclipse was sent to back up Dearka—mainly because Yzak was still in the infirmary. Three new pilots had joined the _Vesalius_ from the Laconi team when Lacus was transferred over to their ship and, for once, they didn't look straight out of the academy. That was good for them—especially with the _Vesalius_'s record of deaths—and good for the redcoats who needed some veteran comrades.

The plan was this: the "Legged Ship" was positioned at the rear of the fleet and, judging by its position, wasn't expected to join the battle unless absolutely necessary. While that may have been smart on the Earth Forces side of things, it meant there were about ten warships between the Le Creuset team and their target. Not very good odds by any standards, but both the captain and the commander had complete faith in the stolen prototypes and their pilots.

Hopefully, they had such confidence in themselves.

Athrun, Nicol, and one other GINN were to focus their attacks on the left side of the fleet; Dearka, Eclipse, and two more GINNs were to attack on the right; and the last three GINNs—along with the _Vesalius, Gamow_ and a last _Lurasia-_class she didn't know—were to plow down the middle. The commander hoped to stretch the enemy thin and, given the amount of strength the Gundams had, one of the teams was bound to create a hole big enough to reach the "Legged Ship." It was a long shot with only three ships and so few mobile suits, but they weren't about to let the warship get to earth unharmed or unchallenged.

Both Athrun and Eclipse headed to the hanger after the meeting to make some last adjustments to their mobile suits and wait for further orders. The redhead seemed spacey the entire briefing, or at least Athrun thought so. He was still trying to digest what happened on the _Gamow_ and wasn't about to confront her until he had completely figured out his feelings, but if she kept up her "morning after" frame of mind she was going to get herself killed.

_Should I talk to her?_ he asked himself as he followed her down the hallway. It seemed foolish to be debating the conversation in the first place, but after telling Nicol to forget the affair, he felt hypocritical in talking to her.

Maybe he should've let the musician handle things after all.

"If you want to say something, I'd rather have you say it than stare a hole in my back thinking about it," Eclipse muttered, but refrained from glancing behind her. She really didn't want to make eye contact.

"I-I just—"

"You don't have to be nice to me or anything. Personally, I hate it when people are fake, so lets avoid that, shall we? You've seen what I am and you survived—both mentally and physically I might add. Kudos to you."

"Do you ever give people a chance?" Athrun asked, offended by her remarks.

"A chance for what?"

"To try and understand."

"Mobile suits to launch in three minutes," the intercom announced, ending the conversation before Eclipse could come up with some kind of response. Honestly, she didn't have one so the interruption was appreciated. "All units check systems. Sealing all Bulkheads. All hands quickly take your positions."

"This conversation isn't over," Athrun stated firmly, slipping passed her when the hanger door opened. "Nicol has a few things to say as well."

The redhead didn't respond and went to her own suit. _Sure you have a lot of things to say and probably nothing comforting,_ she mused and put on her helmet before entering the cockpit. Given, it was the first time someone wanted to talk to her civilly about her demonic appearance—and knowing it was Athrun and Nicol made her feel a little better—but perhaps she didn't want to talk it out. _Maybe Heine was right; I want people to understand, but am afraid to let them. How pathetic. I guess I should join FS and Stray after all and we can all be insane together. At least I don't have to worry about letting them understand. They already do._

* * *

Athrun was the first to launch, followed closely by and Nicol met them in their mobile suits for a brief run through of the plan before breaking off into their teams. "Dearka, Eclipse! Let's give 'em hell; that Strike's going down."

A unanimous "Huh?" was shared between the GINN and Buster pilots at the sound of the transmission.

There was only one person who talked like that.

"Y-Yzak!" the blonde shouted, but he couldn't exactly say he was surprised. It took two doctors, Dearka, six bruises, and two restraints to keep the Duel pilot from going to the briefing. And only after some twenty curse words did the Buster pilot finally manage to get to the bridge, but the big question was, how did he get out? "What, did you gnaw off the restraints?"

"Shut up, Dearka, are we gonna fight or what?"

"I'm choosing the 'or what' now get back to the _Gamow_! You're going to get yourself killed!"

"I'm fine, now let's go!" The Duel was gone before he even finished the statement and was about to engage a newly deployed mobile armor before his friend could decide what to do next.

"Eclipse, keep an eye on him. I'll do what I can back here, but this suit isn't made for close-range combat."

"You don't trust him?"

"You do?"

"He's an elite. I'm sure he can handle himself and besides, with the Duel beefed up as it is those puny mobile armors are going to flee at first glance anyway," Eclipse said as she followed Yzak into the fray. His suit did in fact have more fire power—being in Assault Shroud mode—with a Shiva railgun attached to the right shoulder and a 5-barrel missile pod on his left one. The suit could definitely take out more enemies with the new armaments, but they made his suit heavier and produced a few more blind spots in the process. Eclipse knew Dearka's concern was well-placed, but she couldn't worry about both herself and Yzak.

"I know but he's badly injured and terribly pissed. Just don't forget about him, okay?"

The redhead chose not to respond, leaving the smartass comment for a later time.

It was chaos; there was no other way to describe it. Eclipse was getting used to the one-on-one fights and, honestly, didn't like the "mass-mob-fighting" she was getting thrown into. Even back at the facility the simulations were mostly related to smaller units and infiltrations. She kept reminding herself she'd get use to it—if she wanted to survive she'd have to—but the transition was still difficult.

Not to mention she hadn't had a descent amount of rest since her escapade with Greed.

"Hey! Keep your eyes open!" Yzak yelled, sniping the mobile armor coming up on Eclipse's rear. Another smartass comment popped into her head—something about her, at least, having two of them—but she bit her tongue once again and focused on the fight at hand.

Two mobile armors advanced on her GINN, one at her 2 o'clock and another around her 12 o'clock. The one at her 2 attacked her with a barrage of bullets—causing more annoyance than actual damage—while the other launched two rockets. Using her shield to block the machine gun fire, Eclipse fled upward to keep her distance from the other assault. Once she was sure of the rockets' course, she aimed and destroyed them both, having to make a split second maneuver from cannon fire afterwards. _Yikes, didn't expect that one, _the weapon thought. The Earth Alliance ship that missed wasn't about to mess up again and fired its own guns at her mobile suit. Eclipse brought her shield up in time and retreated backwards towards two more mobile armors.

"Damn Coordinator!" a pilot shouted, but Eclipse wasn't sure which armor it was specifically. Not like it mattered anyway. The two advanced in front while the two from before came up the rear. Looking to be nothing more than the typical four on one, the redhead aimed at an armor in front of her, managing to take out a gun before its partner fired two more rockets. Remembering her enemies behind her—whose gun caliber was off by a few degrees—and knowing the chaos taking place above her position, Eclipse decided to go south. However, a forgotten warship and a well-placed blast nearly took out her right leg.

"Damnit," she hissed, and let out two more shots—disarming and destroying one enemy—before the remaining three slammed into her GINN. Two came in with daggers, narrowly missing the cockpit thanks to some remarkable reflexes by Eclipse. One dagger cut into the arm of the rear mobile armor, sending out sparks and curses alike. This caused the two at her waist to pause, but the one who attached itself to her left leg, aimed a rocket upward toward the crotch of the GINN.

"Die bastard!" the pilot shouted, but never got the shot off. Eclipse kicked upward, sending the armor on her leg straight into the one latched on in front. Getting them out of the way, she grabbed the arm of the remaining suit and threw it into the other two. A smirk and one shot caused an explosion chain reaction, leading the Berserker onto her next target.

Dearka had gotten to the warship before she did, leaving her with nothing more than dodging its desperate gunfire before her comrade's rifle took out its engines and bridge in one shot. _Show off,_ Eclipse thought and moved over to support an outnumbered Yzak instead of searching for another ship.

"I don't need your help!" the elite yelled as she took out a mobile armor coming at him from below. "I'm doing just fine!"

"He was in your blind spot and judging by the fact that you have only one eye working, you can't see half of the enemies coming at you," the Berserker spat, sniping two more rockets aimed at the Duel. "If you want to get revenge on the Strike, then you have to be smart about it. Stop relying solely on your anger and let's worry about making that hole to the 'Legged Ship.'"

Yzak didn't respond, slicing his beam saber through an enemy just as Eclipse did the same. He hesitated a moment once the area was clear—almost as if he was going to thank the GINN pilot—but decided to attack more of the Alliance before they could regroup. "Dearka, what's your status?" he asked, using a frequency all three were on.

"Give me a few seconds and I'll be there to back you up."

"Looks like our comrades have things under control. Athrun's already taken out a ship and Nicol's working on another. If we're lucky, they might send more troops over to help out on their side, leaving us with less fish to fry," Eclipse stated, following after Yzak.

"That works for me just fine," the Duel pilot said, taking out two more armors with one shot from Shiva.

The Berserker nodded and smirked as well, pulling out her sword to slice an enemy in half. So far things had been going smoothly, then again only four minutes into a battle wasn't saying much. None of the suits had taken damage—at least not the Buster, Duel, or her GINN—and the teamwork between Dearka and Yzak was quite impressive. The Duel had made it to another warship, focusing its attacks mainly on the ships engines while avoiding gunfire. Dearka had found an excellent position above his friend's fight, destroying any mobile armor that neared Yzak. The only problem about the set up was that the Buster was left open. This was where Eclipse was useful.

Three straggling armors advanced on the Gundam as Dearka destroyed a cannon on the warship before it could target the Duel. The Berserker damaged the boosters of one and cut off the arms of another before slicing the last one through just as it targeted the Buster. Turning back around, she sped towards the two damaged armors. The one with its boosters down fired a rocket. Eclipse planned on just cutting through the missile—to keep her momentum going—as she advanced on her enemies, but the other armor shot the rocket just before she reached it. Although the explosion didn't do much damage to the machine itself, the Berserker inside was caught off guard for a split second too long. The first armor fired another missile just as the other was destroyed, taking out Eclipse's right leg before she could regain her bearings.

Cursing loudly, she fired five shots randomly at her enemies—to keep them from advancing further—as she tried to stabilize her unit. None of the shots hit and the one armor that could move was in her face before she could put up an ample defense. She cursed again and sliced upward with her sword to catch its boosters while trying to avoid its gun fire. The bullets narrowly missed her head, but Dearka took out the machine before the Berserker could get another chance at it. "Eclipse, you alright?" he asked and took down the other enemy as well.

"Yeah, I'm fine, but damnit that was embarrassing. I lost a leg to a mobile armor?"

"You have to remember that your machine isn't as capable as ours. I'm sure your reaction time was fine, but your suit didn't process the command soon enough. Anyway, how's it look?"

"Right leg's gone and the booster's damaged as well. I'm fixing the output as we speak, but my performance has gone down considerably."

"You'll have to make due, it looks like Yzak just made our hole to the 'Legged Ship,'" the Buster pilot remarked, not hiding the excitement in his voice. After taking out the engines, the Duel went for the prize and destroyed the ship with an all-out attack. "There's only one ship left and then it's on to the main course."

* * *

"The 'Legged Ship's now pulling away? Halberton that bastard. Is he using the 8th Fleet as a shield to allow that ship to get to earth?" Creuset wondered aloud.

"Hm?" Ades replied, turning in his seat to look at the commander. If that was really what the Earth Forces were planning, things were going to get hectic.

"Close in on them! It's imperative we destroy it before it makes its descent!" Creuset ordered, causing the captain to jump slightly in his seat. He was on edge as it was.

"Right!" Ades shouted a moment later, relaying the command to the forces.

The pilots fighting took it differently. Athrun and Nicol merely nodded in response before upping their battle performances. Dearka sighed and muttered some curses at the 'Legged Ship' while Yzak sat in his cockpit fuming. "Where is he? Just where can that Strike be hiding?"

Eclipse shook her head. The tactic wasn't all that surprising, but if the 'Legged Ship' got to earth without the team inflicting any damage on it whatsoever, things were going to get difficult later on—mostly for the ZAFT troops on earth. However, with her suit in the state that it was, she couldn't do much of anything to support the others.

The Buster and Duel took off towards the last ship soon after the transmission, forgetting about the Berserker in her damaged GINN. _What to do,_ she thought, but didn't really have to dwell on that matter too much. She planned on following them no matter how beat up her machine was.

Pulling up the OS again, she made some final adjustments to fix the boosters, check her battery life, and just to stabilize the damaged area. The whole matter took seconds and she took off to help her comrades.

When the 'Legged Ship' launched the Strike and the Zero, it surprised both sides. Judging by the situation, the Earth Forces wouldn't have been too happy about the decision, but they had no other choice than to accept it. Everyone on that ship was stubborn—even ZAFT knew that—so the launches really weren't that unlikely.

Well, a certain individual on the Creuset team was happy.

Yzak got what he was asking for and luckily the Strike wasn't expecting the upgrades on his machine. The two met soon after the Alliance Gundam fled the ship and based on some obvious interpretation, the Strike felt slightly outmatched. "You're going down!" the Duel pilot yelled, offering up a barrage of shots before pulling out his beam saber. His enemy blocked two shots with his shield and evaded the third with a dodge to the right. Their weapons met then, Yzak's forcing the Strike backwards.

"Damn he's pissed," Dearka muttered over the frequency, watching his friend with mild amusement.

"More than usual?" Eclipse asked, still getting used to her damaged machine. Good thing they were in space and not on earth. She may have had more problems with gravity.

"Surprisingly, yes," the blonde responded, chuckling when Yzak spouted some more colorful language amid attacks. That laughter was short lived, however, when the Zero aimed and shot at the Buster. Three bullets hit him in the back before the mobile armor flew by the Gundam and began turning for the second round. Dearka muttered something and returned fire, missing the Zero by inches.

"Hey, don't get too close!" Athrun yelled, alerting the Berserker to his arrival. Nicol was right behind him, but they stopped short of their teammates' position.

Apparently, they knew something the other three didn't.

"Eclipse!" the Blitz pilot shouted. "Call Dearka and Yzak back. They'll be sucked into the earth's atmosphere at this rate."

"You think Yzak's gonna fall back now? He's finally getting his revenge on the Strike and being very vocal about it too."

"Yes, but the gravity could tear your units apart," Athrun explained, but the Berserker was already out of sight. _Damnit,_ he swore and if it wasn't for Nicol's intervention, he would've followed her.

Helplessness was not a feeling he enjoyed.

Eclipse wasn't totally sure what she could do. Dearka was fighting the Zero and Yzak was kicking the Strike's ass. What was left of the mobile armors and the 8th Fleet were pulling away from the 'Legged Ship,' so really she had nothing to do.

Hah, expect get sucked down with the rest of them.

"Captain Zellman!" she heard Nicol shout and turned towards the _Gamow_, hoping to see what was happening. Seeing the ship heading towards the flagship of the Alliance, she cursed and went to back it up.

_There's no way that ship can survive,_ the Berserker thought, realizing she could've meant either the _Gamow _or the Alliance warship. Swearing again—she was beginning to think Yzak was rubbing off on her—she pushed harder on the thrust to outmatch the gravity pull. It worked after a while, but she was thrown off course and instead of lining up with the bridge of one of the two remaining ships, she ended up about ten meters below. _Shit_, she thought when all her buzzers went off, but what she noticed first was the dramatic temperature change. Things were going to get difficult.

Well, at least she got the sauna vacation she had always wanted.

"Eclipse, what're you doing?" Athrun yelled, wanting to go and help, but knowing it would've been a stupid move. "Your GINN can't handle so much pressure and especially not in that state!" She didn't respond and, honestly, he was afraid she was on some kind of suicide mission. When they spoke before on the _Vesalius_, he sensed something wrong. The thing was, he could only blame himself. "Damnit, Eclipse!"

The Berserker ignored her comrade's pleas, not caring—at the moment—whether he was concerned about her fate or not. That alone was surprising, but right then she was the perfect weapon, not some emotional teenager who would drop everything and fall into the arms of her crush—not like he'd appreciate that anyway. Nope, all she cared about was the destruction of the last two ships.

After all, what else mattered?

Aiming carefully, Eclipse took out two cannons on one ship's haul, reducing its firepower to only machine guns. Fighting through gravity once more, she swung around to the back and fired at its engines, taking a few hits to her right side in the process. Her shield had blocked the first shots, but the combination of intense heat and bullet abuse forced the thing to break apart. Luckily, the _Gamow_ fired at the ship before it could attack again, destroying it with only one, last shot.

The explosion sent her flying into Dearka's fight with the Zero. The blonde had a few choice words about the intervention, but seeing as the mobile armor was fleeing already, the he began focusing on his immediate dilemma instead; falling to earth. "There's no way I can get out of this. The Zero damaged my boosters and I'm too far into the atmosphere now. Damnit! Can this thing even do entry on its own?"

_I guess we'll find out_, Eclipse thought, bringing up her own OS while trying to shake the sweat out of her eyes. She knew she was stuck—there was no question about that—but could she survive the fall?

Wasn't that the million dollar question?

"Where's Yzak?" Dearka asked as he began making adjustments to his own machine. If he shut off the battery output and focused on stabilizing his unit, he might avoid both an explosion and motion sickness.

Highly unlikely though.

"Still fighting the Strike," the Berserker responded. One of the screens she was looking at overheated and exploded, leaving her with no other option than watching her suit spin uncontrollably down to earth. It wasn't a comforting thought and just as sickening when her controls began failing.

Not even the strongest stomach could stand up to such abuse.

_I'm not going to make it,_ Eclipse realized and nearly panicked, but the Berserker stopped the paranoia.

No, this monster wasn't going to die just yet.

Athrun and Nicol watched it all from above; Zellman's heroic sacrifice, Yzak's reckless decision, and even their comrades' descent. The battle was won—that they both knew—but the 'Legged Ship' was still going to make it to earth. Given, it may be slightly off course—blame the Strike for that one—but on earth nonetheless.

"Yzak! Dearka! Come back you guys! Eclipse!" Nicol shouted into the transmission, causing more annoyance then actual help.

"They're too close to the earth's atmosphere. The gravity's pulling them in and there's nothing we can do about it. Damnit," Athrun cursed, as he watched helplessly. Putting two and two together, he figured Yzak and Dearka would be alright.—then again he didn't know everything about the prototypes and his calculations could be off. If that was the case they were both about to go through a nasty fall with some extreme temperatures. Eclipse, however, was another matter. He didn't think her GINN would make it at all.

At least not in one piece.

* * *

"Did you see the report?" Stray asked as he set a tray of fresh cookies down on the table and took the seat across from his comrade. Most of the SIN-ED members—Stray and FS included—had fled to earth after the colony incident with Eclipse and Heine. It didn't take them long to find a place to camp—by ransacking some houses on the outskirts of a small village—and start their operations, but ever since the failed connection at L4, things had been getting pretty heated among the officials. Mostly between Roan and FS, who were banging heads for leadership as it was. "You know he's not going to be happy about it."

"Who cares; we tried and that's that," FS growled, grabbing a cookie and chomping down hard.

Stray almost made the comment, "What did the cookie ever do to you?" but bit down on his own pastry instead. "Yes, but he was very persistent about her."

"And only God knows why."

"Whatever the reason, we failed and we're in too delicate a position to not be scared shitless. He'll have our asses for sure."

The brunette didn't respond and sipped at his coffee. The real reason they had set up that meeting with Eclipse was because of Roan's insistence. Of course, Stray had been all for the idea immediately, but FS wanted to wait. He planned on showing the redhead how they were going to change things instead of merely telling her. The meeting didn't go well—as they both agreed—and FS blamed it mostly on the timing. She hadn't had a chance to see how ZAFT was going to treat her.

How they were going to use her.

"Anyway, what're we going to do now? He'll be here in a few hours and, honestly, I don't want to get in a huge fight with him again. You know the unrest that brought about last time," Stray went on, ignoring his friend's inner turmoil. He wasn't one for politics anyway.

"Six dead and most of them Naturals. I don't necessarily call that a huge lost—seeing as the organization's growing—but they were from De'Amelith. Killing original members wasn't a good idea."

"Like we had a choice and besides, Greed could be blamed for that one. Anyway, you think they'll attempt a mutiny again?"

"I'm trying not to think about it. Let's just worry about this meeting first 'cause, for some reason, Roan has more support here then me. If he's pissed—"

"Then we're targets," Stray finished, sighing lightly and poured himself another glass of coffee. Even though FS had been the one to free everyone form Januarias 4 and provide the other renegades with shelter, he was the top one on the Black List. Why, neither of them knew, but they figured it was because of conflicting strategies. FS wanted to break down each army individually and from the inside, while Roan just wanted to destroy them outright—a little less time consuming, but practically suicidal by anyone estimations. However, there had to be more to his plan then that.

The problem was what.

"Why do you think she did it? I mean, you _are _the head of this thing and she knew she'd have to face you eventually. Why would she attack us?" the cook asked softly, sounding quite hurt.

FS sighed. His friend had been asking him the same question ever since they heard the transmission and, frankly, he didn't have a descent answer. "I'm sure ZAFT is using her, but they've probably twisted her to think she's doing some form of justice. At any rate, Lexi doesn't just do things for the hell of it, so she probably has _something _in mind."

"Yeah, I suppose you're right, but, Revelin, does this mean we have to hunt her now? She is a threat to us after all."

"I'm not so sure. Roan seems almost obsessed with her, so just killing her off would be foolish on his part. No, I think he has something planned, but I have no idea what. I really don't like it though." The brunette stood up and walked across the living room to the window. It was a cool, winter day outside and almost lovely if it wasn't for the melted snow, dead grass, and untidy garden near the picket fence. Stray had been working at it—getting it ready for spring—but his efforts had made it look worse. FS could only hope his friend had some kind of green thumb or his long stares out the window were going to be dreary ones from now on.

The cook sipped at his coffee again, breaking up another cookie and dropping it in the cup. The brunette watched him silently, deciding to ignore his antics a long time ago.

He'd go crazy if he pointed everything out.

"Did you see the letters I found and laid out for you?" Stray asked.

FS nodded. "That's what's making me nervous. I think they have something to do with Lexi, but it's just a hunch. Did you find out who Muruta Azrael and Gilbert Durandal were?"

"I haven't been able to do a descent search with Roan's cronies watching my every move. The name Azrael sounds vaguely familiar, but I'm not gonna jump the gun just yet. Until I know more, I think we'd best assume they're helping him with his 'grandmaster plan.'"

"That's obvious," FS muttered. He felt powerless, with the whispers of mutiny, Roan's secrets, and Eclipse's unknown role floating around. It didn't help that the interrupted meeting at L4 had caused some strain between SIN-ED and the Earth Forces. If the damage wasn't repaired soon, they could lose all funds and ammo. Seeing as destroying the armies was the main target, having no fire power was going to make things quite difficult. "Jaeger, what are we missing? Is the answer slapping us in the face, but we're just too numb to realize it?"

"Y'know, we could always just ask him."

"Hah, yeah, that's a great idea. I'll just leave that to you then while I size up your coffin. Wooden or metal? Wait, would you rather be cremated?"

"He'd sooner kill you than me. I'm a little more loved than you are."

"'Cause you're the only chef."

"Well, it counts for something in this world, apparently," Stray said, walking into the kitchen to grab some salsa. Again FS decided not to ask, but when he came back and dropped two spoonfuls into his coffee, he gagged.

"Jaeger?"

"Hm?" he wondered, licking his fingers before pouring some on a cookie and shoving it into his mouth.

"Oh, never mind."

* * *

**_A/N: _**Hey all, sorry this one took so long. The battle part scared me so I was putting it off for quite some time. I just had spring break--that helped me finish it--but now that I've been paying so much attention to this, I have a ton of homework to do... (Sigh) Oh well, such is life.

I hope the battle was easy to follow and, please, if there was anything confusing let me know. I tried my best, but it's still not perfect. I _am _proud of it--okay a little--but suggestions would be great. I realize Eclipse got pretty beat up during the fight, but she's only in a GINN and, like Dearka said, they don't take damage as well as the Gundams. I hope I didn't overdo it and the fact that she's gone Berserk three times within the past day is really going to take a toll on her. Once is usually enough to drain her body, so that may have factored in as well.

We see a little interaction between Dearka, Yzak, and Eclipse here, but not much. They'll learn to appreciate each other here soon enough and despite outward appearances, they do "give a damn" about what happens to each other. Let's just hope they can pull it together on earth,. but first they have to survive the fall. It's not going to be a pretty sight, but hey, that's the risk they took.

Ending with FS and Stray was kind of a wimpy move on my part. There was a lot of action early on and then it just died down as soon as we're with the two at their "cottage." I wanted to throw them into this chapter--mainly because they're key players in this story--but I didn't want to break up the battle. When in doubt, end it on a funny/disgusting note, right? Anyway, they seem to be having some problems of their own and let me tell you, it's only going to get worse. Well, FS's going to be sorry he let Stray anywhere near the garden that is.

I meant to have more interaction between Nicol and Eclipse before she fell to earth, and actually--now that I look at the timeline--I didn't have to rush things so much. I still had a few days to mess with, but oh well, I'll get it in later.

Again, thanks for all the reviews and helpful comments. They keep me going with this story and make me feel special at the same time. Oh, also I'd like to say a huge thanks for the C2 invite. I was surprised and very touched when I saw it. :) Thanks!

_Death-Scimitar:_ I am so stoked to have Andy in the next few chapters (Yes he's going to make an appearance). I've already thought up so many things that they could do/conversations they could have an whatnot. And I can't wait to give Aisha a personality. I was hoping she would've stayed around longer--especially because of her relationship with Andy--but alas, she developed DDS (Dramatic Death Syndrome) and left. (Sigh) ...I suddenly have the urge to have the Gundam boys sing karaoke... Okay, it's not so random of an idea ('cause I've had it before) but it could get interesting. Oh yeah, we really need to stop making fun of Athrun when he says "Piano!" but I know we never will. If no one knows what we're talking about then we're probably the only ones who thought it was ridiculous/hilarious. Same with the "Uh, okay!" in Destiny. Honestly, the guy's a dolt... (Sigh)

_Asmus: _Thanks for the review and the good advice. Honestly, I was wondering if were caught up on the chapters or not and I'm glad to see you're sticking around. I'm glad you like the fact that I have very few battles (at least per chapter) in this story. That's good for me 'cause writing them is tough and this means I can do more one on one interaction with the characters without feeling guilty. :P Also, if people don't mind the month or so waits between chapters that's really neat. I know the readers may forget what happened in the previous chapter, but if you're all willing to stick around 'til the end, then thanks. :)

_CSSStravag: _Yay, I'm glad you liked my close-quarters combat! That's so much easier for me than having my characters word though a machine. I admit though, I'm getting used to the mobile suit fighting--at least after this chapter. I guess I'll have to eventually if I want to take this as far as I'm planning and believe me, I will go through with my plan. As for Eclipse, her time will come. She's slowly breaking emotionally, but her best way of dealing with it is to isolate herself. That method will probably hurt her in the long run, but for now, she has no other outlet.

_Darkangelsonic: _I must admit that was one huge block of a review. I didn't mind reading it in the least--it was quite refreshing actually--but I have one question: What didn't you get about the "Bob" thing? Maybe I was the only one who found it funny--and looking at my record I wouldn't be surprised--but I'm just curious to know what was confusing. Oh, we won't get into the Destiny conversation. I have a _lot_ to say about that season and not much of it is good. At any rate, having Nicol "revive" is iffy from where I'm sitting, but who knows, it could change. I planned on just following the SEED timeline (for the most part) but lately I've been thinking of some changes I could make. (Shrugs) We'll see.

Strata


	24. Where Loyalties Lie

Where Loyalties Lie

Falling through the Earth's atmosphere didn't turn out like Eclipse thought it would. Not like she believed it was going to be quick and easy, but honestly, did it have to take almost twenty straight minutes of intense heat and practically destroy her GINN too?

It just didn't seem fair.

The weapon didn't remember landing… falling… crashing… or whatever really happened. When she woke up, her cockpit door was open and some medics were reaching in to pull her out. At first they didn't look like medics—she was a little dazed—so some flailing seemed justified. Surprisingly, after so much that had happened, Eclipse was able to throw a few good punches.

Perhaps it was because the Berserker was still in charge.

They managed to get her settled down and onto a stretcher, but never under control. Her other half had taken over her mind completely by this time and because the adrenaline was still surging through her system, it seemed as if its effects weren't going to wear off any time soon.

"What about the other pilots? Have you safely secured them?" Eclipse didn't know the voice, but by the colors of the uniforms, it was some of the ZAFT military who had found them.

Thank goodness.

The three of them were placed in a single aircraft while their units—or what was left of them—were put in a different carrier. So far, Eclipse was least injured. "So far" meaning she really didn't want to know what her Berserker side had been numbing her to during the descent.

Dearka was spiking a fever over one hundred, but no injuries other than that. However, that problem alone was causing him much grief. Delirium and chills were only two of his symptoms.

Yzak wasn't doing much better. He also had a fever over one hundred and the constant sweating was stinging the still fresh wound near his right eye. The medics had tried to rebandage it, but that required it to be cleaned out. Eclipse had never heard Yzak scream before and after what she heard that day, she didn't want to again. When Dearka—in his delirious state—had heard the screams, his mind instantly skipped to some frightening scenario and his thrashing began again.

The flight was full of constant chaos and the weapon was caught in the middle of it. She wanted to do something, anything to help them, but knew what she could do was limited.

She was, after all, bedridden.

The two redcoats had never accepted Eclipse like Athrun and Nicol had—at least before the incident in the hanger—and because of that, Yzak and Dearka had been mean if not nasty to her. Why then did she feel the need to stop their pain?

Was it just because they were on the same team?

"Do you have ice or some sort of ice water?" the Berserker asked, grabbing onto the nearest medic as he tried to make his way over to the Duel pilot. He looked down at her, saw her eyes and nearly ran away terrified. Everyone always seemed so scared of her, but why? She just pulled harder. "Please, I'm not crazy. Just tell me yes or no."

The medic thought it over for a moment then looked somewhere behind her and nodded. "Yeah, we have some ice and some cool water."

"Good. Take a bag of ice and put it on the back of their necks then put one rag of cold water on their forehead and two others on the insides of their wrists. Please, that should help reduce their fevers."

It looked as if he was going to argue, but thank goodness he left without another word. So far it seemed as if no one was doing anything for their fevers and that was the main problem at the moment. Their other injuries _did_ need attendance, but how could they fully heal when their brain was overheating?

Apparently, the medics were only learning high-tech machinery and ten syllable words.

What was the world coming to?

Luckily, their crash point had been relatively close to the Gibraltar base on Earth. If they had been any farther away, help probably would've come too late and they'd all be dead.

Such a pleasant thought.

The infirmary was crowded with doctors once they were rolled inside. Three went over to Yzak (one for his head wound and the others to help with the inspection and fever reduction) and two more over to Dearka. The boys' fevers had gone down slightly since Eclipse suggested the home remedy, but even for Coordinators they were at dangerous levels.

By this time, the adrenaline rush was leaking out of the third pilot and her injuries from the fall were finally showing through. A fever of her own spiked and she blacked out almost instantly.

It was going to be a rough night.

* * *

"You're late."

"And always a pleasure to see you too, Revelin," Roan cooed, slamming the door after him and taking off his black suit jacket. He threw it on the end of the couch along with his dress shoes, ignoring the disgusted faces of his fellow colleagues. While Stray and FS were the only ones officially assigned to the cottage, Roan—along with the remaining three Sins—often came over to have "unexpected sleepovers". It was nothing more than late, leadership meetings that ended with Wrath, Lust, and Sloth bailing, one of the other three left sleeping on the couch, one on the floor, and one—typically Stray—raiding the fridge and coffee grounds. This meeting, however, had been planned.

The only problem, it was scheduled to start three hours ago.

"If you say you ran into traffic you might as well kiss that head of yours goodbye," FS threatened, leaning forward on the dining room table.

"And he doesn't mean the one on your shoulders," the chef added, shoving the last bit of a bread stick into his mouth. It was almost symbolic—in a sadistic, disgusting sort of way—but still not something Roan wanted to think about.

"Where are the others?" he asked instead.

"Lust is out trying to regain connections with the Earth Forces. They said they won't be back for a couple of days yet," FS explained, calming down a bit. His brown hair—usually patted down—was sticking up in various directions. Two things could be blamed for that, his frustration at having to wait so long for Roan, and the fact that Stray got bored.

Nothing was safe when that happened.

"You sent Melanie and Phoebe out to reconnect? _Lust_?"

"Well, _Envy_, seeing as their main purpose is to make new friends, yes, I sent them out. How they do it is entirely up to them," the brunette said, casting his nemesis a glare as he took the seat to his right. The two Lust girls were known for their peculiar ways of getting what they wanted. To some it may not look so strange—and some guys didn't mind for obvious reasons—but whatever their antics, it always seemed to work. In fact, that was the reason they were elected onto the council in the first place. Being twins made things a bit more difficult—because FS couldn't pick one over the other—but it worked to SIN-ED's advantage in the long run. Without Lust, the brunette was sure they'd get no where with the Earth Forces.

"Trevor—well Sloth—left about two hours ago and Wrath never showed. Ironically, Sloth showed up on time. _You_ were the one late," Stray said, shrugging slightly. "We would've left too, but since this is our house, there was no where else to go." Although Trevor was named Sloth because of his personal characteristics, he was an excellent strategist. That in itself was surprising, seeing as he was the laziest of the group. Apparently, he only put his efforts into devious battle plans.

"Naturally," Roan muttered, unbuttoning the top few buttons of his shirt while loosening his tie.

FS was wondering about that. "Why are you so dressed up? Just come back from prom?"

"Wrath and I were making some connections of our own."

"Now, doesn't that sound dirty," Stray muttered, silencing the comment with another sip of his coffee. Wrath—formally known as Logan—not only had a quick and deadly temper, but was quite a flirt in his own right. He had called himself a "lady's man" on many occasions and some whispers had been going around that he was also a "manly man".

No one decided to test those rumors.

Well, all but Stray and he was never going to tell.

"What kind of connections?" the brunette asked quickly, smiling devilishly from his comrade's remark. If not his eating habits, FS always did like his humor.

Roan wasn't as amused. "Logan and I were talking to ZAFT, if you must know."

"What!" was the unanimous response. FS had jumped to his feet and Stray did the most unthinkable thing of dropping the cookie he was eating. Don't worry, he quickly picked it up and shoved it in his mouth before entering the heated conversation.

"Damnit Roan, we _agreed_ we'd only work with the Earth Forces, take out ZAFT, and _then_ go after the Naturals."

"That's taking too long."

"Too long?" the brunette asked, disbelief coving his anger for only a moment. "We don't have enough people to target both! We've barely been able to help the Earth Forces thus far. Without our soldiers, they would've been massacred by now and without _their_ help, we'd be just as dead. And you want to do things on our own? Ridiculous." He sat down after the statement, ruffling his hair even more.

"Numbers aren't everything in a war, Pride. Besides, if we make connections with ZAFT, we'll get better weaponry and be able to pick them away from the inside. If anything, we'll be helping the Earth Forces win quicker."

"Is speed all you care about? Envy, we'd be putting our own members in danger if we go that route," FS sighed, now rubbing his forehead and the unwanted headache that was forming. Usually he didn't like to use the SIN-ED nicknames in conversations, but this idiot was getting on his nerves. It was going to be another long night; he could tell.

"That's the price we'll have to pay," Roan continued.

"No, it's not. We vowed we wouldn't take that risk, and that's why we were going to stay out of the spotlight. As leaders, our first priority is to protect those we command."

"Sure, sure, but can't you see all the potential? We can be so much more than the destroyers of war. We can be the rulers of peace."

"What comic book did you jump out of?" Stray spat, setting down another half-eaten cookie. "There's no such thing as 'rulers of peace' because who in their right mind would go from one subjugation to another? We only know war, so by killing off others like ourselves, we'll create an _opportunity_ for peace. No one can rule over a people he can't understand."

"There you go, clumping me with you guys again. I'm not like you; I can think with something other than my pistol and I'm sure I can figure out how to rule a peaceful world," Roan countered. His eyes told them he honestly believed what he was saying, but the thing was, why? At times Roan seemed more unstable then half of the SIN-ED members and he hadn't even gone directly through the training. How could someone like that hope to run a pacifistic world?

"Hah, that's a good one," FS mocked, but held up a hand before anyone could continue. "But, for the sake of argument, what if I was to believe you? SIN-ED isn't strong enough to take out both armies, shock the remaining humans into peace, and then establish a dictatorship. We don't have that kind of power."

"Not yet."

Stray glared at the older member, slamming his coffee cup down on the table. "I knew it! That's _really_ why you're connecting with ZAFT so soon. What the hell do you want with Lexi, Roan?"

"Don't you get it yet? She's the ultimate soldier." The other two just groaned and threw up their hands in surrender. Even though this was the first time they had heard Roan's reasoning, it sounded ridiculous. "No, hear me out. The myth of the Berserker is what started this whole predicament. She's what you guys were _supposed_ to become. Why do you think De'Amelith and Januarias 4 were set up? Could you even imagine the kind of power someone could obtain with an army like that at his disposal?"

"It's a _myth_. She's nothing but a human being."

"Are you so sure, Pride? There's scientific proof Berserkers aren't just legends and I have genetic proof Lexi isn't a mere human. Do you really want to fight me on facts? Besides, can you imagine what kind of power she could bring? And if we could find more like her? Guys, we'd be unstoppable."

FS had to admit it sounded appealing—what kind of ultimate power isn't?—but Roan was making a risky gamble. He was resting everything on whether or not Lexi was as "legendary" as he believed. The brunette glanced over at Stray—trying to figure out what he thought of everything—but the only clue was the chef's fussiness with his food. Staring down at his plate, Stray was pushing a chocolate chip around instead of eating it. Not a huge hint, but enough to show he was thinking things over. FS wanted to ask, but didn't dare while Roan was still around.

Stray had clicked with Lexi better than the brunette had, but that could've been because of the sexual tension between him and the redhead. The chef seemed to be the neutral one of the trio, but FS knew something—no matter how small—was still there. Despite the three's original decision to avoid each other, they never stuck to it. Breaking the quick—but strong—friendship was harder than any of them anticipated. So, they knew Lexi's strengths quite well, but they couldn't be as great as Roan claimed.

Could they?

Stray finally glanced over at his comrade, but his look wasn't a comforting one. He thought she could, and, frankly, FS couldn't disagree.

* * *

"So, how long are we going to be stuck in here, doc?" Dearka was the first to regain consciousness, or even "come back to life" was a good enough phrase. It had been almost three days since the elites fell to Earth, but they were a long and tiring three days. The blonde's fever had risen to extensive levels almost immediately after Eclipse had passed out. The doctors had tried everything to bring it down, but nothing was working. It had gotten so bad that everyone was convinced he'd fall into a coma, but luckily that never happened.

"Yeah, we have some work to do." Yzak's cut near his right eye had reopened when an attempt to restitch it went terribly wrong. One doctor had cut out the old ones and was about to start stitching when Dearka had another moment of delirium. It involved beds that were too close together and a domino effect of medics. Needless to say, some stitching needles went straight into the wound.

After that, the three of them were then put into separate rooms, but why they were all in the same one to begin with was beyond the redhead's comprehension.

It was true; the human race was getting dumber.

"I want to keep you guys around for another day yet to monitor you. I realize you're all Coordinators and bounce back quickly from injuries like this, but all of you were damn near close to death. Besides, your female comrade hasn't awoken yet." The older doctor looked tired and was even swaying as he stood there. If it wasn't for that fact the boys might have complained again.

Hey, even they can be sympathetic sometimes.

One of the other doctors had explained what had happened starting from when they were found and ending with them sitting in hospital beds. They had heard about Eclipse's suggestion and even though it didn't stop the fevers, it definitely kept them stable until proper help was acquired. It was either the near death experience or the fact that the redhead had saved their lives that changed their feelings towards her. Well, whatever the case, they weren't about to just leave her behind anymore.

"When do you think she'll wake up?" Yzak asked, absently pulling at the bandage on his face. He really wanted it off.

"Yesterday I would've said `Any time now,' but since it's been so long I'm not quite sure anymore. Her machine wasn't as well-equipped as yours for the descent, which is probably why it's nothing but scrap metal now. I guess I'm also surprised she even came out of it so unscathed. Besides the fever, all she had was a mild concussion and a sprained wrist. Considering how bad you two turned out, I would've betted on her dying." The doctor paused, hiding a yawn behind one hand. He was running on two hours of sleep and an almost twenty-eight hour shift.

The only thing that he wanted to do was find a bed and pass out.

"I'll come and get you when she wakes up, but for now, you two get more rest. Elsman, I'll help you to your room." No matter how well Dearka had been looking as he sat there on the bed, once he accepted help, Yzak knew things weren't going too well. The blonde was one of the most stubborn people he knew.

"Dearka, you sure you're—"

"Oh stop fussing, Yzak. Go to sleep."

* * *

Eclipse really didn't want to get up. Not only was she having a very pleasant, utopian dream—one involving FS and Stray—but when she was asleep, she couldn't feel anything. Most of that was probably thanks to the pain killers, but if she was waking up, her drugs were most likely wearing off.

Aw, damnit.

The first thing she noticed was the lights; those damn, bright appliances that seemed to burn a hole directly through to the brain, instead of stopping at the retinas. To make matters worse, when she tried to soothe her headache, she twisted her right wrist the wrong way. That was not a pleasant experience. Back when Ameria shot her hand, Eclipse had gotten used to the pain, however, now it was new again.

But just as annoying.

"Ah, good, you're awake," the nurse said, picking up the same, wounded arm the elite had just used to check her pulse.

_You have got to be kidding me,_ Eclipse grumbled, biting her bottom lip when her "caretaker" set the wrist back down awkwardly. Why the nurse chose to pick her bad hand the redhead wasn't sure, but she couldn't exactly blame her for doing anything wrong. They had, in fact, saved her life.

Or maybe she should blame them for that.

"Where am I?" Eclipse asked, barely managing—thanks to a dry throat and mouth—to get the words out smoothly.

Taking the hint, the nurse left the room and came back with a glass of ice chips. "You and the two other elites are at the Gibraltar base," she said, remembering the question. "I don't know all the details, but, apparently, you're lucky to be alive."

_Sounds about right, _the redhead thought, dropping an ice cube into her mouth. _Considering what was going on at the time, we're lucky we didn't fall into the ocean or something. Hell, we're lucky we fell in one piece._

"Is there anything else you need before I get the doctor?" the nurse asked.

"Yeah, is there something I can get for this headache? If I wasn't so attached to this thing on my shoulders I'd tell you to chop it off altogether. Well, _Che sera sera_, I guess. Have anything?" Eclipse asked, amusing herself with the emotions on the medic's face. The elite just couldn't resist.

She blinked, cringed, and forced a laugh before walking out the door shouting, "I'll be right back," once she had made it safely into the hallway.

Apparently, no one enjoyed morbid humor anymore.

The doctor walked in a few seconds later, folding a few pages over on his clipboard. It had been another day since his talk with Yzak and Dearka, so he had finally gotten a chance to get a decent amount of rest. Well, sort of. Dearka ended up having an allergic reaction to his medication earlier that morning and the doctor was called back to help with the mess. Everything cleared up within an hour and both redcoats—Yzak was worried sick, though he'd never admit it—were finally resting once again. "How're you feeling?" he asked, pulling up a chair next to the bed.

"It feels like a mobile suit carrier decided to park on my head for a few hours and—for some reason—I can actually see the earth revolving as I sit here. I would be happy if I gained some psychic ability, but my stomach can't handle much more of it."

"You had a concussion so the dizziness is to be expected as well as the headache. I'll have the nurse bring in something. One more thing, how's your wrist? It said in your records that same hand was injured about a year ago, so the severity of the sprain could depend on how well your hand healed," the doctor explained.

"Well, it cramps up every now and again, but the last time it did that was less than a month ago."

"Ah, you see, depending on how often you used your injured hand—or how good your rehab was—your wrist could've been terribly weak when you crashed. If that's the case, it could be terribly injured. I'd like to do a proper assessment of that right now, if you don't mind."

_Of course I mind, _Eclispe thought, but merely nodded. It's not like she had a choice anyway. Biting her bottom lip—along with some colorful internal dialogue—she sighed and tried to relax.

Hah, she was stuck in a medical bay with an older doctor fondling one of her appendages. To top things off, she was back on Earth with no way of returning to outer space, and stuck with the two hotheads of the Creuset team.

_Yeah, relax, that's a good one._

* * *

The examination over, Eclipse was surprised to see herself with her two teammates. Dearka was the only one in his bed and Yzak had pulled up a chair off to his right. The redhead decided to sit on the blonde's left, but not close enough to cause any kind of uneasiness.

But still it was awkward.

"Heard anything from the commander yet?" Eclipse asked, getting annoyed by the monitors and the boring Soap Opera on the television. If she had to hear another thing about Rickie's break-up with Roxanne she was going to pull it from the wall.

"Not a damn thing," Yzak grumbled.

"Relax, I'm pretty sure he just found out we're all still alive," Dearka said, scooching up further in his bed. The other two elites had decided to migrate to the blonde's room across the hall instead of meeting in one of theirs. It was the Duel pilot's suggestion and Eclipse found herself playing along. Yzak didn't show sentimentality often so she planned on taking advantage of the situation.

"But it's already been four days! Don't you think he would've asked about our condition by now?"

"I'm sure he knows we're still alive, but seeing as I just had my final assessment, he'll be able to get the full report," the redhead said, adjusting her chair so she wouldn't have to see the television anymore. Someone should've dropped a nuke in that town ages ago. "But on another note, how do you guys like earth?"

"When did you become so conversational?" Yzak spat, but Dearka just sighed.

"She's asking 'cause we're probably going to be stuck here for a while."

"And when did you two start developing a mind link?"

"When you started being an ass and there was no other choice," the blonde countered. Eclipse just blinked and watched them. It was common sense the Duel pilot had a temper, but she never knew Dearka to get heated as well. Seeing as they had known each other for a long time, it seemed reasonable he had to offset Yzak's anger somehow, but she had only seen him do this when it involved the other team members. The redhead couldn't help but feel proud of her tan-skinned ally.

"How can I not 'be an ass' when we're stuck in a hospital bed—"

"_We're _not in the same bed, Yzak."

"Shut up! You know what I mean. We're stuck here waiting for orders, there's this damn bandage on my face, and the St—"

"Please don't talk about the Strike," Eclipse groaned, cutting the rant short. "We know he's here on Earth, we know we failed in destroying him, and we know you blame him for everything. Let's just have that understanding, okay?"

The pilot was about to counter when Dearka beat him to it. Seeing Yzak sit there, mouth open and then shut embarrassingly was quite amusing. "Yeah, we can't forget we failed either. The commander's probably getting an ear full back at headquarters while we sit here ignoring our humiliation."

"Maybe we should be happy we fell here. We'll get another chance at them," the redhead responded, fiddling with the bandages around her wrist. Her teammates nodded—thinking she was taking about the crew of the 'Legged Ship'—but really she was thinking about FS and Stray. Ever since the hangar incident with Athrun and Nicol, their offer was still in the back of her mind. And that dream she had the night before didn't help matters. _After all, shouldn't monsters, be with monsters?_

"I'm hoping we'll get another shot, but that may be idealistic thinking," Yzak said, continuing with the conversation. "If I was the commander, I'd have kicked us off the mission a long time ago. With so many screw-ups, it'd be more beneficial to try another squad and their tricks instead of continuing to rely on our old ones." No matter how much they didn't want to admit it, the Duel pilot had made a good point.

Who in their right mind would keep a losing line-up in the game?

* * *

Roan had left almost forty-five minutes ago, but still Stray hadn't said a word. In fact, he hadn't moved. The chocolate chip was still being wordlessly tossed about the plate and its puppet master watching it tumbled. The silence was deafening. If FS hadn't been lost in his own thoughts, me might've picked up the chip, eaten it, and then thrown the plate at Stray's head.

"What d'we do?" the chef finally asked.

His comrade merely sighed, hoping he was going to ask a different question like, "Did you want more coffee?" That one he could've answered. "He's treating her like a god."

"Goddess."

"Whatever; the point is, if she comes over to our side, and he gets a hold of her first, his delusional self will end up getting her killed."

"I don't want Lexi to die." The phrase came out deadpan, as if he was just stating some fact and no questioning was allowed. For Stray, it was a bit strange. Usually he said things light-heartedly or at least added in a smile. Now he was straight-faced, narrow-eyed, and quite intimidating. Him stabbing the chocolate piece over and over only reinforced FS's fears.

"What should we do about it then?" the brunette asked, honestly wanting to hear his answer. While Stray may not say much in everyday conversation, when he did say something, FS usually paid attention.

At least when it wasn't about food.

"How deep in shit are we?" the chef asked.

"How well can you swim?"

"Honestly, I sink, but we're not talking about water. Say we stopped Envy before he does anything rash, what're the odds people will think we didn't do it?"

"86 to 1."

"86 to 1?"

FS nodded, a wry grin on his lips. "There's 86 in SIN-ED right now, not counting Roan and the six other who would be with him. If they blamed you, I'd say no and the others would say yes. If they blamed me, you'd say no and the others would say yes."

"You're sure I'd say no?"

"Jaeger…."

"Yeah, you're right; I might be a good mood," Stray said, adding the bubbliness his last statements had been lacking. It could've been the small prospect of Eclipse joining them that lifted his mood, but the brunette figured it wasn't.

"Glad to know I still have someone I can trust."

"So, you think we can go through with it then? Set him up?"

"Did you find anything more on Gilbert Durandal and Muruta Azrael?"

"Hm," Stray began, leaning back in his chair and wiggling the fork between his front teeth. How that made him think better FS had no idea. "There wasn't much on Durandal; only that he's a genetics scientist in the PLANTS. He doesn't have much to do with the military, but he seems to have some influence in the Supreme Council. Azrael, on the other hand, happens to be the leader of Blue Cosmos."

"The group of Coordinator-haters?"

The chef nodded. "That's the one, but they've been becoming quite powerful lately."

"How powerful?"

"Perhaps powerful enough to send an assassin after a lowly group like SIN-ED, you mean?"

They both smiled before Stray got up and grabbed two more chocolate cookies from the counter. He was about to come back to the table when he stopped, snapped his fingers and opened the freezer. Pulling out a bucket of vanilla ice cream, he plopped a scoop between the cookies. He smashed them tightly together and walked back to FS. "Hm," the brunette started, "that looks pretty good. Mind if I have a bite?" Stray nodded and handed him the sandwich, licking the melting ice cream off his fingers. FS examined it quickly, making sure he hadn't put anything...unfamiliar in the mixture. Satisfied, he chomped down. _What the hell?_ he thought and spit it onto the table. He looked around for something, anything and ended up grabbing the only thing left on the table; a napkin.

Using the napkin to wipe off his tongue, the brunette glared as Stray cocked his head to the side and glanced down at the food in his hand. "What, you don't like it?"

"What did you put in that? I watched you make it. How the hell did vinegar get in there?"

"Vinegar? Oh, I didn't like the taste of the vanilla ice cream so I added some vinegar."

"To the whole tub?"

"Uh-huh," Stray nodded, shoving the rest of the dessert into his mouth.

"Thanks for the warning," FS grumbled, crumbling up the napkin and throwing it at his comrade before rising from his seat to leave him and his delicacies behind. Sighing, the brunette shook his head before closing his bedroom door only to find himself running for the toilet when the chef announced he was going to have another one. _I need a new roommate._

_

* * *

_**_A'N: _**Hey guys! It's been a while, hasn't it? Sorry 'bout that. School's finally done--for the summer at least--and I think I officially got sick for the last time this season. We can only hope... Anyway, I plan on finishing this story by the end of the summer and since there's a _lot _to go yet, I got to get crackin'.

This is another slow chapter, but because there was so much action in the other one, I thought it'd be alright. I had to establish a few things here and there anyway. _Shrugs. _I hope you didn't mind it and have some questions answered at least.

Thanks again to everyone reading and reviewing! Yay! It makes me so happy to see chapters being read at least ten times a day. :) I hope I won't disappoint any of you and if you have any suggestions or gripes, I'm open to them so just send 'em my way!

Oh, by the way. I plan on sending personal messages to my reviewers instead of posting them on this page. I'll answer some immediate questions I think everyone'll want to know, but for the most part, my responses will be for "their eyes only." Why the sudden change? I think it's more fun to get personal ones, actually. I was never for them before, but I found myself holding back sometimes. Sorry for those of you who enjoyed reading these, but I hope you understand. :)

_Death-Scimitar_: So, about "Yellow Flower Syndrome," it's so true. I think Heero started it all, but Kira definitely won't end it. I'll never look at a bouquet of yellow flowers the same again... especially with my record of deaths. I was hoping to get into Andy, Aisha, and DaCosta, but it just never happened. _Shrugs_ Next chapter though, I promise. I'm so stoked for them so it should be interesting. :) Oh yeah, amen to that mobile suit fighting stuff... I'm getting used to it, but I'll take hand-to-hand any day. It's easier to write anyway. Stravag--and all you other mobile suit writers out there--I have no idea how you do it...

_CSSStravag_: Actually, I'm surprised you never saw the battle with the 8th fleet. For some reason I thought you had seen the entire Anime. _Shrugs _The beginning's boring anyway, so you really didn't miss much. (Sorry out there for all of you who liked the beginning DVDs, I really didn't. I didn't get into it until the fourth which is Andy!) I'm glad you liked my twist at the end of the last chapter and that it wasn't just some wimp-out on my part. I have moments of insecurity and that was definitely one of them. :P I plan on having more of those two in the future because I really need to develop them further, but we'll see where they end up.

_Darkangelsonic_: I'm not sure how much you'll feel that Stray and FS are wimpy in the future; at least I'm working on that. I'm glad you're interested in them though. You always seem to bring them up and I've tried to make them lovable characters, but I think I have to mix some things up here pretty quick. Also, I hope this chapter answered a few of your questions about Roan. If you hated him and thought he was cliche, good; it was suppose to turn out that way. :) The Gundam thing we'll have to see about coming up. Since I'm not straying (Hah! Stray!) too far from the storyline, her predicament might be interesting...

Strata


	25. Broadside of a Barn

Broadside of a Barn

Eclipse wasn't there for the transmission from the commander. She had been in contact with Dearka and Yzak when they got the announcement, but she was already on the other side of the base by that time and Creuset's time was limited. He let it slide that time. Her teammates had the nerve to say she was chickening out, but there wasn't much force behind the accusation. It could've been because the commander was in the background, or perhaps they were finally getting along. Life and death situations do that to people—after all, weren't FS, Stray, and Eclipse the perfect example?—but the redhead figured this was a friendship formed out of necessity. At the moment, they were all each other had.

Actually, part of that confused her. If she hadn't fallen with them, she was sure Yzak and Dearka would get along fine. It could've been the stress of everything going on, but lately—meaning over the past day or so—they were each coming in to see her individually. The blonde was understandable because Yzak had been crankier than normal lately, but the Duel pilot's visits had been a mystery. They never talked about much, but the silences weren't as awkward as they used to be. Well, Eclipse seemed to have switched back over to "silent mode," so they might as well have been talking to a wall.

Maybe that was the real reason they talked to her.

"I'm sorry—Lunar Eclipse was it?—your GINN was practically scrap metal by the time we got our hands on it," the main mechanic explained. "The parts have been recycled and fitted to other machines, so if you wanted to say a proper farewell you're gonna have to stop at six other hangars." He looked a little young to be a main mechanic, but if Eclipse learned anything by now it was not to underestimate them. It took a lot of effort and skill to do so much and yet never be rewarded so age usually had nothing to do with how well a person could build a machine. Watching him tug on the collar of his bright green mechanic suit, Eclipse couldn't help but feel sorry for him. She didn't enjoy wearing those stuffy things in outer space and at least up there the temperatures were consistent and not changing on an hour-by-hour basis. She was so happy she had the elite uniform now.

The redhead sighed in response to his comments. She figured her GINN would be nonexistent after what had happened, but she thought she'd try the optimistic thing again. It didn't work with Heine, so she wasn't sure why it'd work now, but hey, it was worth a shot. The mechanic went on to talk about some new mobile suits being built in the PLANTs, but Eclipse had stopped listening.

What the hell was she supposed to do now?

The obvious answer was to get another mobile suit, but judging by what happened to her other one, would such a weak machine really be of any use? At the time, following Yzak and Dearka into the atmosphere seemed like the right course of action. Why?

Honestly, because it sounded fun.

For a few—brief, mind you—moments, Eclipse was beginning to like her other half. How could she not? It had saved her ass plenty of times and made others look up to her—at least those who hadn't see her personally. But now she realized it was just plain reckless. Not stupid, because it was downright impressive on the battlefield, but reckless. If she was in her normal frame of mind, she didn't think she would've fallen to earth. After all, weren't Athrun and Nicol the nice teammates? Why would she want to cause herself more distress by joining the angry, people-hating duo?

Well, now she was stuck with no where to turn.

Almost.

Eclipse surprised herself with how often she thought of the offer Stray and FS gave. She could go to them and leave everyone behind without so much as a letter of apology. Why then was she hesitating? Those two meant everything to her. They were always at her side and went so far as to comfort her for killing MR. He was a personal friend of theirs and they worried about her. Did she just feel indebted to them?

"Hello, anyone there?" the mechanic asked, waving a hand in front of her face to stress the point. The redhead blinked, turned, saluted, and then walked out without another word. "Tch," the man began, resisting the urge to call after her or even stick out his tongue in resentment. Rolling his eyes, he turned back to the clipboard in his hand. "Teenagers; they think the whole damn world revolves around them." However, he kept his voice low, remembering he had only turned eighteen a month ago.

Eclipse left the hangar and ventured back towards the base. The three elites had been released earlier in the day, so she was enjoying the first breath of fresh air she'd had in almost a week. Then again, saying a military base was a good place for that outdoorsy scent wasn't accurate either. Since the base was situated near the Atlantic Ocean, the fresh fragrance sometimes made it through the base, but because the hospital—as well as the hangar Eclipse was investigating—was situated near the rear, the only thing that could be smelt there was burning metal, car fumes, and the constant hint of human sweat. Being in a secluded facility with 29 other men, the redhead had gotten used to the salty smell—even when it radiated from her own body—but never learned to enjoy it. She had heard the smell of a person's sweat was really what attracted one individual to another.

Plausible, but not pleasurable.

"Good, you didn't move too far from when we last contacted you," Dearka said, speaking of a certain, sweating individual. He was the only one questionable when it came time to signing the three out of the hospital. For some reason, the fall had hit him the hardest and his weakness was still showing though he tried to hide it. The blonde was driving a small, military jeep with Yzak slouched in the passenger seat. He didn't look happy to be there, but then again, the Duel pilot hadn't been happy at all lately.

Surprise, surprise.

Calling the jeep small was almost giving it too much justice. It was an olive green color with no doors or roof. The front seats were relatively roomy, but since the back seat was made mostly for equipment, it was short and leaving no space for a tall individual to do anything more than crawl up into a ball. Ideal for grabbing weaponry quickly, but terrible for picking up friends on a Friday night.

"I'm surprised you skipped out on the meeting," Yzak noted. Apparently, he felt the need to bring it up even though he knew Creuset let her stay put and get the information later. "You act like someone who follows the rulebook rather closely." His bandage was off—which should've put him in a better mood—but somehow Eclipse doubted a doctor approved of it. His scowl as she looked at it only confirmed her suspicions, but she kept her mouth shut.

The phrase, "Well, you don't follow them either," didn't see like a smart move at the time.

"You guys just came out to check up on me, or is there something important you had to say?" Eclipse asked.

"Did you want to hear what the commander had to say, or not?" It was Dearka who said it, but there was a hint of anger both in his voice and on his fair face. The redhead just shrugged, wondering what had angered him so quickly, but jumped into the back. Not enjoying the prospect of curling into a ball, she sat up on the trunk and put her feel down onto the seats. Yzak was going to say something, but stopped, figuring she could take care of herself.

Eclipse liked that he stayed quiet, grabbing onto the back of the seats when Dearka took off quicker than she expected. "Well? What's the news? We're stuck here, I take it."

Yzak nodded, sitting a bit straighter in his seat when they passed in the more congested area of the base. He didn't want to look sloppy in front of so many captains. "He wants us to help out the occupational forces here on Earth. Knowing the 'Legged Ship' is around here somewhere, it makes sense, but, damnit all, I hate the Earth."

"At least this means you get another shot at the Strike. Stop being so peevish and be happy about that at least," the blonde grumbled, slamming on the breaks when a couple of off-duty greencoats stepped in the way. Eclipse flew forward—luckily putting her feet up on the front seat just in time—Dearka sighed, and the Duel pilot let loose some interesting dialogue. Him and the soldiers argued for a few more moments before the blonde got bored and took off. "We're going to check on the Duel and Buster," Dearka shouted, trying to outmatch Yzak's string of threats. "You might get bored, so did you want me to drop you off somewhere else?"

"So that's all the commander had to say? We're stuck here waiting for further orders?" Eclipse asked, noting the car had slowed down considerably since they had first set off. Either Dearka didn't want to hit anyone, or he didn't want Yzak to end up in another shouting match.

The redhead was betting on both.

"It wasn't a long transmission," the blonde explained. "The commander said, if we got the chance, we could take out both the 'Legged-Ship' and the Strike, but, like you said, we're stuck here being lap dogs."

"Sounds like fun," Eclipse grumbled.

"It'll be downright boring." Yzak had regained his sulking posture and stared off to his right.

The remaining redcoats decided not to press the matter and grew quiet themselves. The Duel pilot had a point.

Earth was going to be terribly dull.

* * *

They decided to drop Eclipse off at the shooting range. She couldn't recall which one had the "bright idea," but she didn't really have a say in the matter. The last thing she remembered was sitting in the back daydreaming as Dearka avoided more careless military personnel. Or were they the ones being careless? Eclipse never knew the blonde to be a speed demon, but maybe it was just because he was in a bad mood.

"We'll contact you if anything new comes up," Yzak had said before they sped off, forgetting the redhead wasn't wearing anything they could communicate with anyway.

"Whatever," she muttered and walked inside the building.

It was pretty big—bigger than a mobile suit hangar—but more high-tech than she had seen at a military base. Usually places like this were reserved for training facilities and yet here she was, standing amid some newbies in a line just waiting to get to the shooting range. Being all electronic, it was no surprise when Eclipse glanced over at the trainees to see them firing fake rounds at computer screens. The screens changed distance and size—which made things a bit harder—and, by the looks of things, would increase or decrease its challenge level depending on the soldier's score. Effective, to say the least, but by glancing at the line, Eclipse couldn't help but sigh. This looked more like an amusement park rather than a place where people learn to kill others.

Ironic really.

"Aw, Shana, you couldn't hit the broadside of a barn," a greencoat three spots ahead of her chided to the brunette standing next to him. He looked to be no older than fifteen with black hair and an athletic build. There were two other boys standing next to him, and if Eclipse didn't know any better, she would've said they were triplets. "Hell, I've never seen you get higher than a 20 percent hitting rate."

"Hey, that's not fair Breck. I've hit the target plenty of times. Besides, I'd whip your ass in the simulations any day," the girl said, elbowing the blonde next to her and forcing a nod out of her too.

"Wanna bet? I've never lost in that thing, right Caleb? Erick?" The two other boys didn't seem as enthused about Breck's statement, but nodded anyway. Most likely they were the ones he beat.

"Probably because you've only been challenging weaklings. Why not give it a try with us? We'd definitely give you a run for your money." It was Shana's friend who made the declaration and the one thing that impressed the redhead the most was her confidence. The blonde looked to be half the height of Breck and even less than half his weight. Eclipse knew not to judge people based on appearance, but for as young as these five were, they hadn't had enough battle experience to be given such respect.

"Well, aren't you a little smartass," Erick, presumably, said and the girls just laughed.

_This is ridiculous. Why am I stuck behind such children? _the redhead thought, deciding to look somewhere else.

At least until the boy behind her joined into their conversation. "Why not put these two sissy girls in their place, Breck? Ten minutes in they'll probably start crying from a broken finger nail. This is why they shouldn't even allow girls to carry guns."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Eclipse asked, for the first time not even thinking before she opened her mouth. Damnit. She almost slapped herself for interfering, but held back. It wouldn't have helped anyway.

The boy blinked, as if just realizing he was standing so close to one of his superiors. Running a nervous hand through his orange hair, he tried make up for the mistake. Too bad this particular elite didn't give out forgiveness so easily. "Oh—uh—sorry, ma'am. I meant no offense of course. It's just that—"

"Just what, Shane?" Shana stepped in, coming over to stand in front of the youth. If her friend was short, this brunette definitely wasn't. She came up to about his nose, but was built for hand-to-hand combat. Broad—almost manly—shoulder and calloused hands proved that, however, there was something she lacked, the redhead noted. Shana may have been issuing all of those threats, but really she didn't have the courage to back them up. That was obvious by her quick anger, weak stance, and trembling eyes. If Shane would've been paying close attention he probably could've seen it too.

"Forget it. Why don't we just decide who the real 'tough guy' is around here?" Caleb suggested from up ahead. "Us three guys verses you three girls."

"What?" Eclipse blurted, not remembering when she volunteered for this stupid match. "I refuse to be a part of this."

"Yeah, we don't need her anyway," the blonde said. "Redcoats always think they're too good to hang out with us, lowly greencoats."

"Rika!" Shana tried to call her back, but ended up chasing her in the end. Caleb, Erick, Shane and Breck turned to redhead and glowered. Apparently, they were all thinking the same thing, but all Eclipse wanted to know was when this turned into a war between ranks.

"So, what'cha think, elite? You too _important _to train with us?" Shane asked, looking to be the hothead of the group. Honestly, the redhead didn't give a damn about ranks. After all, she may have a red uniform, but, if ordered, she's still go fetch coffee for the nearest commander. The only place ranks mattered was on the battlefield and since they were at a mere shooting range, she didn't think they applied. Why, then, were they getting so bent out of shape?

"She's probably afraid we'd show her up," Breck said and began walking away. His flunkies followed a second later, but Eclipse wasn't about to let them off that easily.

"Frankly boys, I wouldn't care if you defeated me in a silly game. Not only would that prove I have a soft spot for underdogs, but when real soldiers start shooting I know I won't be running for the nearest bed to hide under. You guys are fresh out of the nursery and have no idea what you're even attempting to brag about. But what the hell, I'll humor you for the time being." The greencoats looked angry at first, but it soon shifted to misplaced confidence. Sure, Eclipse would probably regret the decision later on—and as she massaged her right wrist she knew she would—but for the time being she wanted to savor her impending victory.

It had been a long time since she had so much… innocent fun.

* * *

It sounded like a good idea at the time. Hell, who wouldn't want to embarrass six greencoats? Neither Shana nor Rika had talked to her when she arrived in the locker room, but Eclipse didn't care. If she was there to make friends she wouldn't be trying to shoot their heads off at the local training facility.

Then again, maybe she would.

The match was to be a battle royale between six new soldiers and one elite. Being a royale, people probably would've betted on the redcoat winning, but since the greencoats would probably team up against her, the smart gamblers wouldn't merely decide on uniforms alone. Then again, this was Eclipse. She had done this sort of training plenty of times in the past year and, frankly, she missed it. Even though her last contact with hand-to-hand fighting involved fifteen casualties—one headless—and a few restless nights, the redhead was excited for this chance to have fun and yet not have to worry about her survival in the process.

Ah, the joys of science.

It was a new facility, so the technology was top-notch. Each player—made it sound more like a game than actually training—was ordered to wear a special outfit. They looked a lot like the pilot suits worn for mobile suit fights—helmet included—but there were a few kickers that made Eclipse glad she didn't have to wear them for missions. The suits were designed to stimulate real battle experience. When a person was hit—by splattering bullets from an enemy's (or even an ally's) handgun (9mm)—the area would gradually grow heavy depending on the severity of the wound. So, if a person was shot in the thigh, the weight of his leg would escalate and slow him down to a mere crawl. The same could be said for an arm wound, foot, side and so on. Only two shots were considered instant kills; a head shot and one to the heart.

Pretty much it was advanced paintball.

There were three terrains to choose from, city, forest, and desert, depending on how adventurous the trainees wanted to be. The whole ordeal was quite lifelike and even the weather was unpredictable. However, Eclipse had to wonder how much the whole thing cost the military. After all, one, well-placed bomb or grenade and the building would be history. Sounded like a waste when put that way, but oh well, it wasn't her problem.

Fitting a glove over her right hand, she couldn't help but wince. It was going to be a long fight if she couldn't rely on her dominant arm. "Hey, I hope you're up for this," Rika commented from the other side of the locker room. Oh yay, they were speaking to her again. "Even though you're a girl, we're not going to spare ya."

"You'd be stupid if you did. Besides, we're all against each other in this one. If you want to make teams, fine, but know it's not my fault if you get hit by friendly fire."

"Strange," Shana began. "Advice from a redcoat?"

"I don't know what made you hate my rank so much, but I'm really getting tired of everyone I meet having some kind of misplaced grudge against me. Be mad at the person you're supposed to. Don't just shove it on me because it's of convenience to you," Eclipse said and grabbed a helmet. They didn't say anything more and just followed her into the arena. Apparently, the redhead had made her point.

Hearing the door shut behind her, Eclipse had to pinch herself to make sure she wasn't going insane—at least not yet. A cityscape stretched out in front of her, so close to the real thing she almost ran over to the nearest coffee shop and asked for a latte. The three girls stood in the northeast corner, at what seemed to be an on ramp to a highway. A short, cement wall separated the ramp from a small expanse of grass, complete with dandelions and unwanted trash. Another street—running parallel to the highway—marked the beginning of town. There were three cars parked on the side and one sticking out of an ally at the furthest corner of the arena. _I wonder if they drive, _the redhead thought, but shook it off. She wouldn't be able to do anything with them even if they could; the place was too crowded. Off to the girls' right was a park with a collection of real trees making it look more like the forest terrain than the city one. _Impressive._

The four other competitors walked out moments later as the supervisor went over some basic rules and equipment. They were each given six clips with five shots each, and one handgun, enough to last against an enemy four times this size, but the redhead wasn't going to argue.

It just meant she could go a little crazy was all.

Special transmitters were slipped over the glove of their non-dominant hand, indicating how many were "dead" on the field. It seemed a bit foolish to have such a device, especially since this "game" was supposed to train soldiers for such situations. They weren't always going to know who was down and usually never had any idea how many they were up against. Well, teach them one thing at a time, apparently.

"You'll have a two minute grace period where you can get into position," the instructor explained, walking out as he did. "And that time starts now."

"Good luck, halfwits," Breck said and ran off towards the park.

The others said a loud "Hah!" before looking for their own cover. Eclipse sighed, shrugged and walked away. If anything, she'd get a chance to see where most of the others ended up, so why waist energy running?

There really wasn't much to choose from. Two had already fled into the park, so she didn't want to go there and three, she knew, had stuck around in the city. Two were collaborating by the nearest parked car, one stayed next to the entrance, but the last one was unknown.

Perhaps someone did know what he—or she—was doing.

_This place is as good as any, _the redhead thought, ducking down next to the farthest car. A wall was to her back and her peripheral vision was good enough to cover her sides, so all she really had to worry about was an attack from above and from below. If they came at her from above, they'd have a hell of a time climbing over the vehicle, so she'd still have enough leeway to turn and kill them first. If they came at her by crawling under the car, she'd just shoot the tires.

See, good enough.

The grace period ended a moment later, alerting the troops with a bell loud enough to make any nervous soldier jump. A gun went off once the sound died away, and—thinking it was just a reaction from being so on edge—she was surprised to hear a counter attack. _Damn, they're just going right at it, aren't they? _Eclipse thought, smirking to herself when she heard a player go down. It sounded like Shana—which only made the redhead sigh because females always seemed to be the first ones out—and she wasn't too happy about the shot either. The redhead doubted there could be cheating with an advanced system like this one, but there was always a possibility. Either that or she had just become a victim of a tag team.

Originally, Eclipse had planned on just waiting until the others got so restless and took each other out, but not only would that be terribly boring on her end, one of her opponents didn't seem to like the idea either. A gun fired nearby and judging by the sound, it was pointed in her direction. The redhead wasn't sure why he—or she since there was still one left—fired so recklessly, but when she looked around, she suspected his reasoning. Hiding behind a car was turning into a really bad idea. Not only was there nothing else nearby for her to run to, but if she blew her cover now, the others would be right on top of her. Her enemy fired again, proving he was walking towards her without caring about the other players. Then again, they probably weren't shooting him on purpose.

So she was being ganged up on too.

Weighing her options, she found she really only had a few. She could blow her cover and pray no one shot her before she got all of them, or be inventive. Eclipse decided on the latter. Noticing how loose the hubcap was behind her back, she took a few seconds to pry it off. The shooter was—judging by the sound of his shoes and how loud the gunfire was—about ten meters away. It was a safe enough distance to feel comfortable, but the redhead had no idea where her other enemies were. Cursing silently, she finally pried the hubcap off and scooted towards the front of the car.

Eclipse could now see the helmet of her adversary. A few more steps and she'd be in his view, but she planned on knocking him off before then. Clenching the hubcap to her stomach, she steadied herself. _Let's see. If he's coming from my right, then there's got to be at least one more to my left, probably at ten o'clock. That guy's waiting for me to jump up and shoot this lunatic, so I'll avoid that, _she thought and inched around towards the front of the car. _Let's try this. _ Curling the hubcap in her left hand, she let it fly—kind of like a Frisbee—at the approaching soldier. She was exposed for a few seconds, but not enough time for anyone to get off a shot. Her plan worked well and she knocked down the assailant amid some colorful words. _His knee is going to hurt for a while. _ Smiling, she rounded the car completely, running full-out towards the downed man. However, his partner had a quicker trigger finger than anticipated and only managed to fire a bullet into the right bicep of he downed soldier before heading towards the park. She slipped behind the marble fountain, ignoring the naked man shooting water from, well, an inappropriate spot. As far as she knew, only one was out and another now had a serious disadvantage. That meant four were still at full strength. _And one could have me in his sights right now, _she remembered and fled towards a more congested area of the park about eighteen feet away.

Eclipse couldn't decide whether to applaud the terrain designers or slap them. At the moment, congratulations seemed to be in order, but no matter how hard she looked at it, six, seven-foot tall—and pointy at that—bushes spaced evenly apart seemed like way too much effort for a simulation. It was right up there with the inappropriate fountain and the fact that it was actually functional. However, the redhead decided to forget the criticism and ducked behind one of the bushes. It wasn't the greatest cover, but being on the outskirts of the arena, it was as good as she was going to get for a while. Taking another moment to make sure no one was sighting her, she checked her wristband to see how many survivors were left. There were three, red buttons lit up, indicating three "dead" on the field. _Halfway there. Thank goodness there's a scavenger shooter here otherwise I'd be surrounded by greencoats by now,_ she thought and pointed her gun ahead of her when she heard movement. A man shot out of the bushes a second later, having had the perfect shot to kill her near the fountain earlier. She issued a sigh of relief and aimed, slipping around the stylish bush. A little faster than she anticipated, the redhead only managed to clip his left shoulder, but that was enough to send him scrambling to the ground. Having such a good sniping position for the kill, one more shot took him out of the game. However, her little antics had alerted another player to her whereabouts. The shot had barely missed the front of her helmet—proving the soldier was too greedy by going for an instant kill—and he was in the open to her right. Knowing she didn't have much time to get in a shot of her own, Eclipse did the first thing that came to her mind and blew her cover.

She landed in a forward roll, but quickly changed directions and dodged the next bullet to her right. Dislodging her gun at the same time, she stopped on her back and aimed at the soldier between her open knees. This one she got in the chest, killing him with two shots, just in case one didn't work. He fell to the ground before getting off another attempt, but the redhead couldn't relax just yet. Struggling to her feet, she dove into a nearby brush. _One more, _she thought, digging into her side pouch to pull out more ammo. And they thought they'd kill _her_ within the first fifteen minutes.

Amateurs.

While it may have been a good thing there was only one left, how the hell was she supposed to find him? She had no leads as to his position and if he survived this long, he wouldn't just pop out and say, "Here I am!"

A pity, really.

Should she make the first move? It was tempting since she was positive she'd be able to avoid any fatal blows, but she didn't want to be stuck with a bum leg. A hit to the arm would've been fine—because she'd just use her left hand—however, her Berserker half was supposed to be the reckless one, not her normal self. Thank goodness she hadn't switched over either. Maybe it was the life and death thing.

The Berserker didn't just do anything for play.

_Fine with me, _Eclipse thought and began inching back towards the main road. The last person had to be back in the city, since she hadn't seen signs of anyone else in the park, and he probably would've jumped her by now anyway. The body of the first soldier she wounded lay prone on the ground near the car. Knowing no one could leave the arena until the "game play" was over, she couldn't help but feel sorry for him. Hell, it sucked to be the first one shot and have to lie there for the next twenty minutes or so.

Looking for some better cover other than the tree she was behind now, she almost went back to the car, but movement about fifty yards away made her freeze. The final soldier was looking for protection as well and having just as good of luck. There was a mail box and an alley about twenty yards away at nine o'clock, but it was a risky run. She would be exposed for less than a minute, but that was still too long with a good shooter on the loose. Sighing, Eclipse merely shrugged. _Sure, what the hell. _Taking a deep breath, she brought her gun up and sprinted.

It was an awkward run—mainly because she was looking and aiming for the last soldier at the same time—but she made it into the alcove and out of sight in about fifteen seconds. _This won't conceal me for long, _she thought and slunk down onto her belly. The gun up near her cheek, the redhead risked a peek around the corner. And just in time to see someone climb over the cement wall that divided the on ramp and the rest of the field.

Perfect.

The distance was about the same as her last sprint, but the difference being, she had more cover. One of the parked cars was positioned about halfway between herself and the greencoat. Also—if she did everything right—she could probably use the vehicle to keep herself hidden from view as she began her run. _This is just way too easy, _Eclipse thought, caught her breath, and then crept towards the car, careful to keep her knees bent and upper torso low to the ground.

No shots were fired, and no alarmed shouts were given, so things were going smoothly. Crouching behind the tire and passenger door, she waited another second before finishing her trek to the wall.

She had him.

She knew she had him.

Even with the helmet on, she could hear the last soldier breathing heavily on the other side of the wall; like a muffled typhoon. If that were so, Eclipse was the silence before that storm; the silent prayer before his death. If there wasn't cement in between them, she would've just shot through it, but since she knew anything shy of a killing strike would give her away, she decided to play it smart.

The redhead didn't think she was spotted. Her sneak over was flawless; even the other Januarias 4 members had had a hard time tracking her movements. How then was a mere greencoat going to know where she was?

This game was over and won.

Eclipse knew what she was going to do. It was a simple reach over the wall and fire, so why then was she hesitating? Something didn't feel right. There was one too many noises in the terrain to convince the redhead they were by themselves. If it was a life or death situation—and the amount of enemies was unknown—she would've bailed and waited for a different chance. However, she _knew _this was the last one and she was in the perfect position.

But still….

The shadow hadn't even touched her body before she reacted. Falling to the ground, Eclipse shot three times towards the new assailant about waist high. Seeing as she hadn't seen her enemy, he could've crawled up to her or merely ran, so the height was elementary. If he was on the ground, he'd be dead, but since this particular soldier just walked up to her, he got a few nice shots to the groin.

And it _was _a guy.

He didn't say anything, his green eyes staring down at the three shots and then back to the girl lying on the ground. A mixture between shock, anger, and pride flashed across his fair face, accented with a gaping mouth and outstretched arms.

It looked so natural.

"Heine," she breathed.

Bang.

"I win!" It was Rika who shouted and in any other circumstance, the redhead would've been thrilled. Right then, though, a shot—whether it was from a training pistol or not—to the back of the head would make anyone cranky.

Not to mention she lost the bout.

"You better have a damn good reason for sneaking in here," Eclipse spat, jumping to her feet and taking off her helmet in one smooth motion. It would've looked elegant if it wasn't for her throwing it to the ground afterwards. "A _damn _good reason."

"Did you _really_ have to do that?" he asked. The blonde's eyes narrowed dangerously, but there was still some humor there.

And that was what pissed her off the most.

She cocked the gun, aimed down at his groin again and fired. The bullet never made contact—in fact it went right through his open legs—but it was enough to make Heine jump. "You know better than to sneak up on me."

"Sure, but what did they," he pointed down, "ever do to you?"

"I won! I won!" the girl continued, jumping up and down around the terrain. She met each of her fallen teammates as they stood and gave the most annoying squeal and dramatic hug in the process. It was a sickening sight and even though—for only a second—Eclipse thought Rika had won based on experience, when her gun went off and nicked Shane's leg, the redhead knew se just had a bunch of good luck. "I won! Guys, I—"

"Shut up!"

* * *

"So, why did you ruin my fun again?" Eclipse asked, leaning back against the railing. Heine had insisted on the location and—even though the dock was a traditional "romantic spot"—had said there was something important he had to tell her. He even calmed her suspicions by mentioning it was for the military and nothing personal.

"I was just in the right place at the right time. Your name came up and I volunteered to find you. No one stopped me, so I did a little snooping, found you at the shooting range, waited a while, but you have to be leaving soon. Hence the breaking in, but I didn't deserve such a welcome."

"I'm not going through it again; it's your own damn fault. If you weren't wearing the special suit, you'd be a lot angrier with me right now. Probably be singing an octave higher too."

"Good thing I finished my song then."

"No, I don't want to hear it right now. I'm still mad," the redhead countered before he could say anything. Actually, that hadn't even crossed his mind.

"Yeah, yeah," Heine sighed and leaned forward on the railing. He was close to the redhead, but not close enough to cause her discomfort. Eclipse had to smile at that.

He really had learned.

"But Lexi—"

"Eclipse," she corrected.

"Eclipse then." He rolled his eyes, but didn't press the matter. "You're ordered to Banadiya to help out Commander Waltfeld."

"The Desert Tiger? Why over there?"

"Apparently, he's been fighting the 'Legged Ship,' but things aren't going well."

"In other words, he's losing."

"Surprisingly. The man's a genius, but he still can't sink her." He just shook his head and continued. "Gibralter's sending more mobile suits, but not too many just yet."

"Why not?"

"I think they're waiting for the Duel and Buster to be repaired."

"Makes sense; they'd be a good addition to the ground forces, especially with that ship and G-Weapon floating around. And, since I don't have a suit, they can send me ahead to pilot whatever they have at hand."

"Precisely."

They both stopped, Eclipse to digest the situation and Heine to let her. She figured she'd be shipped out relatively soon, but she had only been out of the hospital for a day and her departure would be taking place without the stimulating company of Yzak and Dearka. Since they were assigned to the same team, the redhead figured they'd never split up like this. She had been wrong before, so this assignment didn't come as a surprise, but who's to say ZAFT wouldn't just send her teammates to a different place on the globe? If that happened she'd be stranded in the desert with no hope of returning to outer space. Eclipse could only sigh.

"Y'know, I was at Victoria before coming here." The redhead blinked, not expecting the conversation to shift so much. She had heard a little about the battle, but nothing much because ZAFT had won. After all, that was all that mattered at the time. "How d'you do it; tolerate it even?" Heine went on. "Fighting in a mobile suit, I can do; slicing a machine in half is fine, but those soldiers were unarmed, humiliated, and hand-cuffed. They weren't even blindfolded, Lexi, and yet we put a bullet through their heads. How could we just kill them like that? Knowing they were other human beings?"

Either the blonde had forgotten about the mishaps with FS and Stray, or he had only seen gruesome things be done to people and never before participated. If he had never done the killing personally, she was slightly proud of him, but that kind of attitude was bound to get him killed. There was no such thing as an anti-killing soldier in a war. At least not that she's seen. "Let me ask you this, if you were the one kneeling on the ground, would they have shown you mercy? I don't mean to be cliché, but it's a 'kill or be killed world' out there, Heine; there's no middle ground."

"But I just don't remember when we crossed the line from being humans to being monsters."

Eclipse cringed, she couldn't help it. After everything she had been through, she was wondering the same thing herself. The only difference being it was _her_ humanity in question. "Maybe we didn't cross a line, per say, just drew new ones. At first, the killing of another person was barbaric, but now, it's romanticized through war. The battleground is a stage for heroes and those who live are rewarded. Their prize? Well, the life of their enemy of course. What greater homage could be given than one's existence?"

"Are you justifying what they did?"

"You mean what I do on a daily basis? You do it too, Heine. Killing people with a mobile suit is still killing them."

"So, I'm to hate myself then?"

"Is that what you want?" He shook his head and the redhead found herself smiling lightly. "Then you're just running in circles. We're soldiers. 'Murderers' is probably a better word, but we'll still have to live with that the rest of our lives."

"I guess we'll have to make sure we bring peace and then make up for it later, huh?"

"But what one thing—or perhaps groups of things—can even the scales with death?"

"I _don't_ want you to die." The statement was so direct and quick, it caught her slightly off guard. Since it was a random comment and didn't answer Eclipse's question, an immediate response was out of the equation, but she couldn't find the courage to yell at him for his evasiveness. Maybe there wasn't an answer, so that statement was the best thing he could've said. Staying alive was the only way to find out.

"Just don't get soft, but don't go heartless either," she responded, taking the same side-stepping maneuver.

"You saying you don't want me to die?" The blonde was genuinely interested, resting his head on an upraised hand. A confident smirk curled up his lips, but again the redhead held her tongue. He was making some sense at the moment and the fact that it caused her so much discomfort was unnerving. They looked at each other for a moment, making their own assessments in that split second. Eclipse broke the stare, and Heine had his answer without her saying a word. He smiled at that and looked out at the water, enjoying the sound of it splashing against the shore. "You're scheduled to take off in an hour. I'll meet you at the carrier." The redhead could only nod, but didn't even turn to watch him walk away.

After all, no matter how hard she tried, he'd keep his word and be the one waving good-bye.

"Hey, Lexi!" he called back and she almost corrected him again, but his next words made her pause. "Y'know, you never once called me 'Sir.' Thanks."

Eclipse smiled, _Maybe I'll let him call me that. _

* * *

Yzak and Dearka weren't hard to find. Eclipse tracked them down to a nearby hangar and explained what was going on. Neither seemed too worried and said a quick goodbye before returning to their machines. The redhead didn't mind. They had already shown their fair share of "team bonding" when they poured their hearts out to her in the hospital rooms. Why should she expect anything now that they were mobile?

She didn't have much to pack. In fact, everything she did own was still on the _Vesalius _and knowing it was up there and she was down here, the probability of her getting it within the next hour was very small. Heine—presumably—talked intelligence into giving her a laptop and some other accessories, but other than that, her luggage was extremely light.

The carrier was relatively small, transporting only two BuCUEs and three soldiers, counting Eclipse. Ironically, the two soldiers were Breck and Rika. Judging by their faces, she figured they were chosen because of their success at the simulations—and not personal preference—but the redhead wanted to know if they could even put up a descent fight and not piss their pants. _Maybe the commander just needs some noncombatants to help run the base, _she thought and prayed she was right. Even though she didn't mind showing them up, she didn't want them to die recklessly.

Not going in right away, she looked around for her well-wisher, wondering if this was the first promise he had ever broken to someone. Knowing she'd have to find out another time, Eclipse couldn't help but smile when he ran up to her. "Ah, you look like you missed me."

"More like thinking you bailed."

"Actually, I'm supposed to be monitoring some air waves right now, but a buddy of mine offered to fill in for a bit."

"That's quite a friend."

"Yeah, they're not that bad if you ever find a few," he mocked, laughing when she punched his shoulder. "Hey, hey, I'm just kidding. Really though, are you gonna be alright by yourself?"

"Who are you, my mother? Damnit, Heine, you know I can take care of myself. Need I remind you of some nicely aimed shots?"

"You're right, let's not go there."

"Hey, elite, the pilot said we're taking off. Better get inside," Breck called, but the engine starting was enough of a hint. Heine took a step back to shield his eyes when the upper blades started rotating, and at first the redhead thought he was going to wave and walk away, but he seemed to be saying something.

"What?" she yelled back, hoping to hear his last words before he got too far away.

"I said, do you know a Lathan Rymyr?"

Eclipse froze. "L-Lathan?"

"Anyway," the blonde went on, having to shout even louder now, "he says that if you die, he'll have to kill you. A little cliché, wouldn't you say?"

"H-Heine!" she yelled, but he was too far away now and waving vigorously. If she didn't know any better, he was amused by her reaction. If only she thought it was as funny. _He knows Lathan? Dear God, the world must be coming to an end. Nothing short of Judgment Day could save us from that meeting._

_

* * *

**A/N: **_Alright, guys here's another chapter. 25, woot! I never thought I'd get this far. See, I have this tendency to drop stories before I finish them. Probably not unfamiliar to some of you out there. Hopefully, that won't happen with this one and I have a few good friends who won't let me anyway.

Yeah, I know I said I'd get Andy, DaCosta, and Aisha last time, but apparently there was more to do in this one than I thought. Anyway, they'll for sure be in the next one and maybe even some SEED favorites. If anything, Andy will be excitd to know there's someone who loves coffee as much as he does. Kinda scary if you ask me.

Well, I have a special shoutout to make to my Betas, _Death-Scimitar _and _CSSStravag. Death _has always been a Beta of mine, but I never gave her enough credit. She knows this story wouldn't go anywhere without her, so I guess it's okay. _Stravag_'s awesome. He knows the things I don't, and sees the things I can't. A nice combination if you ask me. Being great writers in their own respects helps things as well. Thanks guys!

Also, thanks for the reads and reviews. I know the last chapter was a tad slow, so hopefully this one made up for it.

See you all in the next chapter!

_Strata_


	26. Coffee, Kebabs, and a Tiger

Coffee, Kebabs, and a Tiger

"Let's see. Codename Lunar Eclipse; part of the Le Creuset team; elite training; skills various—"

"Well, isn't that specific," the commander chided in, stopping his second-in-command mid-briefing. He wasn't the typical "head dog," but not one to take lightly either. Sporting a burnt yellow shirt—with black shoulders and rolled up cuffs—the only thing indicating his rank were the three stripes near his breast pocket. Given the environment, the opened shirt collar was expected—as was the brown and scraggly, (yet short) haircut—but usually ZAFT officers liked to keep up appearances. The sideburns seemed to be a nice touch and if anything, it showed his scruffy character. There was a reason he was named the "Desert Tiger" and even more reasons he was feared.

Blame it on the coffee.

The younger man just sighed, letting the clipboard slip down slightly in exhaustion. His superior always seemed to have a wise crack, but for once he wished he could go through a meeting without some sort of interruption. "Age fifteen; cooperation commendable; shooting percentage—"

"—Remarkable; speed above average; personality charming—yes, yes, we go through this every time, DaCosta."

"Andy, please," the only other person in the room said, sitting down on the commander's armrest and crossing her legs. Attractive, she wore a strapless, blue jumpsuit with white ruffles and blue sleeves starting around the biceps of each arm. It may have looked awkward on many, but for this particular soldier it looked almost comfortable. The grace she showed in that small movement proved she'd act better—and quicker—in such an outfit. Her long blue hair accented the attire, but the two, orange strands in her bangs stood out enough to offset the constant color. However, not even fair skin, a stern look, and a melodious voice was enough to calm down this commander.

"There has to be _something_ different about her, for goodness sakes. They're making a mobile suit especially for her use." He dropped the papers back on his desk, leaned back, and grabbed his cup of coffee, taking an abrupt sip.

"True, but we don't have to worry about the suit yet; it's still in production," DaCosta said, bringing the clipboard down to his side. He debated fixing the wrinkle in his green uniform, but decided against it. Instead he put a gloved hand through his crew cut red hair. Not as professional looking, but it was better than having to stop mid-motion with the wrinkle. The commander would probably make fun of him for it later, but oh well. Unfortunately, he was used to it.

"Yes, but how many soldiers get a mobile suit _built _for them?"

"Jealous?" the lady teased, but was rewarded with a small glare.

Waltfeld shoved her off the chair playfully and took another sip of his coffee. "Don't be ridiculous, Aisha. The LaGOWE is all I need."

"Well, that's good to know." She smiled and took to leaning against the wall near the door.

DaCosta leafed through his reports again, stopping on the unit the commander was so concerned about. "MW-979ca STEALTH."

"STEALTH?" Aisha echoed, and the greencoat nodded.

"CA?" Waltfeld asked and he nodded again. "What do you suppose that stands for? Coffee addict?"

"Only you would think of that one, dear," the female pilot sighed. It was amazing how one person could be both amusing and exhausting at the same time.

"Sir, I don't think—" DaCosta began, but, as usual, was cut off.

"How about customized airbags?" the commander suggested.

"Sir—"

"What would be the point of airbags in a mobile suit; they'd go off every second. Quite annoying if you ask me," Aisha chimed in. The greencoat wished she'd stop supporting the Desert Tiger's unprofessional kicks. If anything she could make him be a bit more serious at times like these.

"I dunno," Waltfeld said. "Might be useful."

"Wouldn't do much good when you get sliced by a beam saber."

"Sir, it means—" DaCosta tried again, but judging by the looks on their faces, now he seemed to be in the middle of some lovers spat. How the hell did that happen?

"Must you always be dramatic?" the commander asked, swiveling his chair to look at her directly. It was a small movement, but enough to grab the attention of everyone in the room. This must've been the tail end of some argument that either started the night before or earlier that day.

Whatever had happened, now wasn't the time.

Aisha looked like she was going to respond, but DaCosta had finally built up enough frustration. Well, at least he had the balls to shout. "Sir!" The two paused and turned back to the second-in-command, blinking as if they just remembered he was there. "It means Communication Alteration."

"Ah, isn't that a mouth full," Andy muttered and took another swig. Damn the stuff was good. "Well, coffee addict sounds better."

"Oh, and it strikes such fear into the hearts of our enemies too," Aisha retorted, looking to start up the playful act again, however, the commander didn't seem interested; in fact, his thoughts were elsewhere.

"Hey, I'd be scared of someone who liked coffee more than I do."

The other two could only groan. There was no good comment to give and, frankly, he was right.

That kind of person would be the most frightening being alive.

* * *

Because they departed later in the day, Eclipse the others didn't arrive in Banadiya until about three o'clock in the morning. The redhead didn't mind the early hours, but apparently her new teammates liked to sleep. Their rude awakening wasn't a pretty sight—and thank goodness Eclipse didn't have to do more than round up her things—but once they were off the transport and back on the ground, Breck and Rika were standing pretty well on their own.

The place was huge, there really was no other explanation. It was hard to see because of the time—thanks to some spotlights the redhead could make out a few details—but it had to have been at least five stories and wrapped around on three sides. Eclipse was terrified of heights, so she was hoping she didn't have a top floor room and just by looking at the front steps she felt exhausted. There were probably hundreds leading up to a pair of doors and she couldn't imagine what walking to the fifth floor would be like.

Especially when her two comrades were half asleep.

DaCosta met them at the top of those stairs—luckily no one fell over—doing a full body checkout on Eclipse before moving to the Breck and Rika. In any other situation, the redhead may have called it offensive, but since he was just sizing her up and deciding whether or not to trust her with a gun at his back, she really didn't mind. However, she did wonder what he thought of her. "Because of the ungodly hour, Commander Waltfeld said he'd meet you all at 0900."

"Wait, so we get only six hours of sleep?" Rika complained, hiding a yawn behind her sleeve. Breck tensed and Eclipse just sighed.

"You're lucky you're getting that. The commander usually gets the base up around 0500. Would you rather have two hours? I'm sure I can arrange it because being a huge fan of being woken up at three I'm sure he'd oblige," the greencoat said, sounding a bit snappy even to someone having been around Yzak. Looking at his calm demeanor and the way the other officers glanced at the man, Eclipse decided it was unusual. Good thing to know because the redhead didn't think she could handle another personality like the Duel pilot's. If anything, it proved how much she didn't want to get on DaCosta's bad side.

When Rika didn't answer he nodded and led them inside. They walked down a series of hallways, Eclipse admiring the display of squares and triangles etched on the walls. It looked nice—for the most part—but the redhead couldn't help but feel she had stepped into geometry class. "Here are your rooms. There's some toiletries, but things have been a bit hectic around here lately so they might be running low. There's a storage room in the next hallway if you absolutely need some." When Breck looked passed the greencoat to find said room, DaCosta glared at him slightly. Damn, it must've been a bad night. "It's labeled 'Storage' for your convenience so I doubt you'll miss it."

"Oh—uh—I—"

"Eclipse and Rika here. Breck there," the officer pointed, cutting off the younger soldier's stuttering. "Remember, 0900 hours. The commander's pretty testy in the morning, so you'd better all be sharp. At least I wouldn't want to be the one walking in and saying 'I got lost, sir.' Know where you are, where you want to be, and how to get there. That's all my advice for now. G'night." And he left, leaving two terrified greencoats and one amused redcoat behind to digest the words.

This was going to be an interesting stay.

* * *

For the most part, they were early. Rika had set her alarm for 0800 hours—instead of the 0840 Eclipse was thinking of—and proceeded to take a very short shower. Given the length of the bathing session, the redhead figured she was being nice by getting in early and having Eclipse take a shower after, but once the water was turned off, she remained in the bathroom for the next half hour. Lazily lying in bed, the redhead really didn't mind. She hadn't had enough sleep to gather the insane amount of energy it would've taken to walk to the door, bang on it, and then shout at the blonde for being so insensitive. While Rika and—most likely—Breck had decided to pass out early, Eclipse stayed up a while doing research. She didn't get to do much on the transport and seeing as she was behind because of her time in the hospital, she really didn't have a choice.

Her crazy friends seemed to be having a bit of fun.

Eclipse had given up around 0600 with some disturbing information on SIN-ED concerning the assassination of four minor officials in the PLANT government as well as the indiscreet destruction of a technical facility on December 2. The PLANT officials, by far, had it worst off. Given the state of the situation, the redhead figured a huge article would be posted on the front page of the newspaper, but it was vaguely mentioned next to some television show advertisements in the paper two days ago. The reason probably had to do something with the nature of the death and no newspaper was willing to give such details. That had required further investigating on Eclipse's part. SIN-ED's participation had only been a guess, but reading about the quick execution and grizzly aftermath, Eclipse knew FS—or at least another member—had something to do with it. Apparently, the heads were found three blocks from their torsos, dangling from the traffic light on a busy intersection in Aprilius 1. All the arms and legs were laid out under the heads, spelling the phrase, 'NO WAR!'; the fingers and toes cut off and thrown into a pile to dot the exclamation point. The redhead doubted random passersby would just let someone tie a bunch of heads to the traffic signal, so the killings had to either have been coordinated and executed at night, or they had somehow blocked off the roads. She was betting on the night theory, but she wasn't about to let the blockade slide so easily either.

The explosion was a bit flashier and had a bigger article. Three hundred workers and civilians were killed in the blast that took out one of the biggest radar and communication factories in the PLANTs. The paper said it was an accident, but most likely a lie to keep the public from erupting into chaos. A witness said he had heard three explosions near the site, but the police report indicated four hot spots; two in the facility, one in a fueling station close by, and one other in the apartment building housing most of the workers and their families. From a civilian's perspective, it may have looked like a chain reaction started by a fire in the factory which was too close to the gas pumps. This ignited an explosion big enough to engulf the apartment—and other small houses—a block away as well as the rest of the facility. What people didn't know was how ZAFT had anticipated a possible problem earlier with the fuel and factory so close together. Putting the gas tanks under ground about three blocks away—so it could provide for other places as well—they wove pipes underground to the station and the only way to get the fuel required a short series of numbers and a two minute wait. The station had been under renovation at the time so there wasn't even any fresh fuel lingering in the pumps when the fireworks started.

See, not an accident.

Eclipse wasn't sure whether to applaud SIN-ED for their precise executions, or slap them for being so careless. The headless official had been relatively successful for scaring the shit out of the general public—and even the explosion seemed to have the police running for the hills—but such flashy antics would get them noticed for sure.

But then again, maybe they were finally making their move.

"You're still in bed?" Rika asked, stepping out of the bathroom. Her hair was thrown up in a messy bun and the green uniform ironed to perfection. The only thing throwing off her flawless appearance was a mascara smudge near her right eye.

The redhead decided not to mention it. "It's only 0837 hours and unlike you, it takes me about ten minutes to get changed and smelling halfway decent. Sweat mixed with perfume and make-up doesn't sound like an appealing day to me."

The girl didn't respond and walked out the door. Either she was angry, the scent of her body spray had suddenly become so overbearing she just had to get some fresh air, or the stick shoved up her ass was so deep she didn't dare pull it out with Eclipse sitting there watching.

Despite what people think, sometimes the correct answer _is _"all the above."

Taking the ten minutes the redhead anticipated, she was dressed, relatively clean, and standing with her other two teammates at exactly 0858. DaCosta rounded a corner as Eclipse was walking up and quickly nodded a greeting. "I'll go in first." Not waiting for responses, the greencoat turned the knob and pushed open the door. "Sir, these are the new recruits who came with the BuCUEs: Rika Stattin, Breck Hall, and Lunar Eclipse." He pointed to each in turn, directing them inside with the sweep of his hand. It was a tiny office. One desk—with an overzealous display of coffee flavors as well as equipment—and chair was positioned directly in the center of the room with three filing cabinets off to the right. A smaller table was set up near the door, along with two more chairs on the left by a closet; at least Eclipse figured it was that. Two larger windows were open behind the desk, making the commander's face slightly shadowed, but not enough so to miss the amused look on his face and interesting attire.

Ah yes, the outfit.

"Sir? What on earth are you wearing?" DaCosta asked.

"What, you don't like it?" Waltfeld countered, standing up. He wore a yellow and red striped polo shirt with white pants, but not even to the common civilian did he fit the definition of "trendy." Slick, brown loafers covered his feet and wit the flick of his hand, he pulled a tan sunhat and shades out of the drawer. "I planned on taking a stroll through town today."

"In that?" his second-in-command quickly asked, seeming to be a reflex more than anything.

"What? Would you rather have me go out in uniform?"

"I'd rather you didn't stand out on either spectrum, sir," DaCosta said, deciding to change the subject when Waltfeld put the hat and shades on to argue more. Obviously, this was not an argument the greencoat was going to win. Especially since the hat had a red bow on in. "Anyway, what would you like to me to do with the recruits?"

"Hm? Oh, them. Breck, you're going to be our newest pilot, so I'm leaving you with DaCosta. Aisha wants you, Rika, so I'm shipping you over to that girl's capable hands, but as for Lunar Eclipse, I'd like to talk to you for a second."

"But wait—sir. I-I've never piloted—" Breck stuttered.

"I know you're capable of handling a BuCUE. I've looked at your records and they are quite impressive, but if it'd make you feel better, I can send DaCosta to show you a few things," the commander said and sat back down in his seat. A smile curled up his lips at their reactions, making him looking like an amused cat. Eclipse couldn't help but pity the mice.

The greencoat looked like he was going to argue, but then stopped. After all the time he had spent under the Desert Tiger, he knew better than to continue an argument. Evidently, Waltfeld was getting back at him for the comment about his attire earlier, so DaCosta had no choice but to oblige. Life's so cruel sometimes. "Yessir."

"Good, now, you're dismissed." The three saluted and then walked out, closing the door behind them.

Once they were gone, the redhead couldn't help but feel sorry for DaCosta. Not only did he have to put up with the commander's abuse periodically, but he now had to deal with Breck. _Does he treat all his soldiers this way, or is he just special?_

"Lunar Eclipse I have a few questions for you." By this time, Waltfeld had taken off the hat and shades and set them down on the desk. That was a relief because Eclipse liked being able to see a person's eyes when she talked to him, but also because the whole getup was pretty distracting. She could handle the shirt, but the other accessories had to go. Pulling over one of the chairs near the closet, he set it in front of his desk before walking back to his own spot. The redhead took the hint and sat down, suddenly—because of her proximity to the desk top—noticing the breathtaking smell of coffee. It was strong, to be sure, but because he reminded her vaguely of Stray and FS, she found it more of a pleasurable experience than a sickening or horrifying one. "Alright, remember these questions are all of great importance and answer them to the best of your ability. Are we clear?" She nodded. "Well then, first question. Would you like some coffee?"

"Would I ever," Eclipse responded immediately, not even bothered by how far off kilter his priorities were. Either it proved she was beginning to know the commander pretty well, or she had been deprived of the beverage for far too long.

Waltfeld blinked, smiled, then handed her a glass. "Great! I'm an expert coffee blender and, let me say, this one is especially tasty. A little espresso mixed with cinnamon, vanilla, and some French Roast added in for a kick. I'm sure you'll find it the most delicious cup you've ever tasted."

The redhead took a sip, thought a little on the taste and then nodded. "It is very good, sir."

"I knew it!" he announced. "That's what the CA stood for!"

Not even bothering to ask, Eclipse just took another drink. Sure, they were in the middle of a desert, SIN-ED was ridding the human race of fingers and toes, and an overenthusiastic—yet dangerous—addict was giving her a caffeinated beverage. Still, she had to enjoy life sometimes and why not have a moment of bliss before realizing she was joining said addict on a trip to town?

* * *

Aisha had picked out the attire, and after seeing what _she_ was wearing, Eclipse found she didn't mind her outfit. A light blue tank top sat lightly on her upper torso, the straps too small to hide the sports bra, but—after all the redhead had gone through to destroy her social image—it looked fine. Jeans and black tennis shoes finished the getup with a sense of comfortable familiarity, but it was still too fashionable for her tastes. Fashionable meaning the only place for a handgun was the purse hanging on her left hip. Not something she was used to. "I look ridiculous," Eclipse had complained when Aisha stood her in front of the mirror.

"Why, darling, you look great. Here, let's put your hair back in a clip to keep it out of your eyes, like so. There! One gorgeous, ass kicking bodyguard."

"Y'know, if you didn't add in the 'ass kicking' I'd have been offended," the redhead had said and the woman just laughed.

"Yes, well, you'd better live up to it. Andy can take care of himself, but if he gets too adventurous you'd better be there to slap him across the back of the head. I'll not lose him to some brute of a woman during a market sale."

"I take it he's done that before? Over some coffee beans, I'm thinking."

Aisha had nodded sadly. "He came back with a nice black eye too."

Great, so not only was she forced to socialize, she had to keep an eye on her rambunctious commander and hope no grizzly details would make their way back to the keen ears of his girlfriend.

The town was a lot bigger and busier than Eclipse had expected. Tall cement apartments lined the streets and stretched back for miles in either direction. There seemed to be only one main street—the one they were on—so the only way to reach the buildings further out was by a series of alleyways. _Damn, this place is ambush central, _the redhead thought, casting a glance at Waltfeld. Keeping him from doing something foolish was the least of her worries now. Three other soldiers—all incognito—came as well, talking amongst themselves. They seemed to be having a good time and perhaps that was what bothered Eclipse the most. Why weren't they as nervous as she was?

"Relax, Eclipse. If you don't wipe that scowl off your face we'll start looking suspicious. Now, I didn't invite you to blow our cover," the commander said, not worrying about the volume of his voice. He doubted anyone could hear him anyway.

"First of all, sir, you didn't invite me; I got courteously blackmailed. Second of all, I have a feeling you do this quite often. Given the demeanor of your bodyguards and your lackadaisical approach to the situation you probably do this about three times a week. You don't look to be sporting any major injuries and you only brought four soldiers, so you probably don't get into too much trouble. Despite all that, I have one question, why did you bring me out here anyway?"

"I thought you'd like to see the town and there's a restaurant up here selling some pretty descent coffee."

"So, this is all because of coffee, sir?"

"You complaining?" Waltfeld asked and smiled when Eclipse sighed. "To be honest, I want to see what you'd do if a situation does arise."

"Ah, so this is a test? Either you have a lot of faith in me or are a masochistic fool who'd put his life in danger to see if some soldier is good with a gun."

"Do you speak to everyone like this? And here I thought your cooperation was 'commendable,'" the commander muttered, tipping his hat as a pair of young ladies walked by. "Have you met so many stiffs in the military you can't believe I honestly want to sit down in town and have coffee?"

Eclipse decided not to answer, so Waltfeld didn't press the matter.

The restaurant was also better than the redhead expected. Not only did it have some fine seating arrangements—both tables outside as well as inside—but the bay windows on the side of the establishment made it look very inviting. The fresh smell of cooked food and coffee was also a plus and when the commander took a huge whiff and sighed, she knew he enjoyed it there. Waltfeld sat first—which was both out of respect as well as tradition—and picked two tables near the end. Seeing as the commander wanted to talk to Eclipse a little more, the other three bodyguards took the next table over and started ordering.

"You hungry?" Waltfeld asked. "They make the best donar kebabs around, so if anything, order that."

_Well, I didn't have any breakfast, _the redhead thought and merely shrugged. If she was going to eat that day, might as well be something someone suggested. "Honestly, I've never had one before, sir."

"That's alright; I'll tell you how to eat them." He ordered the two kebabs and two glasses of coffee, looking quite pleased with himself. Eclipse watched him in that moment. Sometimes he seemed like an air headed dolt who didn't know the difference between his nickname and a dingo, but at other times, he was quite intimidating. She suspected most people didn't take him seriously, but that, of course, was their loss. He was a fine commander—from what she could tell—and deserved a lot of respect. The way he controlled himself was enough for the redhead. Even though he was dressed in such a goofy outfit, Waltfeld honestly wanted to know what was going on in his town. Yes, _his _town. She mustn't forget that because he obviously took it by sheer skill. If the happy civilians weren't enough to prove her point, the way everything in the city looked was amazing. He didn't just waltz in and floor the town. In fact he took command, kept the economy stable and the people safe at the same time. Impressive. Not very many commanders would care about the people he overthrew and even a military dictatorship was likely in most cities. Eclipse didn't see that here in Banadiya. Given, she didn't know Waltfeld's dark secrets—and guessed he had to use some form of fear to keep the citizens from rebelling—but, for the most part, things seem pretty good.

"So, what're you thinking about so diligently?" the commander asked, leaning his head on an upraised hand. "Please tell, because I'm curious as to how that mind of yours works."

"And why would you say something like that, sir?"

"You see, we received some information concerning a new mobile suit being built in the PLANTs and was curious as to why you are its chosen pilot."

"Wait, I'm piloting a new mobile suit?" Eclipse asked, now interested in the situation. The coffee arrived before Waltfeld could continue and only after the redhead put some sugar and creamer in the drink did he move on.

"Those are the rumors, but it'll still be some time before you'll get the suit. It's still in production and isn't scheduled to be completed for a couple of weeks yet."

"Why are they giving it to _me_?"

"That's what I've been wondering. Sure, you're an elite and the others on your team have powerful units of their own, but is that enough to give you a brand new model? I looked further into your files, but nothing of significance came up. There has to be something vital, but as far as I can tell, the only ones who find you important are the ones giving the orders. To the rest of the military, you're nothing but a mere soldier." He took a sip of his coffee, studying her reaction. Honestly, this whole interrogation could've been because of jealousy, but the emotions that crossed Eclipse's face when he mentioned 'importance' and 'significance' were interesting. Brief and very small, it was nothing but an eye-lid tic and two ripples in her cup, but Waltfeld's observant eye caught everything. She knew something—or at least suspected something—but what? Finally, he sighed. "It's getting harder and harder for me to understand what is going on in the military."

"Sir?" the redhead asked, surprised at the comment.

"Oh, nothing; I've just been thinking about some things lately. Besides, we probably shouldn't be talking on this subject at a dinner table."

"Can I ask you one more thing?"

"Hm?"

"What's my role here, sir? I was sent here ahead of my teammates, so that either says I can be of value to you, or they're putting me under your command because I was being a hindrance at Gibraltar."

"That's a valid question, but just to let you know, you weren't a burden. I had asked for two new pilots to fill in my ranks. Your name was recommended, so I picked you. I'm very anal when it comes to pilots, so consider yourself honored. Taking that into account, you'll be piloting a BuCUE for a while. That won't be a problem, right?"

"No," Eclipse smiled. "Not at all."

"Good. Ah, here're the kebabs. Now, try this yogurt sauce, okay? They taste so good with it on."

* * *

For the most part, the afternoon had been going well. Things got a little boring around the third cup of coffee, but as soon as the commander found a newspaper, they were passing it back and forth so much they didn't even notice as another hour went by.

"Hm, I wonder who they are," Waltfeld said, looking over at two teenagers at the table kiddy-corner from them. The girl had her back turned to the duo and was waving some slip of paper at the boy across from her. She wore a red tank top with khaki pants. Nothing fancy, but it was enough to offset her unusually pale skin and shoulder length blonde hair. The boy looked exhausted. Just as pale as his friend, he wore a white, button-up shirt—with a blue muscle shirt underneath—and khaki pants, proving why the commander would be so interested. The young man may have been attractive with messy brown hair and purple eyes, but everyone in this town had some sort of tan and they were, well, not. At the boys' feet were four bags of goods—bread, fruits, vegetables, and other basic needs—however, none of it seemed out of the ordinary.

"Sir, what d'ya think—" Eclipse began, but the commander had already gotten to his feet, muttering a quiet, "Oh no you don't." Was this the 'adventurous' side Aisha had warned her about?

If so, damn it. If not, still, damn it.

Two kebabs were set on the teens' table, exciting the blonde and making the boy look downright disgusted. Either he had never had the delicacy before and wasn't impressed, or the girl had done something peculiar. The redhead figured it had to do something with the chili sauce container she was waving in his face.

"Hold it right there!" Waltfeld shouted, walking up to the table. "Wait just a moment. How could you stoop to putting chili sauce on your kebabs? Now," he picked up the other container on the table. Eclipse just groaned and looked away. "This yogurt sauce, that's the proper thing to add to such a dish!" The rest droned out from there, the redhead having paid attention to the people walking on the street. The crowd had died down since they had arrived—making the bodyguards feel better—but it was still at an uncomfortable level.

"You look just as nervous as I feel," one of the soldiers said, moving from the other table to join her. "Usually, the air isn't so tense when we come out, but today something feels a bit off."

"Intuition?" Eclipse suggested.

"Experience," he responded. The redhead nodded knowingly and went back to the busy street.

The commander's gasp pulled everyone's attention back to the conversation going on behind them. At first the gesture had startled them, but as soon as Waltfeld yelled, "What a terrible waste!" they all knew he was just talking about the kebabs again.

"He's one of the most diverse commanders I have ever met," one of the soldiers at the other table said, shaking his head at the same time. Everyone joined in agreement and Eclipse smiled. Somehow she liked that about him.

"Hey, hey, hey, hey! Don't force your bad habits on this guy!"

"So, what looks like the most likely spot someone's going to attack from?" the redhead's tablemate asked and grabbed a section of the paper. He had to keep looking casual or people would catch on.

"The alleys most likely. We have one on each end and another across the road. If they were smart, they'd just come in with Uzis and level us all before we could react. It'd create a scene—and they'd probably get caught pretty easily—but we'd all be dead, so in the end it would be a victory for them."

"At least you're honest," he muttered. "Ugh, must he sit down with them? Those two make me nervous."

"Huh? They're just kids."

"And so are you, but you could probably kick my ass in hand-to-hand combat."

"I admire how careful you are, but if you don't lighten up—shit! Launcher! Down! Comm—" Many things happened at once. Eclipse had noticed two people on the roof of the building across the street. One was holding a rocket launcher and let loose an attack as soon as she started shouting. The other three bodyguards reacted instinctively, tipping the tables over on their sides and using the tops to hide behind. Waltfeld had done much the same thing by kicking the teens' table over and pulling them behind it.

The rocket flew into the restaurant window with destructive results. Broken glass, loud screams, and other unpleasant fragments hit each person respectively—causing some more cries from the unlucky citizens—but there was no time to dwell on what had happened. Four, armed men came running out of the opposite building with an Uzi each—just as Eclipse had suspected. Routinely, the bodyguards all pulled out their 9mm, took off the safeties, and aimed for the counterattack.

"Die Coordinator; you lousy rotten space invaders!" one man yelled, firing in mid-sprint. The redhead rounded the table and fired one shot before ducking back for cover. The shot grazed his shoulder, but it wasn't enough to slow the advance. Her partner tried a second later to the same result.

"For the preservation of our blue and pure world!" another shouted, sending a barrage the commander's way. Surprisingly, the tables were relatively thick and could withstand such abuse, but the soldiers had to keep them at bay or the gunfight would turn into a bloody, pointblank massacre.

Not very appealing.

Eclipse felt another round hit the table and blew cover at the perfect moment. Her bullet hit one attacker in the chest as his focus was on the other table and another wounded the left arm of the rebel running towards Waltfeld. The commander took him out with a perfect shot to the neck. "Go ahead! Eliminate them all, now!" he ordered, ducking down for cover.

"Back-up's on the way," the redhead's partner said as he clipped off someone sneaking out of the alley near the far table.

"I have a feeling this'll be over before they get here," Eclipse responded. She was going to pop up and shoot the attacker to her right, but he had anticipated the movement, forcing her back down. Ticked—and taking advantage of a well-aimed shot to his weapon—the redhead put two shots through his right knee cap and stomach. As she was going back to her defensive position, she caught sight of another enemy to her right, coming out of the alley. Waltfeld was so occupied with the two new attackers arriving on the scene, he didn't see the threat until the man was leveling for the shot. Eclipse was going to just turn and shoot—much like she did with Heine—but hesitated. Not only was the commander in the way, but those two teens as well.

However, one wasn't as helpless as she expected.

The boy rounded the table, picked up a fallen firearm, did a front flip and threw it at the attacker all in one motion. It was gun on gun action as the throw knocked the Uzi up and left its handler started, but the brunette wasn't going to let him off that easily. A graceful—yet deadly—kick to the jaw knocked him senseless and ended the ambush with five empty magazines, seven dead aggressors, a destroyed restaurant, and an impressed commander.

As anticipated, the back-up arrived after everything had settled down. DaCosta had finished off the fleeing rebel and was on his way to Waltfeld as Eclipse walked over to the unconscious enemy. Groaning loudly, the redhead took aim and fired, not noticing—or perhaps not caring—the boy was watching the show. Looking up in time to catch his hurt/disgusting expression, she felt a bit angry at his reaction. That man had tried to kill them, all of them and that dumb teen was looking at her like she was the enemy. When she went berserk he could look at her like that, but not when she was trying to save his ass from getting shot.

It was downright unthankful.

"Don't you even know what a gun is supposed to be used for?" the girl asked, coming over to stand near her friend. She looked hideous. Not in looks, of course, but the chili and yogurt sauce staining both her hair and clothes soured her appearance so much so she looked like a kebab herself.

But there was still something. The voice maybe?

"Well," she went on, "whatever the case."

"Commander! Are you all right?" DaCosta asked, finally reaching Waltfeld.

"Yeah, I'm doing just fine, actually. And it's all thanks to that guy." Turning, the commander pointed to the teen who, at the moment, didn't look too keen on the attention. His muscles tensed and his fists clenched, but still Waltfeld's confident look wouldn't falter.

The girl, however, was more worried about the man's name than his visage. "You mean we were talking with Andrew Waltfeld?"

Eclipse gasped, instantly recognizing her this time. _Shit._

"The Desert Tiger. It's him."

_It's her. Cags…_

"Well, m'boy, you saved my life. How can I thank you?"

_What the hell is she doing here? What about Orb? Whoever said family is a burden wasn't kidding._

* * *

It wasn't easy, but Eclipse managed to avoid Cagalli the entire trip back. Both the blonde and her friend rode with the commander, often exchanging uneasy looks, but Waltfeld never seemed to notice. In fact, he looked quite pleased with himself. The redhead figured he knew something no one else did, but at the moment she didn't care.

If he stayed out of her game of hide and seek she'd stay out of his.

The commander stepped out of his vehicle as soon as they reached headquarters, explaining again to the teens why he insisted they stay for a while. Hesitating again, they looked at one another again and giving Eclipse a moment to pass by unnoticed. She walked in behind Waltfeld and fled past his "greeting room" when he turned in, praying he didn't call her in as well. The luck held and she had turned the corner before Cagalli walked through the door. _Hide. Hide. My room. Go. Now._ Hearing Aisha down the hall, she slammed the door behind her and flicked the lock. She shook her head and leaned back once she knew everything was clear. _This has been a strange couple of days; first my brother and then Cagalli. If I didn't know any better, I'd say someone was trying to force me back home. _Sighing, she pushed herself towards the bed, grabbed her laptop, and blinked when she saw an envelope fall to the floor. It was sealed shut—which was surprising because usually all mail had to be opened—with no name. Eclipse figured someone had snuck it in, but the question was, why? If it was just a letter to say hi, they were taking extreme lengths.

So, maybe it was important.

She set her laptop down on the bed, picked up the letter, and began reading.

_"Al-Jairi's. 2300. 2/22." _Signed, _"Envy."_

The redhead looked for further information, but didn't find any. Being quite unnerved about the situation, she set the paper down next to the laptop and fell sideways onto her pillow. She recognized Envy for being one of the seven sins and just the thought of a SIN-ED member running around in headquarters made her squirm. They had guts alright, to send someone inside a ZAFT command station just to drop off a letter, but why would they be telling her where they're going to be next? Haven't they figured out she was the one chasing after them? _Maybe it's from FS, _she thought and rested an arm over her eyes. _If that's the case, he just wants to talk and it's not an ambush. Then again, they probably realized I'm the one following them and FS has no other choice than to take me out. If that's the case, he'd leave Stray behind, maybe take two or three guards with him, and do the whole thing quietly. The time's predictable, so if this is a trap, the commander wouldn't find out anything until the next morning. Comforting. But, if it isn't FS then this could be a mutiny against him. Is that really something I want to be caught up in? Do I really have a choice? _Groaning, she rolled off the bed and went to the bathroom. Since she didn't get her shower that morning, she turned on the water now and hoped it would make her relax—not only that but she had a lot of sand and other things to wash off. _What would I do if it was a rebellion and they told me where to find FS? It __**is **__my duty to track and destroy SIN-ED, so obviously I'd have to follow Defense Chairman Zala's orders. Right? That's what I signed up for. _

"Right?" she asked aloud, cursing when she suddenly got terribly angry. Ever since she started going after the organization she's had one hesitation after another. At the time, she had figured she'd just keep others from killing her friends and try to talk them back to sanity at the same time. Now, however, she was becoming continually restless and scared even. Maybe FS had been right and ZAFT wasn't the home she was looking for. _So, what should I do? Run to SIN-ED? Try and do things their way while keeping them alive at the same time? Is that even possible? _Testing the water before starting to undress, Eclipse realized something. If it _was _FS at the meeting spot, she'd go with him in a heartbeat. There'd be no argument; no nothing. "Who cares if they want to destroy the human race? As long as I'm not sitting here worrying about them every second of day, running away from past relations, and trying to keep up appearances by not going insane, they can give me an Uzi and set me loose in a shopping mall for all I care." It had been a long time since she had felt so sure of herself and, the weapon had to admit, it felt pretty damn good.

If only she had bothered to look at herself in the mirror.

* * *

((Look below by the way!))

_**A/N: **_Hey all, another chapter up and ready. I've already started on the next chapter and hope to get it down within the next week. Like I said, I want to get this done by the end of the summer and that's really only three months away. I have to pick it up.

I have one question, is there too much sarcasm? Yes, this may sound dumb, but I had a short story that didn't go so well 'cause of my sarcasm. Actually, the teacher said it took away from the main plot and characterization. Who knew I'd have to cut back? Anyway, let me know if it's bogging anything down and I'll cut back. Thanks!

On that note, I should probably say a huge "I'm sorry" to me betas for having them work so much, but then add in a huge "thank you" because this story would be nothing without them. _CSSStravag _and _Death-Scimitar_ deserve a ton of praise not only for their work on this story, but for the work on their own. I'm always eagerly awaiting the next chapter of their own stories and recommend _Archangel's Amazing Adventures _and _Roses, Guns, and Boys _to anyone looking for excellent reads. _AAA _is a story full of high-tech action—that puts mine to utter shame—and enough humor/sarcasm to brighten anyone's dreary day. Mix all that in with great writing and you have a memorable story._ RGB _is a bit on the other spectrum but more worth the read than you know. It's _Gundam Wing AC _crossed with _Ouran High School Host Club_ but if that isn't catchy enough it's a one-of-a-kind story and if you don't snatch up the opportunity now, you'll miss reading the only story in that particular crossover. It's a bundle of laughs, but has a serious plot as well, so don't ever take the quirkiness for granted.

Well, back to topic, I hoped you all like the chapter and are looking forward for the next one. It's great hearing from ya so thanks for the all the reviews and readings. I'll see you in the next one!

* * *

_**Gripes and Questions**_

_Asmus: _I know you mentioned the Victoria incident--I already explained it to you in my review reply--and just in case other people were wondering, I'll give you guys my reasoning. I watched the episode that recapped what happened in Victoria. It was when Said (Spelling?) was talking to the _Archangel _crew at the camp near Banadiya. They went through a series of pictures depicting the chaos and I saw ZAFT soldiers deliberately shooting Earth Alliance forces, tied up, and kneeling. I just took it at face value and figured they either did that out of complete hatred, or they wouldn't cooperate. Either way it was gruesome, and even though the two armies didn't start--officially--duking it out until later in the series, it kind of gives a foreshadowing of what's to come. As for the Mobile suit question, I'm sure that's answered here in this chapter. :) Be prepared for some interesting action in upcoming events.

_Darkangelsonic_: I forgot to mention this in my review reply, but Shinn doesn't officially join the ZAFT army until Orb is destroyed in disk 8 (I'm thinking). That being the case, he wouldn't be around yet and I don't think Luna had been considering the military yet. I might have one--or both--come in later to tie in the series, but I haven't decided yet. We'll have to see where my hands, the insane amounts of coffee, and my overactive imagination takes me in the future.

* * *

Here's a little insert that almost made it into the story, but I thought it'd be too hyper for our fair commander and a bit out of character. It's not written out in story form 'cause I didn't have time to go back and fix it, but hopefully you can all understand it. Anyway, this is what Eclipse and Andy _really _talked about while waiting for the kebabs.

Lions and Tigers and Bears! …Oh my

"So, why are you called the Desert Tiger, sir?" (Eclipse)

"Huh? You've never heard of the 'Wizard of Oz'?" (Andy)

"Oz? _Gundam Wing_?"

"Huh? Uh, no. The old movie. Y'know… Damn, what's my age again?"

"Anyway, about that nickname."

"Ah yes. There's a phrase where the main characters are walking through a dark forest. Trees are attacking them; flying monkeys; green witches—"

"Sir, is there a point to this?"

"Oh, well they're all so afraid and they start muttering the three most fearsome animals they can think of. 'Lions, and Tigers, and Bears.' I can't believe you haven't seen it."

"So, you're the tiger, I take it. How fearsome to have come from an old children's movie."

"Ah, but the Desert part makes it so much more interesting. You see, I single-handedly stopped an Earth Alliance advance."

"Just you and the mobile suits huh? How brave."

"Enough with the sarcasm. Anyway, that's where the desert came from."

"…Because you threw sand in their eyes?"

"Stop."

"Sorry. So, who's the lion and the bear?"

"Oh, well, DaCosta's the bear, obviously."

"Obviously?" (Image of scrawny redhead)

"Have you ever been hugged by him?"

"I've only known him for a day, sir, and have not had the honor. Unfortunately… I bet you're going to tell me all about it though."

"It's ridiculous!"

"Here we go." (Sigh; roll eyes; etc.)

"I mean for goodness sakes you could pinch his biceps and pop 'em, but damn, he must put more body into it or something."

"Uh, excuse me, sir?"

"…Ahem. So, the lion, or lioness to be exact—"

"Ah, is Aisha. And what's the reason behind that one?"

(Serious expression; hands folded at lips; shades and hat still on) "Rawr." (Roll the 'r'; pawing hand motion.)

"Sir."

"Hm?" (Drinks coffee)

"Never do that again."

"Oh."


	27. Chaotic Freedom

Chaotic Freedom

"Breck, jump now!" DaCosta ordered, his thumb lingering over the trigger in his BuCUE. His hand twitched in anticipation—however not hard enough to actually fire—but still the newbie's suit sped just ahead of him and taking a few hits from the enemy machine. "I said jump!"

"I-I can't, sir. Eclipse knocked out my controls."

"She what?" In response, a different BuCUE—one painted red for "enemy"—appeared on DaCosta's right. The greencoat was only able to fire one shot before the machine leapt over his unit, slicing the main cannon off with its mouth blades.

Landing on the other side of the stunned soldier, it continued on to find cover behind a sand dune. _Damn, DaCosta has some nice reflexes, _Eclipse thought, pulling up the suit's OS to reconfigure booster output and balancers. The shot had hit the belt on her back right leg, making it nothing more than smoking debris on the field. While the redhead knew the remaining three legs could pick up the slack, she had lost a considerable amount of speed. Not only that, but she couldn't make such a risky jump again. Increasing the pulling rotation of the front two belts and the back left, she took one more second to check the balance before the greencoat rounded the dune in front of her. He shot a round of bullets, three nicking the red machine's armor before its pilot put it in reverse.

"You're getting sloppy, Eclipse!" DaCosta yelled and switched on his blades. He tried leaping towards the retreating BuCUE and turned on his boosters just as the redhead was about to fire. The bullets flew harmlessly under the unit.

"Shit!" she cursed and pulled her machine to a dead stop. Knowing sand didn't have the greatest traction, the move was risky, but—for the most part—she managed to control the BuCUE well enough to stop four yards after breaking.

She was really beginning to like these mobile suits.

The greencoat passed just over head, but had hit his boosters too hard and flew well over his opponent. Saying some colorful words of his own, he tried shifting his blades sideways to clip a part of Eclipse's unit, but the redhead proved to be the quicker. Having gained some solid footing, she focused all her weight to the front of the suit and kicked with the hind legs, sending DaCosta's suit flying. It landed a ways away in a heap of metal, not exploding, but not moving either.

"And Eclipse wins again!" Waltfeld announced from the control room, shutting off the simulation. "Perhaps we should switch up the teams, but for a while there, I thought you had her, DaCosta."

"Yeah, didn't we both," the greencoat muttered, pulling off his headset and setting it on the console in front of him. They had already done three practice runs and it was only noon. Either that showed how fast the fights went or they had all woken up ridiculously early. Well, Eclipse was out on a morning jog by 0500 and the commander was probably up making coffee by that time too. DaCosta had been doing his rounds, but somehow the name Breck and the phrase "early bird" didn't seem to go together.

"So, Hall, what happened to you this time?" Waltfeld asked, smirking at the boy as he walked over. "Something about controls?"

"Yeah, yeah, jest all you want, sir. She had one helluva shot," the pilot remarked, setting his headset next to the others. He seemed pretty comfortable with the commander now and even his language proved the point. It could've been the training sessions, but Eclipse figured it was just Waltfeld's personality. He could get to know a person quickly and make him just as comfortable. Quite a gift. "I didn't even think they could get damaged like that," Breck continued.

"Thank my mechanic classes for that one. I had to learn how these things ticked before I could even get behind the controls of one." The redhead walked over near the group and took a deep breath. Training had taken more out of her than she thought.

Gotta love burning brain calories.

"Sounds like a good program then," DaCosta commented, receiving a rather unpleasant look from Eclipse. If he didn't know any better, he had made her angry. But, since he did know better, he braced himself for the retaliation. However, she didn't say anything more. Perhaps she was finally exhausted about the whole thing.

"On that happy note," the commander began, clearing his throat and stepping between the two officers. "What d'ya say we grab some lunch?"

"And a shower," Breck muttered. "Who knew virtual reality could cause you to sweat so much?"

The redhead sighed, for once agreeing with the young man. Waltfeld just laughed. "It doesn't have the word 'reality' in it for nothing, y'know."

"Yeah, but 'virtual' has to stand for something."

"That it's—uh—virtually impossible to—uh—go through lunch without a cup of coffee. Now let's grab some grub." Clapping an arm around the newbie's shoulders, he led him away, only a small hand wave indicating Eclipse and DaCosta should follow.

They just sighed. "Is he ever serious?" the redhead asked.

"When lives are at stake, yes. However, he's been extra chipper lately. I blame your addiction for that one; people need to stop encouraging him," the man groaned.

"Sorry… I think."

"DaCosta! Eclipse! Let's go!" the commander yelled, sounding a bit testy about the situation. Maybe Breck had tried to bring up his own addiction.

Not very wise.

"Yessir!"

* * *

Lunch lasted rather longer than anticipated. Much of that could've been because Waltfeld was pounded with status reports, supply sheets, personal requests, and even a sexual harassment charge from Rika. The claim was liable, but it wasn't something to be talked over turkey sandwiches and Hawaiian Punch. The commander listened patiently, promised to take care of it and then waved her off so he could grab another bite. He had only finished half his lunch by the time another soldier came up to him.

"Remind me never to become a commander," Breck muttered to Eclipse who merely shrugged in response. She had never thought about it before, but to anyone that kind of power had to be appealing. Ordering people around didn't sound all that bad, but when the responsibility for their lives is thrown into the mix, things tended to get complicated. However, she was willing to give it a try.

Some day.

"Why don't you guys relax for a few hours," Waltfeld suggested with a frustrated sigh. "I'll let you know when we can start the simulations again. Dismissed."

The three of them nodded, saluted, and then left the cafeteria and their overwhelmed commander behind. "I'll go find Aisha," DaCosta announced turning right at the first corner. "She can help him out with the basics."

"The basics of what?" Breck muttered, elbowing her with a goofy grin on his face.

She just rolled her eyes. _Juvenile._

"So, what do you plan on doing the rest of the day?" the greencoat asked, starting to walk down the hall.

_I plan on staying as far away from you as I can get, _she thought, but just shrugged. She could've told him how she was going to research her homicidal friends, but that seemed a bit out of place to.

What's a girl to do?

"I was debating between the shooting range and a nap. What'cha think?"

"Well," the redhead began, walking about three feet behind him. Unfortunately, he slowed down and waited until they were side by side. "Since you woke up around 0800, I'm thinking you have enough energy to last for the rest of the day. Then again, we've been in simulations the entire morning and I can see how you'd be tired."

Breck paused and cocked an eyebrow. "Y'know, that didn't answer my question in the least."

"Alright, how's this; given the amount of work the commander seemed to have, we probably won't start training until well after dinner. That being said, you'll have enough time to do both and maybe even twice."

"Oh, well did you want to join me?"

"For the shooting range, fine. As for the sleeping thing, I tend to see it as more of a personal achievement."

"Well—uh—sure, but—"

"The range is this way. C'mon."

* * *

The rest of the day passed by rather slowly. Dinnertime came around and still Waltfeld was stuck with reports and most of them concerning the attack in the city. The facts showed Blue Cosmos was involved, helping the victims to understand the dramatic declarations like, "Blue and pure world," before they began their rampage. However, what the organization was doing in Banadiya was still under debate. There was no other record of them buying or selling any merchandise in the market and not even that small of a band should've been able to do much damage. If it wasn't for the commander's lackadaisical approach to his tour of the city, they probably wouldn't even have gotten off a shot.

"Andy's not entirely to blame," Aisha commented, throwing the reports down on the coffee table. "But I'm not happy with him either."

Eclipse could only nod. The female pilot had asked to talk to the redhead personally as soon as it was obvious simulations would have to wait until the next morning. Not really understanding why, Eclipse had gone along with it and before she had taken her first sip of coffee, she had learned everything about lovers' squabbles from three months ago up to three years. She even learned a few intimate details giving her good reason to avoid the commander for a few days. _Perhaps I'm easy to talk to, _the redhead thought, sipping at her glass again. _Maybe 'cause I don't ever respond._

"We had discussed the possibility of something like this happening, but he just brushed it off. Yes, everyone likes his easy-going nature—and seeing him so well liked_ is_ very alluring—but he has to remember his military position. Plenty of people are after his head and he doesn't necessarily blend in well."

"You think he should stop going into town then?"

"No, he needs to know what's going on, but maybe he could take a few more guards."

"And have everyone know he's the commander and start freaking out?"

Aisha sighed, scratching the back of her head as if it made her think harder. Who knows, it might've worked. "No, you're right, but there has to be something…."

"He's basically the dictator here, so people wanting him dead isn't unusual. Don't worry, he knows what he's getting into and—like you said before—can take care of himself."

"So, it's wrong for me to worry?"

"Judging by the conversation we've been having for the past hour, I'd say you couldn't stop worrying even if you tried. It's not a bad thing, but it still messes with the mind after a while." Eclipse took another drink, realized the cup was empty, and went to get more. That was the good thing about this base.

Always an endless supply of coffee.

"I've been meaning to ask you, where did you run off to yesterday? Those two kids came in and you bolted."

"I didn't think you needed my help," the redhead responded, startled by the question. She was so surprised she missed putting the sugar into her cup, having it fall into a nice heap on the counter.

Lovely.

"No, but I'm still curious. Afraid I'd be mad about him getting into the fight?"

"It crossed my mind," she said, meaning for it to be a blatant lie, but once she thought on it a while, it was a good possibility. Her fight or flight response had a tendency to react on its own. Lately the "fight" had been kicking in more often, but perhaps the "flight" had finally come through. Well, it was a smart move anyway.

Aisha laughed, enjoying the thoughtful expression on Eclipse's face. _At least someone's happy, _the redhead grumbled, walking back over to her place on the couch. "Honestly, I knew the girl. Or at least on a personal level."

"Really? She was a pretty little thing, that one, and didn't look too uncomfortable in the dress either. Care to share where you've met?"

"Well," Eclipse paused. Cagalli was the princess of Orb—that she knew—and sharing such information could mean instant danger for the girl. Despite their fall out, the redhead wasn't about to let that happen, but what else could she say? Outright lying to a superior was never a good thing to do and neither was withholding information. A lose, lose situation.

Damn, she was getting into a lot of those lately.

Cagalli's appearance was a mystery, to say the least. She seemed to be by herself—except for that guy she was with—and being so far away from home suggested she either ran away or was forced out. Lord Izumi was a tough man, so the kicked out scenario was plausible, but Cagalli had always been unpredictable and her flying the coop could make sense as well. The only way to really find out would be to ask and that, unfortunately, wasn't something the redhead was prepared for at the moment. She just sighed.

"Eclipse?"

"Oh—uh—the girl. She's my cousin. Second cousin, really."

"Cousin? Well, isn't that curious. How much do you know about her?"

"We haven't talked to each other in a while—so I don't know what she's getting herself into right now—but she's always been of the adventurous sort. I guess I was just surprised to see her here."

"I bet that _would _be unnerving," Aisha said. "What about that boy who was with her? Know anything about him?"

Eclipse shook her head. "That's the first time I've seen him."

"Oh, well Andy seems to have taken a liking to him."

"Is that a bad thing?"

"No, not really, but there's something about that boy I don't like."

"Did you talk to the commander about it yet?"

"No," she admitted, setting her empty mug on the table. "There's an air of eagerness around him I haven't seen in a while. It's not exactly a bad thing, so I think I'll let it go for now."

"Is that really a good idea?"

"Sometimes it's best to just let people follow their instincts. Given, you're there with a gun to save their ass if anything goes wrong, but—for the sake of their sanity—you have to appease their better nature."

"So, that's why you've let his coffee addiction go so far?"

"After a while there was no choice. Tell me, who would Andy be without his coffee?"

"You're right," Eclipse said, "and his withdrawal symptoms would be downright terrifying."

* * *

_You have got to be kidding me, _the redhead thought, staring at the man across from her. _How the hell did I get sucked into this one? I know I like to follow orders, but this is ridiculous. _

"May I help you, ma'am?"

_Ma'am? What, do I look like some old hag or something, _Eclipse grumbled, glaring into the brown eyes of the sales clerk. It was about 2000 hours on the 22nd of February, and the rendezvous time with Envy was approaching fast. She had the rest of the evening planned—a nice relaxing time of information gathering—and despite all of that, the commander had come to her personally, handing her what looked like a harmless slip of paper.

"Uh, excuse me, do you need any help?"

_Yeah, harmless my ass, _she thought as she clenched her fists. _I'm going to kill him. _

"Ma'am?"

Mentally slapping herself for being so stupid, she brought up her right hand, flashing the piece of paper at the man. _This is embarrassing._

"Uh, yes. Everything on this list then? Right, let's see: one bag of Kona coffee blend, two French and Italian Roast blends, goat's milk—why this is for Commander Waltfeld isn't it?" Eclipse chose not to respond, frustrated by the amused smile on the clerk's lips.

_I'm a damned errand boy._

"Well, isn't it?" All he got was a slight nod, but that was enough to send him running to the back of the store, leaving one very pissed redhead. Out of all the people in the base, he had chosen her to do his "special task", even giving it the title "Operation Java Time".

Pathetic.

"You're the only one I can trust with such valuable merchandise," he had said, going on and on about how her own addiction would guarantee the coffee would get to his hands safely and then turning right around to say it was her fault the beans were running low in the first place. In other words, it was her _duty _to go get some more.

He had said that all with a straight face too.

"Here it is." The clerk came back with two brown bags, each stuffed to its maximum with spices, coffee beans, milks and the like. Even to Eclipse it looked sickening. "Someone must've called in ahead of time because it was already packaged up."

_Figures. _Fishing out some money, she handed it to the man and took off, not even worrying about the change. After all, Waltfeld was paying.

The trek back wasn't as grueling as the one to the shop. Her anger could've had something to do with it and, the redhead had to admit, watching people jump out of the way as she plowed down the street was quite fun. However, it would all have to be cut short. Just as Eclipse was thinking of her payback plan to hide the coffee beans—burying them was quickly moving to the top of the list—a young woman ran by trying to get the attention of her husband on the other side of the street. She looked hysterical.

"Shooting—south part of town—warehouse—screaming—" she stammered, falling into the man's arms as she began to cry. Either she had seen some of the action and was replaying the images or she was just so afraid the tears came automatically. Eclipse didn't take the time to figure it out. Dropping the bags, she spun around and headed south, pushing aside anyone who got in her way. Many glared and a few shared some unpleasant words, but there was one thing none of them realized; Al-Jairi's, the rendezvous point, was in the southern part of town.

And the redhead had a feeling she was given the wrong time.

* * *

A shot ricocheted off the wall in front of him, going at a wide enough angle to miss both him and Roan sitting a foot away. Stray smirked.

The night looked promising.

"Who the hell is that?" the older Sin yelled, slipping a fresh magazine into his pistol. "I thought Eclipse was the only one tracking us." Another scream erupted from behind their cover, causing an involuntary shiver to crawl down Roan's spine. While their assailant may have lost the advantage before, as soon as the two SIN-ED officers bailed to reload, he had found another good sniping position. That was if he was even a guy. Roan had caught sight of a black ponytail on his last attack, but hair alone wasn't enough to distinguish sex.

Either way the assassin was good.

"We have to get out of this corner or we're dead for sure," Stray said, reaching up and over the crate to fire blindly. He wasn't expecting to hit anything, but—judging by the sound of the shots—he had the gist of the enemy's position. The whole thing was quite unprofessional—then again when had he ever been professional?—and nothing more than an upside down shot over his head.

Well, it got the job done.

"It's only one, damn person!" Roan growled and bolted out of his position. Pistol up, he caught sight of the assassin fleeing to the other side of the warehouse. Apparently, the chef's instincts weren't too far off. Steadying himself, he took aim and fired, grazing her left shoulder. This time he knew it was a girl. She had let out a soft grunt after the hit and flashed the ponytail again. If he didn't know any better, Roan would've said Eclipse and this assailant were twins, even if his basis was on skills alone.

Stray had noticed the sound as well and smirked again. He knew it couldn't be Eclipse because not only had he told Envy the wrong time—and thus informing the redhead incorrectly—she wouldn't be so reckless as to be standing out in the open and waiting for her prey like this assassin was. If a blind shot in her general direction was enough to make her bolt for better cover, she had been way too exposed. Not something his redhead would risk in a situation like this. _Impressive though, _he thought. _She has to have a lot of skill and confidence to be standing so open and still kill most of our men. Roan's right; who is she?_

Envy was going through much the same deductions in his own mind, however, he was smiling. _Damn. We're an elite group and there's only two females who are obviously trailing us. How the hell could we be losing men so quickly? Either we're not as good as we thought we were, or they're just that impressive._ Breaking cover, he reached around the three crates protecting him and fired. His shot barely missed, but it was enough to draw her attention. Not exactly a wise move. He twisted around to fire again, but a well-placed shot to his upper thigh sent him crumbling to the ground.

_Shit, _Stray thought.

"G-Gluttony?" a soft voice sounded to the chef's right, reminding him of the young stowaway who had tagged along. It had been a sloppy overlook on his part for not checking and double checking who had boarded the aircraft. Children weren't needed on something like this.

Wholesale slaughter.

Before, Stray was angry at the careless move, but now he was worried about the 8-year-old. The quivering eyes and blatant horror on his face didn't help matters—especially when a bullet-ridden corpse fell between them—but what was he to do? He had never been good with the children, despite his own juvenile tendencies, and this definitely didn't fall under his job description.

Wait, that's it.

"Tylan, it'll be fine—"

"No it won't!"

"Tylan!"

Roan groaned again, but it ranged more on the edge of a scream. The chef risked a look and actually cringed. He had seen a lot in his day, but this was downright inhumane. The assassin had finally walked up to Roan's side, unsheathing a knife hidden at her right thigh. Her walk was mesmerizing, and her leather pants with a black halter only helped matters. Why she wore leather in this heat was beyond Stray's comprehension, but she didn't look the least bit fatigued or uncomfortable. He just swallowed nervously.

Bending down and only a few inches from his face, the girl whispered lightly in his ear, although, the chef was able to hear the words. "Who are you?" she demanded. Envy couldn't respond, for the first time frozen in fear. Cold sweat tricked down his brow and his mouth went dry.

Not a good sign.

It was almost like a lover's caress when her hand snaked his jaw line, but the knife's role was much more sadistic. Resting on the underside of his left knee, one quick swipe tore through the flesh and tendons. Only the hand clamped to his mouth saved the world from his agonizing cry. Taking it away, she whispered once more, "I'll ask you again. Who are you?" The other leg was next, but by then Stray had looked away, Tylan's whimper drawing him back. The gun flashed to them in that incident.

_Shit._

"Ah, you have friends. Maybe _they're_ in the mood to talk." Her face was fair, with black hair thrown back into most famous hairdo of the night; a ponytail. There was a red twinge to it only noticeable at certain angles, but it was definitely there.

As were other things in her green eyes.

Stray gave a wry chuckle. "This makes so much more sense now. You're what he's so obsessed with. Ironic."

"Quit babbling. Are you a Sin? You look a little weak if you are."

"And you look a little young to be doing such torture to another human being."

"Shut up," she growled, firing a bullet through his left foot. Perhaps it was a reflex. The chef collapsed after the hit—clutching the wound—but what was even worse than the pool of blood was when Tylan rushed to his side.

The assassin aimed and was about to fire at the boy until Stray stepped in. "Stop, he's just a kid and never even attacked you. You're going to kill him for standing by to watch you slaughter his teammates?"

"I should," she said matter-of-factly, even offering a shrug as accent. "I guess I'm in a good mood today."

The chef almost started laughing again, still overwhelmed by the irony of it all. He had seen only glimpses of Eclipse's "talent" and now that he was staring right into the eyes of her could be twin, he was glad he never had to face her gaze before. It was all so unnerving. Cold pupiless eyes stared at him stoically. The black dot had never seemed so human until that moment, and Stray knew he'd never take his colorless eyes for granted again. At least they held something—warmth; the blazing fire of life that this two-toned girl was lacking. Yes, two-toned. He hadn't noticed it before, but her green eyes were actually separate shades. Her right was a deep forest green, while the other had paled to a few tones shy of white.

"Stop staring."

"Gluttony, kill—"

"And you shut up," she ordered, pointing her gun back at the Sin lying on the ground. His skin was such a sick shade of white they were all surprised he was still conscious. The rank smell of vomit proved he was human enough to feel pain, but with the barrel of a gun aimed at his forehead, he probably wished his nerves wouldn't react to what was coming next.

"Tylan, run and never look back. Call the reinforcements in," Stray whispered and the boy nodded. "Now go." He fled and did as he was told, never looking behind him as he disappeared. Not even the loud gunshot could slow his sprint.

It was so refreshing to see someone taking orders.

The assassin stared down at Envy's prone body and then over to the chef. At first, she had no idea where he had even gotten the gun, but remembering how the boy had one in his hands, she whispered a, "Oh," and turned her weapon on Stray instead. "What did you do that for?" she asked, but was more amused by his antics than angry.

Too much bloodshed can do that to a person.

Roan may have gotten off a shot—seeing as he still had a gun in his hand—if the girl was the one offering the _coup de grace_, but Stray's accurate shot to the temple was enough to finally silence the invalid mid-threat. It was a bloody mess, but one that made the chef feel a little better about himself. "I've been waiting to do that for a long time."

"Sure, and that was the plan all along, but you can't go back unscathed. They'll accuse you for sure."

"The boy saw enough."

"And you think they'll trust the word of a pipsqueak?" she scoffed, slipping a new magazine into the handgun before putting it back in the holster. Actually, she had been out of bullets, so she couldn't have killed him even if she wanted to. Well, there was one more knife near her left boot, but Roan would've had her for sure by then.

Perhaps the whole thing had turned out after all.

"Every voice is valid in SIN-ED, just like every child has seen enough to upgrade them into adulthood. They'll believe him."

"You still can't go back like that."

"What, a busted foot isn't enough?"

"I can do it for you," the assassin offered, bringing out her handgun once again. "Would that makes things easier?"

"Perhaps, but I don't trust your aim."

"Huh? I'm always dead on."

"Exactly," Stray said, "and I'm too juicy of a catch to pass up, so, we'll do things my way." Cocking the handgun, he pressed the barrel to his right side, careful to have it perpendicular to his body so the bullet would travel from the front and out to the back, not to the inside where the damage would cause a slow death. It'd hurt either way but—even though he wasn't that great with the medical side of things—he was hoping it'd look worse than it actually was. Without hesitating, he fired, gasping as he felt the bullet tear through his body. It came out cleanly on the other side, embedding itself into one of the crates. Gut wrenching agony hit him immediately, allowing only a few faint words to escape his lips. "H-how's that?"

The assassin shrugged, admiring the handwork rather than caring about his well-being. After all, he was the one who wanted to shoot himself. "That might work."

"Stray!" Eclipse had arrived on the scene at the worst possible moment. Not only was the other female pointing her gun at the SIN-ED member, but there was blood staining his t-shirt and seeping down into the waistband of his jeans. Like the chef had hoped, the wound looked atrocious, and if he wasn't so breathless from the pain, he would've liked to say hello to his fair friend. Instead, he dropped to his knees, gave the faintest of smiles and fell onto the wounded side. "Stray!" the redhead screamed again and began running towards him.

"No, don't," the assassin ordered, catching her by the wrist. Not a good move. Eclipse—already pissed about the ordeal—grabbed her hand and twisted the arm awkwardly. The black-haired girl stifled a yelp before landing a kick on the redhead's exposed knee. Eclipse buckled and let go. "Quit it, you don't know the whole story."

"Like hell I don't!" the redhead screamed. Remaining crouched down, she kicked out wide, swiping her opponents' feet out from under her. The assassin reacted purely on instinct, bringing her gun around fired at where Eclipse's head was supposed to be. The redhead had dodged slightly to the left only seconds before, the bullet grazing the top of her right ear instead of hitting the eye socket directly. That mishap would've been painful, but Eclipse was too ticked to care. Taking a second to recuperate, the Berserker brought her own handgun up and aimed straight ahead. The other girl by this time had done a backwards summersault and was on her feet, locking gazes at the end of her barrel.

A "movie moment" was the best way to describe it. They stood there, two trained assassins with 9mm pointed at each other's forehead, fingers lightly on the trigger. They were breathing hard, but not from exhaustion; if anything it was from excitement. Time trickled away and no matter how bad Eclipse wanted to run over to her fallen friend, the greatest threat was standing across from her.

The redhead didn't know what to make of it. Two-toned eyes matched her grey ones, the coldness in that stare seeming to freeze the air around them. It was merciless, fearless, and most of all, lifeless.

"So that's what I look like," the assassin mused.

"What are you," Eclipse asked, trying to mask the smirk curling up her lips. Ironic how the Berserker half found this all so amusing.

The girl chuckled. "Funny. Tell me, why did you say 'what are you' instead of 'who are you'? Am I really that unusual?"

The weapon didn't reply. Why had she said that? Perhaps the whole thing was unnerving, even now when she was staring at her mirrored half. Or maybe it was _because _she was staring at her mirrored half.

It all made sense.

"You're just like me," Eclipse said.

"Or maybe you're like me. It all depends on perspective, really. At any rate, where do we go from here? We're both after SIN-ED."

"You shot Stray."

"No, he did that to himself," the assassin corrected, blinking a few times at her counterpart's curious gaze. "What, didn't you know? This whole thing was staged and he performed beautifully, did he not? Think about it. Not only was Al-Jairi a weapon's smuggler, he had great connections with the Earth Forces; and now SIN-ED has them. A perfect situation, really. They ordered me to kill their rat—which Gluttony did by the way—and found a valuable spot all in the same night. They have a pretty foot in the pool of chaos."

"How poetic," Eclipse spat, feeling her arm grow tired from the strain, however, she was too stubborn to let it fall. Not until this _other _Berserker did it first.

"It was, wasn't it? And even more true."

"So you're telling me Al-Jairi's dead?"

"Well, he's not as alive as he used to be."

"Did you play a part in that?"

"No," the assassin admitted. "SIN-ED took care of that themselves. I was just sent in with the clean-up crew."

"So, who did you 'clean up', then?"

"Envy."

Eclipse's heart stopped. If Envy had been FS—like she originally thought—that meant he was the body on the floor behind the girl. So she had arrived too late; the coup had already happened. But wait, why would Stray join in to kill FS? That's one thing he'd never do and from what she had been hearing, this whole thing was a huge set-up of some kind. But not for FS, right? "Do you know Envy's real name?"

"Uh, Reon? Rain? Rune? Retard? Something like that."

"You're sure—" The weapon paused. Others were coming their way, noticeable by not only their stampede-like nature, but by the sound of vehicles. Eclipse would've guessed the ZAFT army arrived, but the assassin claimed otherwise.

"SIN-ED back-up. We'd better get out of here."

"How d'you know?"

"I don't, but either way we can't be caught in this bloodbath."

"Fine, but tell me something first. Who the hell are you?"

"The name's Namarra Legund. You?"

"Lunar Eclipse."

"Well, Lunar Eclipse, it was a pleasure to finally meet you face to face. Maybe next time we'll actually work together."

"Maybe, but if you screw up, I'll kill you."

Namarra smirked. "Spoken like a true Berserker. Y'know, I think I may be able to tolerate you after all."

"Quick question before our little party's crashed."

"Hm?"

"Bob?"

The assassin blinked, "Bob… Bob… Uh… Oh! Yeah! Good one huh?"

"What did you do with the head?"

"Uh… Do you know the movie 'Lost in Space'?"

"So it's out there—floating—endlessly."

Eclipse sighed, feeling sorry for the pilot whose mobile suit happened to make out with said decapitated appendage, but then again, if the tongue was out they'd have a grand old time.

See? Who said sociopaths didn't have a moral sense of humor.

* * *

"How'd it go?" Stray asked, wincing as he attempted to sit up in bed. It had been a long and painful couple of days, most likely involving blood transfusions, needles, anesthetics, and some very colorful cursing. Or was it prayers? The Sin had no idea anymore. At any rate he owed Miato big. Not only was he a skilled mechanic, he could work just as well with humans. Maybe he'd buy him a drink later.

FS just pushed him back down onto the bed. "Lie still," he ordered, but a slight smirk was on his lips. Apparently, everything had gone smoothly. The officer's meeting had taken place the day before, almost immediately after the chef was stable. Tylan had come in to be a witness, and the final verdict had just been passed. That's why the brunette was in the room. Not only to check on his comrade, but to celebrate.

"Did they buy it?"

FS nodded and suddenly burst out laughing. His orange eyes glowed and even sparkled with amusement, but there was something behind that pleasant smile. "It was so easy," he gasped. "No one is even sorry that jackass is gone. In fact they had been waiting for us to knock him off! "

"So, you're telling me we wasted all that time worrying for nothing?"

"Exactly! And the best part about this is we can finally do what we please. No one is going to question us and—seeing as most of them are going insane from boredom anyway—they're so eager for some action, any order would suffice."

"What're you planning on then?" Stray asked, fiddling with the IV in his arm. It felt weird under his skin and even weirder when he would pull it back and forth.

Fascinating.

"I dunno, a ZAFT base? Carpentaria? Gibraltar? How about a PLANT? Should we go straight for Aprilius 1?" He laughed again, slapping at the teen's hand when he tired messing with the IV again. "This is perfect! If we took some troops to Aprilius, we can sneak into a council meeting and slaughter them in a matter of seconds. How well would the army be organized after that? Hell, if that's too risky, we could help the Earth Forces recapture Victoria and then as soon as we gain enough supporters and weaponry, we can rebel and have a base all to our own. That's a lot better than the shack we've been living in for the past few months."

"What do you plan on doing about Lexi?" the injured boy asked, a bit unnerved by his friend's outburst. "Does she fit in anywhere?"

"I'm not going to have her killed," FS replied. "I'd be pissed if she killed more people, but I'd never be able to pull a gun on her."

"But _you_ wouldn't have to do it."

"Ah, but I would. The only way she's dying is if it's either you or me putting a bullet to her head, you understand?"

"But you can't—"

"Yes, Jaeger. Can't you see? We have ultimate control over them. There's no holding back, no more hesitation, and definitely no more anxiety. This is the closest to freedom we've come to in a long time."

Stray couldn't reply. What was there to say? He had never seen his comrade like this and, frankly, he didn't want to see it again. "Eager" wasn't the right word and even "excited" seemed to downplay the look in his eyes. Sure, they could finally start destroying people without Roan looking over their shoulders and contradicting everything. They could even play it smart by working on the small fry, creating minor panic, and then going right for the finale. _Yeah, that's how it's going to work, _he thought, looking down at the IV once more. _Well, it'll be fun no matter what._

_

* * *

**A/N: **_Hey guys! I'm so proud of myself to be pushing these chapters out so quickly. Impressed, actually, and somewhat scared. I never knew I had it in me. Anyway, I hope you liked the chapter. Namarra will be interesting, I'll tell ya that much, and I'm hoping she won't be a disappointment for you all. Well, I'll just say she'll be sticking around for a while. After all, two Berserkers on a rampage are better than one. :)

On that note, I've decided to change the rating to mature because of both the language (that may get worse as the story goes on) and the details. I didn't think my writing would turn so graphic, but I can't say I dislike it. Description's my friend and reality's everyone's enemy, so I just thought I'd give you all a heads up.

Special thanks to my Betas _Death-Scimitar _and _CSSStravag_ for all their hard work. I've been putting them on overtime lately so they deserve huge hugs and lots of coffee. I'd give them a raise, but hey, I'm cheap... Heh.

* * *

_**Gripes/Questions:**_

_CSSStravag: _Yeah, I understand about SEED falling short in some battle scenes. It was quite unfortunate, actually. All that fire power and no consequences. Tsk, Tsk. I realize I probably could've gone a little more into that and might on my rewrite. Hopefully it was good enough for now and I'll try to remember that for future events.

* * *

Over and out! Thanks for the reviews and readings guys!

_Strata_


	28. Scatterbrained

Scatterbrained

_Namarra. Who is she? _Crash. _Shit. _

"You're not paying attention, Eclipse! Get your head back in the game!" Waltfeld yelled, clearly ticked about the redhead's lack of enthusiasm. "I didn't agree to not self-destruct this time just to have you get soft on me. You wanted a two-on-two match, so here it is."

"Yes and how kind of you to stay through the whole simulation, sir, instead of chickening out and leaving Eclipse hanging dry," DaCosta said, muttering something under his breath before the transmission ended.

It was another training session between the two new pilots of the Waltfeld crew and the two senior ones; Eclipse and the commander vs. DaCosta and Breck. So far, it was a close match. Breck had greatly improved since their last duel and despite Waltfeld's awesome tactics, Eclipse wasn't able to get in a decent attack on either of them.

"Damnit, Eclipse. Where the hell are you?" the commander asked, silently cursing again when he saw the words "Signal Lost" flashing where his partner's beacon was supposed to be. "Alright, simulation over. That was pathetic, Moon-girl!" The new nickname raised more eyebrows than anger gauges, but his point was made. Sure, the redhead had done squat—and the commander's abrupt self-destruction proved she hadn't earned her cup of coffee for that day—but with another Berserker on the loose, how was she supposed to concentrate?

_Namarra Legund. I wonder how many others there are. _

"Eclipse! Dear God, how many times must I say your name?" Waltfeld asked, setting his helmet down rather harshly on the table. "DaCosta, Breck, you two go grab some lunch. Moon-girl, you're coming with me."

The other two saluted and fled, leaving the redhead behind sighing. "Yessir."

At first she didn't think she'd get her dosage of caffeine, but as soon as an extra large mug was slapped onto the table in front of her, she offered of a quick prayer of thanks and took a sip. It may not have been what she needed at the moment, but it was damn close.

They were in what looked like a living room of some kind. Two green couches faced each other with a coffee table in the middle. A large, bay window was on the far wall, just behind the commander and off to the redhead's left was a fireplace with a slab of stone sitting on top. She knew the replica as "Evidence 01" but decided not to say anything. It wasn't a conversation she wanted to get into at the moment.

Waltfeld walked over from her right, plopping down on the opposite couch and setting his mug on a napkin. "Alright, what's got your head in a spin? You've _never _zoned out that bad and especially not in training. If it's going to be this way in our huge fight against the _Archangel—_'Legged Ship', whatever—then let me know and I'll keep you locked up here. You're going to get people killed, Eclipse."

"It was just a simulation, sir."

"Hah, good one. When did you pick up the bad attitude? Certainly not on my watch 'cause I'd have slapped that out of you the first time it reared its ugly head. Now tell me what's going on, or I'm shipping you back to the dimwits at Gibraltar. Maybe they can find a few toilets for you to scrub."

She watched him take another sip of his coffee, impressed with how calm he looked on the outside. Eclipse knew he was angry—positive, actually—but his appearance never betrayed him. Another one of his gifts, it seemed.

At first the redhead was just going to say something like, "I'm working it out; I'll be fine," but shut her mouth. He had been nothing but kind to her ever since she arrived—unless she counted being blackmailed into doing errands and getting caught in the local shooting—and telling him some lie would be disrespectful. Ultimately, she just sighed.

"Not going to tell me?"

"Don't know how."

"You pregnant?"

"H-huh? No!"

"Well, that crosses off option one," he muttered and lowered the cup from his lips. There was a small smile there, but Eclipse wasn't amused in the least. "Family problems?" he continued. "Aisha told me the girl we met the other day was a cousin of yours."

"Yes, I've been thinking about that a little, but it's not enough to hinder my battle performance, sir."

"Really? Then what is? It has to be pretty big, I'm thinking." When she still refused to respond, he sighed and got to his feet, carrying the mug with him. "I've got all day, so take your time. You're not leaving here until I'm convinced you won't be redefining the phrase 'friendly fire'."

_It's not that simple, _she kept reminding herself, clenching her fingers around the glass. _How can I just sit here and talk about something like this? _

An awkward moment passed while they said nothing. Waltfeld stood over by the fireplace, one arm bent on the sill and holding his cup as the other traced the rim with a finger. Eclipse stayed seated on the couch, huddled over and staring at the floor. She was still debating whether or not to talk about her run-in with SIN-ED.

"Here, maybe this'll break the ice." The redhead didn't notice him moving at first, but as soon as he was on one knee off to her left she literally jumped from her seat. In his right hand he held a velvet box—apparently, there was no more need for coffee—one he gingerly opened up and held before her eyes. A dainty but elegant ring lay inside, its diamond reflecting the sun's rays onto the coffee table near Eclipse's right hand, leaving her speechless at its beauty and faint by his actions. "Will you marry me?" he asked, a sincere—and even innocent—look in his eyes. She could've sworn they sparkled and that thought alone made her nervous. His mouth twitched with anticipation, but his pose never faltered.

He was serious.

"Sir, I—"

Laughter.

Maybe not so serious.

"How was it? Good?" he wondered, getting to his feet abruptly and brushing off the front of his khakis. "Do I need to change the tone in my voice? Deeper perhaps?" Putting the box back into his pocket, he patted it lightly as if to make sure it was really in there. The smile returned, showing he was proud of the gesture.

If only everyone in the room felt the same.

"Uh, Eclipse?" he asked, reaching out to touch the prone soldier cowering on the couch. "My goodness you're pale. You okay?"

Gulping once, the redhead finally found the strength to shake her head and sit straight, although she had moved a few feet away from her commander. "You call that 'breaking the ice'? I think you created a damned iceberg."

"Oh, sorry. Wait, you thought I was serious?" He blinked, brought a hand to his chin and stroked it thoughtfully. "Hm, I must be better than I thought."

"Don't flatter yourself."

"There's that attitude again."

_Damn, he's worse than Heine, _she sighed, grabbing her mug and taking a huge swig. She _had_ to get something stronger later, or she'd be scarred forever.

"No, really; what'cha think?"

"For Aisha, fine. For me, drop the ring, stand up and walk away."

"Point taken," he said, retaking his seat on the other couch. Sitting down arrogantly—if that was even a way to sit—he remembered to grab his mug before putting it to his lips, sipping, and then humming in admiration.

Eclipse had never been so happy to for a coffee table in all her life.

"I have one more question before we switch topics back to your lovely life. Give the ring before, or after?"

"Before or after what, sir?"

Waltfeld sighed and took another, longer drink. Suddenly, he was serious. Not like he wasn't before—however, that was on a whole other level—but this had a different edge to it. Maybe this was what DaCosta had mentioned before.

He _did _take death seriously.

"I have a feeling the _Archangel_ will be making its move soon and I'm not about to let them hit the Red Sea unscathed. If anything, I have a score to settle with the Strike pilot."

"You worried?" the redhead asked.

"About dying? Nah, it comes with the territory, but I don't want anyone else to if I can help it. That's why I'm so tough on you guys in training. I'd say 'don't take it personally,' but if you get killed, _I'll _be taking it personally. Capiche?"

Eclipse was touched; who wouldn't be? He was genuinely concerned about her well-being and when was the last time someone did that? "After," she said, startling him with the abruptness of the answer. "After the battle you can propose. Who wants to say yes with something this huge on the horizon?"

The commander looked at her thoughtfully, half-expecting her to have said 'before.' "Well, maybe—"

"Here, you watch my back, and I'll watch yours, capiche?"

The smile he gave was priceless—blame it on the word—as well as the heart-warming look in his eyes. Much like during his proposal, his gaze burned with anticipation, but it was filled with more respect than actual love. At that moment, they finally understood each other; trusted the other to uphold the bargain. Some might call it "touching"—while others may tell Eclipse she was long overdue for such a comrade—but for the redhead it was a sign she might be getting too attached to this place. However, for the time being, she didn't care.

Eclipse broke the look first, finishing off the mug in one, quick swig. _Here we go, _she thought, hoping the caffeine would numb her to the impending conversation. _Well, sooner rather than later right? After all, he shared something intimate. _She cursed him then, realizing his ploy and hating the fact that it was working. He disclosed something, now she had to return the favor. A classical, psychological maneuver and she was about to plunge headlong into it. But maybe he knew something. "Sir, what do you know about Berserkers?"

"Hm? Well, that's a little out of the blue," he muttered as he crossed his right leg over his left, resting his head on an upraised hand. "Honestly, I don't know what to believe. There's hints of them everywhere—that Strike pilot for example—and then there's supposedly genetic proof you're one."

"Wait, you think that Strike pilot's one?"

"He showed—"

"He?" the redhead interrupted.

"Yes, he. That young man the other day was the pilot, but anyway," he continued, waving off the confusion on her face, "he was able to adjust his mobile suit mid-battle—take into account the heat convection and difference in terrain—while not getting killed in the process. As you know, that's even impressive by Coordinator standards. Also," Waltfeld went on, seeing that Eclipse wasn't impressed, "he turned downright savage after it all, destroying two BuCUEs and then leading the other three into a death trap. I've never seen someone fight so… desperately."

_Desperately, _the redhead thought, hating how it always seemed to come up when people referred to Berserkers or even just regular soldiers. "Individuals can do anything when they're desperate," FS had said. _Or at least something similar, _she corrected and shifted the cup in her hands. _So, desperation is the backbone—or at least a vertebra—of war, and the backbone of that is fear. If we take away fear, does that mean wars will cease? But how can a person take away a basic human emotion? Wait, _Eclipse realized, stopping the mug at her lips, _FS said he wanted to stop people's urge to fight. Does that mean they'll use fear as their main source? Judging by their recent antics, they're trying to increase the citizens' fear, but how much can one person take? Will they keep pushing the boundary until they snap and have no other option than to push for peace?_

"Mind telling me what direction those gears of yours are turning?" the commander asked, watching her intently; however, there was a slight smile on his lips. Apparently, he liked to watch others think—as creepy as that may sound—but even more so, he liked to know what they were thinking about. To him, every voice mattered.

"Huh? Oh, I was just remembering a conversation between me and some friends. We can save that for another time. What I really want to know now is what you know about Berserkers."

"Ah, well another time it is. As far as Berserkers go, all of that genetic proof mixed with the fables I've been taught since I was a child makes this subject nothing more than a jumbled tub of Play Dough."

"So, you don't think they exist?"

"I think certain people here have the ability to imitate them, but only to an extent. Here, see this coffee? I can see it, smell it, feel it, _and _taste it, therefore, it's real. Now, love—not a tangible thing—is real because I can feel it."

"But what if I say I don't believe in love because I've never felt it."

Waltfeld thought about that for a little, as if he was gathering up the right words. Perhaps it was all just too hard to explain. "Well, you've always felt it, just different kinds."

"So, you're saying because you've never seen a Berserker or have felt what it's like to be one, they don't exist."

"Like I said, their capabilities do, but a _true _Berserker doesn't. If the myths are correct, that kind of person would bring down humanity before attempting to help it; and _you _don't seem like that kind of person." He smiled before continuing. "I believe in people accomplishing things by nothing more than the sweat from their brow." He paused. "Hah! That probably puts me in a bad position seeing as I'm a Coordinator and the commander of a ZAFT squad. I basically said I don't believe in my own existence."

"You don't like this war do you, sir?"

Waltfeld stopped laughing then, putting back on his serious face, standing, and then walking over to the window. "It's nothing more than legal genocide on steroids," he spat as he pushed aside the curtain. "However, I'm not about to stop fighting just because I don't approve of mass murder."

"Trying to protect everyone?"

"It may sound corny—and that I got whacked with the 'Cliché Hero' stick—but it's the truth. Who are people without the existence of other people?"

"It just sounds both noble and idealistic at the same time," Eclipse said.

"In a war, idealism isn't a bad thing. Pessimism will get you killed and optimism will get you killed with a smile on your face. At least in one way you're happy."

The redhead sighed and just drank her coffee. After all, how could she respond to something like that?

* * *

"Eclipse, for the last time, what the hell are you doing?" Waltfeld yelled. Honestly, the redhead wasn't doing poorly, it was the matter of his plans not working—thanks to the opponents knowing the commander so well—and Eclipse trying to make the best of the situation. If a duel attack wouldn't work, or their formation broke prematurely, she would attempt to salvage what she could by slowing DaCosta's advance or tripping Breck. However, no matter how hard she tried, Waltfeld would still gripe. It all seemed very out of character, but Eclipse was in no position—at the time—to have a heart-to-heart chat. "Go, now!" he insisted.

The redhead did just that. Staring at DaCosta's approaching BuCUE, she waited until the two were about 100 yards apart before turning sideways and skidding to a stop. The sand flew about 20 yards to catch the other machine mid-sprint and blinding him for a few moments. The greencoat managed to fire two shots from the 2-barrel railgun mounted on top of his unit, but only one nicked the right leg of Eclipse's machine.

"Jump!" Waltfeld ordered, sliding under her BuCUE and using his beam sabers to slice through the upper torso of DaCosta's suit. The whole thing was quite impressive and even the greencoat's loud "Damn," was filled with more admiration than frustration. Now there was only one unit left, but that didn't mean anything anymore. If given another chance, both Breck and DaCosta would have Eclipse beat five minutes into the simulation, instead of her embarrassing them in the same amount of time. Perhaps she was finally accepting the skilled newbie. "Where'd you last see Breck?" the commander asked, positioning his BuCUE at the redhead's rear. "I lost sight of him as soon as you skidded."

"I'm assuming he isn't in a good location. That jump was the most vulnerable move I could've done and he didn't even fire while I was in the air."

"Hiding then?"

"To our east, most likely. There's the best cover, but the worst visuals in that direction."

"All right, good observations, soldier. I'll attack from the north, you come around from the south."

"Yessir." Eclipse had never been one to hand out praise—inflated egos were getting annoying—but Breck's attack deserved at least a pat on the back. He wasn't in the east as originally thought. Behind a dune not 15 yards away, he shot a beam through the sand and managed to hit the undamaged battery pack in DaCosta's downed machine. The unit exploded under Eclipse's and the commander's feet, causing them to jump wide and the force of the explosion keeping them off balance as they landed.

"What the he—" Waltfeld began but was silenced after two well-placed shots to his railgun and then to the battery pack. His BuCUE exploded in a collage of colors, but the only one admiring it was Eclipse. Breck had cleared the dune and had already fired a shot by the time she noticed his position. Ducking just in time, the beam went through her railgun instead of the body, but now all she had were blades. Bringing a sword to a gun fight was never a good idea. Cursing, she used her only option and fled,

"Damn, that was nice," both the commander and DaCosta praised from the control room. "If I hadn't been the one killed, I'd be buying you a drink, but, hey, I have a bad habit of holding grudges."

"Yeah, well at least he didn't blow you up," the greencoat grumbled, but was ignored.

"You're on your own now, Eclipse," Waltfeld said into the headpiece, knowing the transmission was relaying loud and clear. In the end, the redhead wasn't going to be too happy. "Maybe you can finally prove to me you were a good choice. As it stands, you're nothing but a rookie about to be slaughtered by someone who should be wearing your red uniform."

DaCosta thought it sounded a bit harsh, even from someone who was a jerk at three in the morning. After all, she was one of the best pilots they had at the moment. "Uh, comm.—" he began, but an upraised hand stopped his comment.

Waltfeld knew what he was doing. "Why not convince me you're more Berserker than the Strike pilot and maybe I'll stop trying to coax him to take your spot."

_What? _Eclipse thought, both surprised by the statement as well as—surprisingly—pissed. She had seen the Strike in battle, and no matter how much the commander praised him before, he was more of a virgin to death than she was in all pretenses of the word. What had he done? Blew a hole in his home colony, took a few ballet lessons with Athrun—then kidnapped his pink-haired fiancé—and fell through the atmosphere to, most likely, fall asleep on a feathery bed for a week. Probably got room service too because he's the only decent fighter on that damned ship. Now, that compared to what Eclipse had done made her laugh. _Him _a real Berserker? She had a degree—if that's what they wanted to call it—in torture and execution with the highest grade point average to boot. She nearly chopped off a man's head with a wire, stabbed someone through the skull then continued to clean up the murder scene, and laughed at the foolishness of two comrades as they were torn apart in Heliopolis. To add to the list, she was apparently the deadliest thing this side of eternity and her two best friends were psychopaths.

Now, who was the real thing?

_Hah, get him a diaper 'cause he's not even potty trained, _she thought, searching her cameras for Breck. After everything that had been happening lately, the newbie's untimely demise looked rather appealing. Namarra's antics had enticed Eclipse's sour nature and her having left the scene with no deaths to her name had made the Berserker rather restless. Given, this was just training—and virtual reality gave more meaning to the word 'fake' than wax fruit—but the little things in life had always made her happy; even if it involved large explosions and gory images.

_There we go, _Waltfeld thought and smiled wryly. Nothing was too visible on the screen, but the difference between her machine now and how it was a few moments ago was interesting to note. It seemed more relaxed—comfortable even in its surroundings. No fidgeting, no hesitation, just basic familiarity. _Sorry Eclipse, but curiosity and all that. I _am_ a cat, you see, and it was very tempting. _

"Sir?" DaCosta asked, noting the smile dancing on his lips. If the greencoat would've known any better, he might've been scared.

"Nothing. Just watch."

It was quite an interesting show. Breck came out of hiding first, knowing where the redhead was and advancing on her first. Apparently, he thought he still had the upper hand. Little did he know, he was terribly outmatched and the thing waiting for him behind the dune wasn't human.

Actually, it was a powered down BuCUE and open cockpit.

_Huh? _he thought and frantically searched his cameras. No signal was being detected and with all the rising heat, he couldn't pick up something as small as a human being. Cursing lightly, he backed up with eyes straining on the screens.

At least until they all went black.

"What the—" he began, but the next thing to go was his rear left leg, buckling his machine down to the ground. It whined with the effort, sounding more like a scream, considering the circumstances. _Is she below? _The pilot thought, struggling to get some visuals back on the screen. Not even the OS came through.

A front leg went next, causing him to whimper in fear. _Damnit! Work! Work! _Grasping the controls, he shook them violently, even hearing a few wires snap because of his antics.

Thunk.

Breck froze, hearing the banging from above him.

Thunk.

This time it was to his right, but, for some reason, the hatch never opened. The Berserker was obviously trying to get in, but why was she stalling? He had nothing—not even his ejection seat was working—so why hesitate?

Thunk.

Finally, it was forced open, squealing on the hinges to reveal the fair face of a familiar redhead. At least the hair was familiar. "Waltfeld says you have the skills of an elite, so, let's see what you look like in red." Bringing up her handgun, Eclipse rested the barrel gently on his forehead and smiled. In any other instance it may have seemed like a mother's look to her child before she pulled off a Band-Aid.

No matter what, it always hurt.

"Die."

Breck barely had the chance to swallow before he closed his eyes. Unlike other people, he wasn't brave enough to stare his impending killer in the face.

Bang.

"Shit, it was real? Woah! Damn, this girl has good reflexes. Commander, go around—"

DaCosta and Waltfeld had somehow climbed the newbie's BuCUE and stopped the redhead before she could kill the young pilot. They had started running over when they realized she had hacked into the system and started turning Breck's machine into scrap metal. DaCosta had gotten there first and pushed the firearm wide, but Eclipse had retaliated. Using the momentum from the shove, she had spun 360 degrees and nearly decked the greencoat across the face. Only his own reflexes saved him from that embarrassment.

Waltfeld had trapped her then, locking her arms in a full Nelson and lifting her off the ground. "DaCosta, the helmet. Get it off her," he ordered, grunting when she swung her head back and almost hit him. The commander weaved his fingers to the back of her neck after that.

Breck returned to reality as soon as he realized he wasn't dead. Actually, it had taken a while—scared senseless can slow any reaction—so the first thing he saw was Eclipse's defeated body hanging limp in Waltfeld's arms. _Shit._

* * *

_Déjà vu, _the redhead muttered, staring at the coffee table and untouched mug sitting there. Waltfeld stood leaning against the couch across from her, finishing the last bit in his glass. Either he was thirsty or nervous.

Honestly, she figured it was nervousness.

"What did you do?" he finally asked. "You hacked the system and practically rewrote it to where you could walk around freely and not break the connection. I didn't even think something like that was possible but there you were destroying Breck's BuCUE on the outside yet you were still _inside _the simulation. The thing was moving and still you managed to snip a few wires and render him useless. Damn."

"Well, I'm glad you're impressed, sir," Eclipse muttered. "Do you think the Strike pilot is still in the running after seeing all of that?"

"You had a loaded gun pointed at a comrade's forehead and didn't even hesitate to pull the trigger. That kid couldn't even aim a gun let alone fire one." The commander just shook his head and went to the table to fill another glass. "So, can you do that whenever you want?"

"No."

"Are you able to do all of that—what you just did, I mean—now, or only when you're Berserk?"

"I don't know."

"How long are you like that? Can it last hours or even days?"

"It varies."

"How're you at—"

"Sir," Eclipse interrupted, rubbing her aching neck and forehead. He was like a four-year-old at Christmas. Hopefully, she wasn't the Barbie doll he wanted to behead and dissect. "Please, you know as much as I do and, frankly, I'm a bit unnerved by your enthusiasm. Here I thought you'd be different. Such a disappointment."

"I'm sorry," he sighed, picking out a comfortable spot on the couch across from her. "You have to understand, though, I needed to know what you could do. I'm a man of strategies, and your… unusual talent was a huge mystery to me. It was a risk I couldn't afford."

"Even though you didn't believe I existed?" she asked.

"You have capabilities, Eclipse, and maybe even enough to send the Strike running. I had to know."

"Yes, I understand, sir," she replied routinely and looked at the floor. A part of her had hoped he didn't care about that other half and judging by their conversation that morning, her hope had been well-placed. Lately, she had been feeling like an alien on display for a crowd of tourists with the only thing missing being a chain around her neck. Everywhere she was being judged—whether it be on how well she performed in battle, or how fast she could repair a mobile suit—and people's fascination with her had become redundant. Now, to add to the list, was the other assassin and fellow Berserker, Namarra Legund. _I wonder if the same thing happens to her, _she mused, finally grabbing her mug and taking a sip. _Pity party, stage right._

"Obviously, I upset you."

"It's not something I'm proud of, sir."

"Why not? Don't you have the power to protect both your friends and yourself? Survival, after all, is the one thing soldiers cling to in war; you just have a heightened sense of it."

"Yeah, heightened edging on sadistic. No, sir, I don't want it."

"Funny, I don't think you would've snapped like that if you didn't. You were pretty offended when I said you weren't good enough to be considered a Berserker."

"I never seem to have a say in how that part of me reacts. Quite irritating, actually. You try being in my shoes for a day then tell me whether or not you like visualizing ripping the head off of other people."

"That happens?"

"I exaggerated a little, but close enough."

The commander just sighed. Obviously, she wasn't going to give up any information and was going to frustrate him in the process. Seeing as he didn't feel like getting into such a conversation, he let it go. "I've received word your other two teammates will be arriving in a few days."

"Is that a good thing, sir?" Eclipse asked, noting the sour look etched on his face. He tried to hide it with his mug, but it wasn't that simple.

"Well, to be honest, I've been trying to keep them at Gibraltar. We're strictly a BuCUE and land-based suits kind of team. Not to mention the pilots have had very little training in the desert."

"Well, you've taught me a lot. Why can't you do that for them?"

Waltfeld seemed to think on the prospect, but started shaking his head before long. "You didn't have a suit, so a BuCUE was the best choice. These guys are bringing some high-tech monstrosities with enough fire power to waste this place to ashes; in one shot, mind you."

"True, but we've been fighting the _Archangel _a lot longer than you have. No offense, sir."

"I realize that, but your ways haven't been working. We haven't tried mine yet so I'd like to give them a shot without Creuset's puppets glancing over my shoulder." The redhead blinked at the remark, but didn't say anything aloud. She knew there were plenty of people who respected Commander Le Creuset, but there were bound to be many who abhorred him as well. Given his unique social skills, she wasn't surprised, but wait, wasn't she on his team as well? Eclipse smiled lightly; apparently, Waltfeld trusted her.

At least a little bit considering her outbreak before.

"They _are _really good pilots, sir, and can only help with your operation."

He sighed, scratching the back of his head in thought. "Yeah, maybe I'll just keep them for back-up fire."

"They're really going to hate that."

"Well, tough. It's about time they learned the world doesn't revolve around them."

Eclipse almost laughed, especially at the serious look on his face. He seemed to like punks as much as she did and egotistical ones were even worse. If she hadn't bonded so well with them in Gibraltar, she may have been happy with their meager deployment. However, at the moment she couldn't help but feel sorry for her comrades. Maybe she'd have to teach them a thing or two as soon as they arrived.

"Now, as for your training," Waltfeld began, "I think you deserve a break."

"A break?"

"Yes, but there'll be some rules. Either Aisha, DaCosta, or I have to be with you at all times."

"And why is that?" He just stared back, offering no words, but none were needed since his face said everything for him. Maybe he didn't trust her after all. Pursing her lips, the redhead clenched her glass and stood up, throwing the mug on the floor with the same motion. "You have got to be kidding me!"

"I'm sorry, but you need to see things from my position. You almost killed Breck today."

"Because you provoked me!"

"And that's enough to make you shoot your training partner?"

"You don't know—"

"You're right and neither do you," Waltfeld countered. "We know _nothing _about this and unlike other commanders, I _do _give a damn. You are to be accompanied at all times and that's that."

A part of her wanted to scream and rant—throw a tantrum like she was four years old again—but her military training took over, reminding her she was both a soldier and older than a toddler. Sitting back down, she stared at the floor and the broken glass scattered there.

Perhaps things were never meant to change.

* * *

Eclipse gulped down the pain as Aisha applied some more Aloe Vera to the upper part of her back, silently cursing Waltfeld for ordering the two women to grab some fruit in the city. "I told you to wear sunscreen."

"No, you didn't," the redhead countered, biting her lip when the pilot pushed down harder. "You just happened to bring it up off-handedly when we were walking back. By that time I had already de-evolved to a lobster."

"I'm sorry, I forgot you aren't used to all this sun. You blend in so well, I was sure you'd been here for at least six months."

"Try six days—ow—actually not even that—damnit!"

"Hold still. You're a pansy, y'know that?"

"Just because you enjoy pushing _extremely _hard doesn't make me a wimp. You're just vindictive."

"Hey now, that's not something I want to hear said about the love of my life," the commander commented, walking into the room. "I came to tell you, you're two teammates have arrived."

"Huh, really?" Eclipse asked. It was the best news she had heard in days. Ever since her talk with Waltfeld three nights ago, she had been sent out on errands galore; coffee, fruit, vegetables, toiletries, and even bug spray once. She was barred access to the training facilities and the only time she was allowed to touch a BuCUE was if some mechanics needed an extra hand. Honestly, her stay there had been downright dull. Waltfeld, DaCosta, and especially Aisha seemed to take a liking to her, but that affection had a tendency to be hazardous to her health.

Hence the sunburn.

"Wow, you look excited; care to lend me some? I really don't want them here."

"Now, Andy, there's no need to be rude," the female pilot scolded, setting down the Aloe Vera and grabbing a brush on the desk. The redhead had stopped struggling a while ago. Aisha enjoyed pampering people and since brushing her hair was the tamest thing she could do, there was no point in arguing. Eclipse wondered if the commander picked up on her antics. Obviously, her maternal gene was kicking in—feeling obligated to take care of the younger pilot and all—but the question was, what did Waltfeld think about the whole thing? Was that the reason he had an engagement ring hiding in DaCosta's sock and underwear drawer?

"Yes, yes, I'll give them a grand introduction and then make Eclipse give them the tour. How's that sound?"

The redhead shrugged. As long as she didn't have to go back outside—or get more coffee—she'd be fine and seeing how Dearka and Yzak had been fairing didn't seem like a boring time.

"Good, then put on your uniform and let's get this over with."

Out of habit, Eclipse saluted and was about to run out of the room until Aisha—with a firm grip on her shoulder—clipped her bangs to the side with a bobby pin. "There, now go." The redhead was out the door within seconds.

"You seem to have taken a liking to her," Waltfeld mused.

"Well, she's one of the few here who can handle your wit and then give it back ten-fold. I admire people like that. Besides, you like her too."

"She's interesting, I'll give ya that. Can be a little too quiet at times for my taste, but she's definitely reliable. Hey, that reminds me, whatever happened to Rika? I thought she was supposed to be your little puppet for a while."

"Ever since you sent her on that recon mission she's been under _your _control, or have you forgotten?"

"Oh yeah. So, I take one of yours and you take one of mine?"

"Sounds about right."

The commander sighed and scratched the back of his head, a light smile dancing on his lips. He could never be mad at her. "Anyway, are you going to join us?"

"Nah."

"Aw, c'mon. Who am I without my precious co-pilot?"

"The commander of the Lesseps, now get going. DaCosta and Eclipse will keep you out of trouble and I have other—don't you dare make that face at me, Andrew Waltfeld," she threatened, pointing a finger at his precious puppy-dog eyes and quivering lip. "The last time I fell for that was when we went on our first official date and I've regretted it ever since."

"Ouch, that stings."

"Good."

They both smiled then, the commander walking over and pecking a few kisses on her cheeks and nose before leaving the room.

* * *

"What are we doing in this awful place?" Dearka moaned, shielding his eyes from the blowing sand. Yzak stood behind him doing the same thing with nothing more than a scowl on his face. He didn't like being there as much as the Buster pilot, and the blasted wind was making things worse. Good thing their spacesuits were breathable otherwise they'd be complaining about that as well.

"They say you can't really appreciate the desert until you've lived here," the commander said, coming up to the stranded redcoats with DaCosta and Eclipse at his back. "I'm Andy Waltfeld, the commanding officer here."

"Yzak Joule, of the Le Creuset Team," the Duel pilot said, saluting afterward.

"Dearka Elsman, also of the Le Creuset Team." He saluted as well, blinking absently when he saw the redhead in the background.

"It must've been tough getting down here. We appreciate you coming," Waltfeld said as they all saluted once more.

_Yeah right, _Eclipse thought, but kept her face blank. The commander's dislike of the two didn't come from any personal gripes, more like he didn't have a use for them in battle. When put that way, the redhead couldn't get angry.

"Thank you, sir," Yzak said.

Waltfeld smiled—a little too devilishly—as his eyes rested on the pilot's nasty cut. "When one doesn't have a bad scar removed, some might think it's a symbol of your… commitment." Yzak just looked down, but the commander pressed. "Or, since you turned your head away, maybe it's a symbol of… your humiliation?"

Eclipse shifted uneasily, eyeing Dearka. She hoped he wasn't going to jump Waltfeld in his friend's defense and especially since this was a typical Desert Tiger greeting. Tear them down then build them back up slowly.

"Why don't you just tell us where the 'Legged Ship' is," Yzak muttered.

Sighing, the commander walked a little closer to the Duel in order to size the thing up. He couldn't help but wonder how powerful it really was. "Currently, it's at the resistance base approximately 180 kilometers southeast from here. We sent out a reconnaissance drone; you wanna see the pictures?" Neither of them replied, causing another smirk to cross his lips. Turning back to the mobile suits, he did another evaluation. _Yup, I see they're the same type of machines as the other one. _

"And speaking of the Alliance's mobile suit," Dearka chimed in, "commander, what information can you give us about your engagement with it?"

"Yeah, well," Waltfeld chuckled. "We did as well as the Le Creuset team."

_And that obviously didn't go well, _Eclipse thought, absently watching the whole scene. She hoped her belief in the two redcoats wasn't misplaced and noticing the look in the commander's eyes, he was counting on them as well, even if it was only slightly. They needed as much help as they could get and no matter how much—or how little—training Dearka and Yzak had had in earth's gravity, it was appreciated.

"Oh, Eclipse," DaCosta said, turning to the redhead as soon as the other three began walking towards the base. "This arrived earlier today." He handed her a letter and left so she could enjoy the contents in private. Silently thanking him for being so courteous, she pulled out the slip of paper and read:

_I knew you'd be somewhere around here and, hopefully, this got to you without a huge fuss. If there's one thing I hate, it's complications. That is if I don't cause them myself, of course. Anyway, I have a feeling we'll be seeing each other rather soon so I thought I'd drop you a line and make sure you haven't forgotten about little 'ole me. Be sure you're keeping a sharp eye on SIN-ED because with the chain cut, the guard dog's on the loose and there's a lot of bones around to be gnawing on. _

_Your fellow genetic mutant,_

_Bob_

"So, Namarra, when things get slow with SIN-ED you decide to bug me, is that it?" the redhead joked and put the letter back into the envelope before chasing after the others. It was going to be an interesting couple of days.

* * *

_**A/N: **_Hey guys, new chapter. I had every intention of having this out earlier--before I went camping--but that never happened and I had a nice spree as soon as I came home to finish this off. So, I guess it all worked out in the end. I've already started on the next one and will hopefully get that up within the next few weeks. It's looking a tad iffy on my whole finishing this by the end of the summer idea, but I'm still gonna try. Good thing is, I'm officially on DVD 5 of _Gundam SEED_! Woot! Halfway through! Too bad this is when I have to slow everything down... Well, we'll see where it takes us I guess.

If you haven't noticed, I changed the rating back to Teen. Yeah, that didn't last long, did it? Well, here's my reasoning: yes, this story is very bloody and, even though the language might not be as bad as others out there, it's only going to get worse as the story goes on. Aside from all that, I'll try to keep it to a minimum so I can have it in this slot. It reaches a wider audience here and targets the same age group (ish) the Anime was intended to. Well, there's my ranting so hopefully it's acceptable.

Let me know if I did Andrew Waltfeld justice. Sometimes I felt as if I didn't do him "devious" enough and other times I thought I made him too much of a flake. Please let me know what you think. He's one of my favorite characters, but I may have overdone it. Thanks!

Namarra will be coming in a lot more now. I know a lot of you mentioned how interested you were in her character. That's good to know! Eclipse and Namarra are a hoot together--you'll probably find out within the next few chapters--and hopefully I'll make her up to your expectations. I'm so glad you all liked her!

Also, Cagalli's role in Eclipse's life will be delved into more later on as well. I'm sure all of you've noticed, I like to keep some things in the dark instead of sharing it all outright. That could be a good thing or a bad one and I'm working on not having you guys guessing _too _much, but some things are meant to be explained later on.

Oh, one last shout out to my Betas _CSSStravag _and _Death-Scimitar_. Let's just say this chapter would've sucked without their help. :) Thanks guys!

* * *

**_Gripes_**

_Asmus _and _CSSStravag_: Thanks for pointing out the battle sequence. I'm working on keeping them less confusing so your comments on the matter are always appreciated. You know I don't mind people tearing this apart--actually I prefer it--so keep it coming. Let me know if I did things better in this chapter.

* * *

Well, that seems to be all for this chapter. Thanks for all the reviews and readings, guys, and I'll see you in the next installment!

Over and out. (Wow, I've gotten into the habit of saying this haven't I?)

_Strata_


	29. He Should've Asked Before

He Should've Asked Before

It was a Sin meeting in Gluttony's medical room. FS took the seat at the end of the bed, feet up on the railing and one hand propping his head. Stray took over most of the bed—seeing as he was the one sick—but the other four Sins were scattered around. The two Lust girls were lying near the chef's feet, their heads resting on the shoulder of the other and legs dangling over the side of the bed. Wrath plopped next to Stray, head on his pillow with one foot on Phoebe's belly and another dangling off the bed. Lying on the floor under FS's feet, Sloth looked the most comfortable. Hands curled behind his short, blonde locks, he stared up at the ceiling, yawning from time to time and if he ever closed his eyes, the brunette would just drop a foot into his gut. For any other individual, it may've just caused a small jump, but since Sloth had about a four inch stomach lying down, FS's foot would bruise an organ with nothing more than a tap.

Well, it woke him up anyway.

"Alright, FS, what's the plan now?" Melanie—one half of Lust—asked as she was picking at her tan finger cuticles. Out of all the remaining Sins, she was the darkest. Now, that may've seemed like an odd thing to differentiate her by, but when the most sun any of them have gotten in the past year ranged between 10-14 hours, anyone who could give Dearka a run for his money was on the verge of being a god. Her hair was a dark brown—making the SIN-ED members wonder if her skin color was based more on ethnicity than sheer will power—with fair green eyes and a delicate figure.

"Yeah, we need some action. What's the fun of breaking out of a military facility if we can't shoot people?" Phoebe—the other half of Lust and Melanie's sister—asked. It was almost unbelievable they were twins. "Almost" meaning, aside from their matching voices, face, and body figure, they could've been complete strangers. Where Melanie was tan, Phoebe was pale, right down to her bleached-blonde hair. Their names complimented the looks—Melanie meaning "dark" and Phoebe meaning "light"—which brought up suspicion concerning their genetic make-up. Were they actually Coordinators thought to be Naturals and then sent to De'Amelith just to be made insane by drugs? Their opposition seemed too convenient.

"I'm thinking we can up it a notch now. Our little experiment on Aprilius told me something; not only are humans the most cowardly race this side of hell, but they don't want this damn war. Sad thing is, they won't do anything about it."

"So…" Wrath egged on, snatching Stray's cherry before the chef could eat it. Stray stared at his empty fingers, a small tear forming at the corner of his eye when he realized what had happened. Turning, he produced his award winning puppy-dog eyes to Wrath, adding in the lip quiver as if saying, "But I'm the one who hasn't eaten in days." Wrath noticed the look, smiled and just patted his leg.

Courtesy was officially dead.

"So," FS continued, "I'm thinking of doing much the same thing, just at a larger scale. You see, Roan made this deal with a Coordinator by the name of Gilbert Durandal. In exchange for some information, our fair faced idiot promised to build him a weapon."

"Heh, oh yeah," Wrath muttered, finally remembering he had a part in that little bargain. Reaching a slender finger over, he tried to steal another cherry, but this time Stray was ready for it. The chef slapped the hand and pulled the bowl to the other side of the bed, away from the rogue. Now it was Wrath's turn to pout. Offering a soft whimper, he batted amber eyes along with a light flick of his auburn hair. Stray just shook his head and when Wrath reached over to wipe a silver lock from his eyes, the chef just elbowed him in the gut.

"Would you two just settle down?" Phoebe complained, angry because the Sins' antics slid Wrath's foot dangerously close to her face.

"Anyway, FS, about this weapon," Sloth yawned.

The brunette had to nudge him before beginning. "Yes, well, at the time it seemed like a foolish move, but now that I've thought on it more, it might work to our advantage."

"How so?" Phoebe asked.

"If we build ZAFT this weapon, it'll obviously be used on the Earth Forces, and if we make it powerful enough, we may only have to sit back and watch the fireworks. As soon as most of the Alliance is vaporized, we can gain control of it and use it to attack the PLANTs."

"Aw, but that means we'll still be sitting around for the next few months," Wrath complained. "Where's the fun in that?"

"Well," FS explained, "we'll still be helping the Earth Forces as much as possible. ZAFT still has to be convinced they need this new weapon and losing a few critical battles may be the push we need."

"So, let me get this straight," Melanie began, slapping the side of Stray's leg when he accidentally kicked her shoulder. Damn those two needed to be serious sometimes. "We're just going to sit back and let the sides destroy each other. As soon as all that's done, we'll pick off the remaining soldiers, enact our personal revenges, then hope we scared the public enough to never want to start a war again."

"Something like that," FS said.

"Sounds too easy," Phoebe commented. "And why do we even give a damn about whether or not humanity goes to war again?"

"Maybe a small part of me doesn't want anyone else to go through what we did," the brunette said.

"Besides, we get to kill people and still have it look like some noble act for mankind," Wrath laughed, kicking Phoebe a little too hard after the jest. No one said anything for a while, finding his or her own amusement in both what the Sin had said and how the Lust girl reacted to being trampled upon. If Stray wasn't attached to the bed with so many wires, he may have found it hilarious. Alas, he screamed when his cherries went flying and barked some complaints when Phoebe's punch missed Wrath's fair face and hit him square on the shoulder.

"Well, as soon as you all settle down, we'll start working on the blueprint for that weapon. Just come and get me later," FS said, sighing as he got to his feet and narrowly evading the sleeping Sloth on the floor. Apparently, he didn't mind the chaos. Melanie had jumped to the defense of her sister and if FS didn't care so much about the welfare of a particular silver-haired comrade, he may have left the room entirely. Instead he untangled Stray—dodging some waving appendages in the meantime—and helped him out the door. They may act like children most of the time, but damn, they were still good at the other stuff too.

However, it was still a wonder they got anything done.

* * *

"Damn, you're burnt pretty bad," Yzak said, reaching over to poke Eclipse's torched shoulder. "Don't you know what sunscreen is?"

"Oh, be quiet and don't you dare touch me!" the redhead yelled, stepping away from the Duel pilot and bumping right into Dearka. She stifled a gasp when—in the process of cushioning the collision—his hand pushed a bit too hard on her shoulder blade.

Curse his good reflexes.

"Yzak's right, I've never see it this bad," the blonde muttered.

"Just because you're tan," she pointed at Dearka, "and because you never get any sun," turning to her other teammate this time, "you think you're the judges here. And who honestly cares about this anyway? I'm supposed to be giving you a tour and the most you've paid attention to is the steam radiating from my back."

"It's not our fault you decided to change into a tank top and proclaim your stupidity to the world," Yzak muttered, not matching her eyes when she glared at him.

"Oh, forget it; I've seen an egg broil on your head plenty of times, so don't you dare patronize me. Did you want to see the simulation room or not?" Eclipse asked, crossing her arms across her chest with one impatient foot tapping on the ground.

"Damn, when did you become our mom?" Dearka mocked.

"More like a nagging wife," the Duel pilot grumbled.

"Seeing as there is no way I could be one and I have no desire to be other, I suggest you keep your traps shut and let me at least show you to your rooms." The boys threw up their hands in surrender, wondering when their stoic teammate turned into such a hot head. Somehow they didn't think the sunburn was entirely to blame. It may have had something to do with her comfort level, but they weren't entirely sure. "If you must know," the redhead began, leading them back down the hallway, "I _was _proposed to the other day."

"What?" was the unanimous reaction, complete with gasp and flailing arms. Yzak looked like he was going to faint.

Blame the heat?

Their faces were priceless, but, unfortunately, Eclipse didn't wait too long to bask in her enjoyment. "C'mon, I'll fill you in when you're all settled," she said instead, letting them flounder with the information for a bit.

In the end, they didn't seem as enthused about the impending engagement as she was, but since they had spent only two hours at the base and haven't even met Aisha yet, that was to be expected. They did find some interesting things to talk about as the boys unpacked. Apparently, Nicol had had a piano recital not two days ago. Eclipse had sighed about that one. She was a huge fan of music and to see such a performance had to be breathtaking. Dearka and Yzak—as expected—just shrugged it off and started talking about a run-in they had with three greencoats and a blonde redcoat in the simulation at Gibraltar. The blonde caught her attention, but they never asked his name, so they had no idea if it was Heine or not. She just sighed and then burst out laughing when Dearka said the unnamed elite had won. Not getting the joke, the two just kept unpacking.

"Oh, I heard some interesting news, Eclipse," Dearka said, pausing mid-fold. "I hear you're to get a mobile suit."

"Yeah, I heard that too, actually," Yzak chimed in. "It should be done soon if not already. I wonder when they're going to send it."

"You make it sound as if she's going to open the mailbox one day and go, 'Oh, it's here!'" the blonde grumbled.

"Shut up, Dearka. I was just figuring they'd send it to Gibraltar or Carpentaria since we're still stuck on earth until further notice."

"Honestly," the redhead cut in, hoping to stop the potential feud. She realized then, she didn't miss being the middleman for the past few days. If anything, DaCosta had filled that spot nicely. "I don't know anything about it. The commander's conveniently been keeping the information far from me. I think he's afraid I'll boycott the BuCUE and wait for it, but that's not even an option. I've been putting way too much energy into learning that suit to stop now. Actually, I really like it. If anything it'll be a challenge for this new one to live up to my current love."

"It's sounding like they used the data from our machines in order to build yours and, judging by our past performances, more units like those on the field seems like a logical move. But how could they finish it so fast? We haven't had those suits for very long and now they're making a brand new one?" Yzak noted, putting some folded white beaters into the drawer. Sighing, he noted a hole in one and tossed it next to Eclipse sitting on the bed.

The redhead blinked and stared, not bothering to even touch the thing. "So, you think I'm getting some kind of mechanical reject?"

"No necessarily," Dearka said. He motioned for the shirt lying next to her—he wasn't going to let just one hole ruin a perfectly good night shirt—and she tossed it, the catch never hindering his train of thought. "I'm sure there were enough mechanics working on the thing to make it a pretty decent replica."

"Well, it doesn't matter how powerful a mobile suit is, if the pilot's a half-wit," the Duel pilot remarked, tossing another shirt the blonde's way. It got to be ridiculous when Dearka tossed one of his back.

_Join a circus, _she thought, but kept it to herself. So far, no major fight had broken out and Eclipse planned on keeping it that way. "I don't know whether to take that as a compliment or an insult. Tell me, how should I respond?"

"Don't sound so bored and you're the best choice for that new model. There, ego sated?" Yzak spat, tossing one shirt a little too hard his comrade's way. It hit the table lamp and sent them both crashing to the floor. The redhead groaned, Dearka sighed, and the remaining pilot just cursed.

That was probably the only praise she'd ever get from the boy and it had to end with the word "fuck."

How memorable.

A knock sounded on the door a second later, inviting the fair hand and figure of Aisha. "You're lucky I heard that crash before Andy or DaCosta," she muttered as she walked into the room. Noting all the scattered clothing she merely shrugged, resisting the urge to lock gazes with the redhead. No doubt some fun joke would've passed between the two. "You guys would be running laps around the base and the temperature's jumped six degrees since yesterday. I'm sure Eclipse knows why you all should be happy."

The boys blinked—obviously, they had no idea what to make of her at first—and then turned to each other. The redhead covered a smile.

"Was it something I said?" Aisha wondered, looking to the other girl for confirmation, but received a shrug instead.

"C'mon," Eclipse said, pulling her out of the room. "Let's leave these fair redcoats to themselves for a while." Again, the boys said nothing, shrugging to themselves and continuing with their unpacking. _Men of few words, _the redhead thought, dragging Aisha down the hallway.

"Fine," the pilot began, "then I won't ask what _you _were doing alone in there with them. All those clothes lying around were quite suspicious. Not to mention you were the one sitting on the bed."

"Good; don't ask."

She laughed, dislodging her wrist from its death grip, realizing Eclipse had tightened it due to the interesting conversation. "Let's go see Andy. He'd love to hear about your…adventures."

"You wouldn't dare."

"Hm, let's find out," she chided, and grabbed the redhead's arm, pulling her around a corner and down another hall.

* * *

Another letter signed "Bob" had started the whole thing. Eclipse walked through the busy market, trying to find the recently-destroyed café's new location. Surprisingly, the owner wasn't taken out in the blast and, since most of his equipment had a back-up stored in a building a mile away from the explosion, he was able to start up another local brewery to appease the neighbors. It was a small establishment—the redhead realized when she finally arrived—but complete with all the necessities; coffee included.

Namarra wasn't hard to spot—even though she was wearing the "typical" clothes like a tank top and jeans—and knowing she was expected, Eclipse just walked over and sat down. The black-haired girl toasted her and took a swig of coffee, setting down the glass softly on the saucer. Only then did the redhead notice something peculiar about her get-up. While it may have looked hot from her standpoint, the open-fingered gloves on Namarra's hands brought a few questions to mind. Although, that was a matter for another time. "You got my message then."

"Mail travels surprisingly fast in the ZAFT military, especially if it's hand delivered."

"Yeah, well I wanted you to get it without prying eyes and overzealous ear drums."

Eclipse shrugged, ordering a cup of coffee and a glass of water before turning back to her host. "Then why meet me in a public space? There'll be plenty of people listening and watching us here."

"Yeah, I thought of that too, but no one's gonna know what we're talking about."

"A bit cocky, don't you think?"

"Either way, I'm sure we can take care of ourselves."

Eclipse couldn't argue with that. "Alright then, since we're done with the greetings, how about we go straight to the point? Who are you and why are you chasing SIN-ED?"

"Blunt, I like that, but you'd better tone it down around me. I know all the little mind games out there and, honestly, you don't intimidate me as much as you think you do. I might respect you, but I could never be afraid of you."

"Nice deduction, but seeing as I already knew you wouldn't be scared, it was merely a question to soothe my curiosity. I'm not here to piss around so lying would only make me angry, but I'm sure you figured that out already."

"I have and will readily answer that question in a moment; however, there is something you have to do for me." The redhead just shrugged. The comment was to be expected—equal exchange and all. "You have to tell me how you know Gluttony."

"Agreed."

Namarra, satisfied, took another sip of her coffee. Nodding a thank you to the waitress, Eclipse started accessorizing her own cup of the black stuff while her tablemate began. This was going to be interesting. "Like you, I've been ordered to chase after SIN-ED and to execute any members on sight. However, unlike you, I'm a member of the Earth Forces—or at least an unofficial branch of."

Masking her surprise well, Eclipse continued stirring, giving a small hand gesture to have her explain what she meant by "unofficial branch of." She'd fret about the Earth Forces bit later on.

"Well—how should I put it—uh—if it wasn't for some people I knew, this café would still be in its original spot of land."

That made the redhead's eyebrows rise, as well as the crowd hush a few decibels. Not wanting to look around and lock gazes, Eclipse just fiddled with her glass and stared at Namarra. A part of her was pissed about the sudden declaration, but then she realized it was her fault in the first place. She had wanted to know about this _other _Berserker and she had gotten her fair share. _Blue Cosmos, huh? Must be a Natural, _the redhead thought, still watching her tablemate intently. Namarra hadn't flinched; in fact she didn't even look fazed by the statement. Everyone in the damned place could be staring a hole in her back and she wouldn't have cared.

Some might've called that arrogance.

"So, why is someone like that chasing SIN-ED?" Eclipse asked quietly. Namarra may have liked the attention, but the redhead downright hated it. Conversations arose a few seconds after the untimely statement, but not enough to make anyone feel entirely comfortable again.

"Because we have some individuals there as well, and they have just as many secrets to share," she replied, sipping at her cup with a frown on her face. Remembering the other members—science projects Eclipse thought FS had hinted at—the redhead found her surprise slipping away. It seemed inevitable the Earth Forces would be chasing after their own renegades, and if they had as much power—as well as knowledge—as ZAFT's runaways, no doubt both sides should be terrified.

Hence the assassins Lunar Eclipse and Namarra Legund.

"So, you on drugs too?" the redhead asked.

"Enough to help," was the reply and Eclipse hid a smirk. She wasn't happy with the prospect of a deranged lunatic sitting across the table from her—and FS's descriptions of the others was still vivid in her mind—but the redhead had been on her own form of enhancements way back when. Seeing as the Natural had about the same genes running through her body, she might've been given the same drug. So far, she didn't seem insane—or even on the way to being—and since Eclipse was balancing on the edge herself, it only seemed fair to give Namarra the benefit of the doubt.

"Well," the Natural began, finishing the last of her glass, "I think I've shared enough for now. How about you start spilling."

"About how I know Gluttony, right?" Namarra nodded. Well, equal exchange and all. "I'm really good friends with him and another member by the codename of Fire Storm or FS. I participated in the same training program as most of the Coordinators in that organization and am particularly fond of those two." The redhead paused, both looking at the Natural and debating her next statement. It had to make a point. "Killing them is _not_ an option."

"That's a big request," Namarra muttered as she chewed on the plastic spoon. Eclipse was vaguely reminded of Stray and had to look away before the Natural really started acting like him and put sugar on the end before sucking it off. Thanks goodness that never happened. "Tell me, how close is your relationship? Sexual?"

"Huh? Why the hell would you ask that?"

"Well, I really don't want a jealous girlfriend going berserk—no pun intended—on my ass because a bullet landed a little off target."

"How about we avoid that all together?"

"Hah, easier said than done," Namarra muttered. "Sometimes shootouts get so intense you could get hit by a comrade and not even know it. So, sexual, or not?" Eclipse sighed, deciding to take a sip instead. Saying nothing, she tried to keep her face blank, but apparently it said more than intended. The Natural nodded, "Fair enough; you're close. However, I can't promise they won't get hurt."

"I guess I'll have to keep an eye on you then."

"Sounds good, seeing as I planned on us working together from now on anyway."

"Just like that you're going to trust me?"

"I can hold my own; you can hold your own. If we kill each other, SIN-ED destroys the world. You have connections; I have information. Anything else?"

Not knowing how to respond, the redhead just shrugged. It all seemed logical, but just way too easy. Sure, she had come to that same conclusion, but was she really ready to team up with someone? On her own, she only had to worry about herself, but now she had to watch over a Natural? Yes, a Berserker—and being part of Blue Cosmos gave her special abilities of her own—but did she want such a commitment? Would she be able to stop SIN-ED without her?

Damn it, more questions.

"Alright then, in honor of our official partnership—"

"What? I never—"

"—I propose a challenge," Namarra continued, waving a finger in front of her face. Leaning forward on the table, she pointed it directly at the redhead. "I can sense a big battle on the horizon and—in order to prove your control—you can't go berserk. Understand?"

"You can't expect me to hold back when—"

"I do and you will. It's like a drug, y'know," the Natural explained, actually snuffing Eclipse's rising anger. "The more you use it—the more you rely on it—the more likely you are to get killed by it."

The redhead cursed. Even though she had never thought about it that way, Namarra was right. She had come to—even if only subconsciously—trusting her other half to get her out of the ass-deep holes she was digging. But what if that extra strength was what she needed to defeat the Strike? Could she really hold back and let her enemy win?

Would she just give up?

"If someone's life is on the line, I can't make that promise."

"Eclipse, if you go berserk, everyone's life is on the line."

Damn it, why did she have to play the reality card?

* * *

"Tell me the enemy's position," Waltfeld ordered, walking into the control room and leaning over the soldier keeping an eye on the radar.

"Yessir," the greencoat said and began pushing a series of buttons.

It had been a day since Yzak and Dearka arrived and still the _Archangel _hadn't moved. Everyone was getting restless—especially the two new redcoats because they were cooped up indoors—so the announcement that morning was almost a happy one. Not that impending death was an exciting experience, but the game of survival was always a welcome temptation. An adrenaline rush was only legal high a soldier could undergo.

Eclipse and her two teammates were no different. Trailing the commander, they filed in; Yzak to his left, Dearka to Yzak's left, and the redhead on Waltfeld's right. DaCosta came in a moment later to stand next to her.

"They're moving north by northwest from their last position," the CIC operator said and brought up a visual.

"It's the 'Legged Ship'," Yzak spat, cursing under his breath at the thought. It was the _Archangel _all right, surrounded by what looked like military vehicles; jeeps with an assortment of men holding low-tech—but very efficient—weaponry.

They meant business.

"They're heading for the remains of the Talbadiya factory district." The commander smiled, straightening his stance and staring at the screen thoughtfully. "Well, I can't say I wouldn't do the same thing. If I was their commander I would try to blow right through us."

Eclipse glanced at DaCosta, the two realizing Waltfeld was impressed by the decision. When the redhead thought on it more, it was a scary thought. The commander admired that ship and its crew, and yet his military duty had him trying to destroy them all. _The other day he had spoken so fondly of the Strike pilot, but now he has to kill him. I wonder, how many people have been in the same situation, or are going through it right now?_

"What do we do, sir?" the greencoat asked, bringing both Eclipse and her commander back to reality.

"I hoped they'd wait a little bit longer. Can't change that."

"Aren't we attacking?" Yzak asked, not liking his nonchalant approach.

"We are," Waltfeld said with cold finality. Despite what the Duel pilot was thinking, he was very serious. Turning to the rest of the room he finished his orders. "Listen up; we're moving out! Code 0-2. Notify the _Petrie _and the _Henry Carter_ immediately."

"Aye, aye," the room sounded, bringing a shiver down Eclipse's spine.

Finally, it was about to begin.

* * *

"So, what do you think we'll be ordered to do?" Dearka asked, leaning against the hangar wall. His arms folded over his chest made him look like some delinquent but really he was just comfortable and besides, Yzak was the one who looked scary. Standing slightly off to the blonde's right, the Duel pilot's hands twitched at his sides and his tapping foot was becoming more of an annoyance than the private ordered to grab five different water bottles. At five different times. "Yzak, you have to calm down."

"Calm down? Calm down! Dearka, we probably won't even get a chance to say hello to the Strike or 'Legged Ship' let alone try and destroy them. Eclipse is launching in five minutes and we're still on stand by."

"Ugh, you're such a broken record. If I wasn't your friend I'd tell you to find a turn table and shove it up your—" the blonde began, but was cut off when the locker room door slammed opened two feet to his left. Seeing as the person coming out was a bit angry—"a bit" being a huge understatement—Dearka found himself cringing as the handle hit the steel wall. At the right angle, one could see a small dent in the silver bulb and almost make him or her feel sorry for the inanimate object. After all, it was just in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Much like Yzak.

"Hey, Eclipse—" the pilot started, but, unfortunately, he never had a chance to say anything more. The redhead stopped and glared, surpassing Dearka's threat with nothing more than a harsh intake of breath and "death by eye contact" stare. "Uh, you okay?"

"Never mind, just go see the commander and be sure to knock that half-wit on his ass as you walk out." Pointing back inside, the boys followed her finger to the shaking—and sweating based on the darkened stains growing in his armpits—figure of Breck plastered against the far wall. His positioning was priceless—something like a Barbie doll complete with bent elbows and tip toes—but quite unnerving at the same time.

Who knew metal bulkheads could be punctured that easily?

Yzak and Dearka cringed, when they saw the damage, almost whimpering despite their "manly" egos. Near his right ear, a pen had been rammed halfway into the wall—shifting each time Breck took a breath—and grazing the greencoat's earlobe. Another pen was down near his stomach, a safe enough distance away not to cause any immediate danger, but still close enough to have him grip the wall a foot away form his body. The real threat—and the reason for the whimpering in the doorway—was the three inch pocket knife near Breck's groin. What was even more unnerving was how the greencoat was forced to stand on his toes in order to avoid brushing the weapon.

That kid was extremely lucky.

"What the hell did you do?" Yzak asked, turning to get the story from Eclipse as well but she was conveniently missing, having already fled to her BuCUE.

Breck's loud gulp brought the pilot's attention back to his fellow man and a step inside when the boy's lips mouthed, "Help."

Dearka was at his side first, pulling out the knife and setting it aside before grabbing at the other objects. "Honestly, what did you do?"

"I-I was merely the messenger, damnit," Breck muttered, pointing to the opened envelope and letter on the floor.

_She must be really tense to just leave this thing lying around like this, _the blonde thought, bending down to pick it up. Yzak helped Breck to sit as Dearka read:

"Remember partner, you can't do it. I'll know if you did and if you're smart, you won't ask how. You fail, I get killing privileges. Bob."

"And why does that piss her off so much?" the Duel pilot asked, walking over to his comrade and leaning over his shoulder to reread.

"I don't know," Dearka admitted and turned to Breck for more answers, but the kid was still too pale and incomprehensible to even nod. Thinking on it more, the blonde realized something. Eclipse had never shown that much emotion—at least for the short time they've known each other—and even though the look in her eyes was downright terrifying, there was some fear hiding deep inside as well. _Scared? But scared of what?_ Setting the letter down on the bench, Yzak's sudden burst of energy pulled him from the room. Apparently, they were getting assigned to their positions, but something just didn't feel right. If Eclipse was scared, what would that mean for everyone else?

How bad can something be to terrify her that much?

* * *

So far, the Strike hadn't done much. Given, it had just launched—and managed to take out one BuCUE—the only thing it was concerned with was the _Lesseps_ unwanted attention towards the _Archangel_. A few bullets weren't going to sting such a ship, but apparently the pilot thought so.

Eclipse had left with the BuCUE team at the beginning of the battle and since neither Yzak nor Dearka had been given orders, she couldn't help but wonder where they were going to end up. Waltfeld had hinted at a long-range kind of role—and knowing the commander he'd stick to the plan—but she wouldn't have minded them watching her back at a closer distance. Aisha was suiting up as the redhead was leaving, so no doubt Waltfeld was going to handle things personally, but Eclipse really wished they'd hold down the fort. Namarra's challenge had been gnawing at the back of her mind and having them running around in the LaGOWE was unnerving. Breck guarding her right flank was enough of a worry.

_Pay attention, _Eclipse thought, sideswiping a few rebel jeeps on the way to an all-out frontal attack on the Strike. If she passed the opportunity up now, the commander might be the next one to try and that was something she wanted to avoid. Blame it on pride—or a cheap sense of righteousness—but even if all she could inflict was minor damage, at least it could cut into his battery life.

The Strike noticed her machine, turned and fired three shots. One fell short—destroying a few dust particles rather than doing anything helpful—and another Eclipse evaded easily to the left. The last one, however, clipped the railgun on top of her unit, searing a big enough hole at its base to cause an array of delicate curses to resonate inside the cockpit. Quickly pressing the button near her left hand, the redhead abandoned the weapon, not even bothering to watch it hit the ground as she continued her charge.

The boy pilot shared a few cusses of his own and dropped his rifle, drawing the beam saber at his belt in a desperate attempt to slow her advance. If he could get in a decent attack before she rammed through him he might have a chance, but the "ram through him" part was still nagging at him.

The sweat drop tickling his cheek didn't help either.

Pulling the blade across his body, he hoped to cut off the machine's front legs as it jumped, however, this BuCUE pilot was a bit better than he anticipated. Instead of cutting through the metal as he had previously planned, her blade met his with a force that sent his attack out wide and to the right.

That same force pulled Eclipse into a spin and would've left her terribly vulnerable if it wasn't for the help of some very reliable reflexes and boosters. Finishing her loop, the BuCUE hind-kicked the Strike's chest and sent him flying to the ground roughly fifteen meters away. While the crunching sound of the expensive machinery as it fell helplessly was amusing, there was no time to dwell on how powerful of a headache the Strike pilot was experiencing at the moment. Smirking, she charged forward and pinned the unit to the ground. "Who's the Berserker now?" she questioned over an open frequency.

The boy didn't respond—not even knowing how to—and struggled under her hold. However, the BuCUE had the upper hand in this particular terrain. When he thrashed, she just pushed him deeper into the sand.

"Pathetic," Eclipse spat and flared her saber again. Her eyes narrowed, a smirk curling up her lips. It was sadistic—and one only a true Berserker could give—but she had not snapped. Perhaps that was the reason it was so terrifying. "Die, imposter." Twisting the BuCUE's head, she stabbed downward, aiming for the exposed cockpit and unfortunate inside.

The beam scraped against the Phase Shift armor as the redhead's machine whined in defiance. The head managed to turn 70 degrees rather than the 90 degrees she needed for the instant kill, so the only enjoyment she got out of the attempt was one pretty horrified soldier. _Damned technology._ Apparently, a BuCUE wasn't made for such an attack. "Shit," she cursed, not even pleased with the fair-sized gash she still managed make near the cockpit. "Other side then," she mused in a sing-song voice, imagining and feeling—based on the Strike's struggling—the pilot's panic.

He was trapped.

Turning her head the other way, she stabbed again.

Same outcome.

She cursed—why wouldn't she?—and began searching for another attack. He was right there.

He was supposed to be dead.

"Kira!" someone shouted over a shared transmission. The fighter jet—Skygrasper by name—swooped low and fired a barrage into her side, forcing the BuCUE to bail and leave its prey alive.

"Damn you!" Eclipse shouted, evading his second round. If she had had Phase Shift armor like her opponent, she would've readily taken the hits and finished the kill. However, she had no such protection and with the scarred metal where her railgun used to be, there was no way she could've survived the barrage. _Wait, _she thought, realizing her folly. _I should've stayed and exploded on top of the Strike. He would've been dead and kicked off of ZAFT's radar. _ _I would've been killed too, but there are worse things. _She should've made that sacrifice, she realized, but, for some reason, it wasn't the prominent decision on her mind. She had gotten soft, forgotten the bigger picture. Comfortable familiarity was a luxury she couldn't afford and yet she had spent a fortune.

Hopefully, it wouldn't get anyone killed.

A good thought, but terribly unrealistic.

Most of the other BuCUEs were having a blast with the rebel group—either enjoying the feeling of crunching metal under their feet or the piercing cries of the dying—but it looked as if ZAFT had the upper hand. Given the numbers, it wasn't a surprise, but hearing Waltfeld speak so highly of the _Archangel_'s captain, Eclipse had expected more. Cursing her ability to underestimate, the scream of a comrade pulled her away from the Skygrasper's assault on the _Petrie _to the precise carving of a fellow BuCUE. The redhead wasn't entirely sure what had happened, but a teammate's last moments were never a pleasure to hear.

Preparing for another attack, Eclipse began circling behind the Strike, but another soldier beat her to the punch. Screaming, "Damn you!" the BuCUE fired four missiles before taking a well-thrown beam saber to his main cameras. He could feel the blade as it slipped through his machine, glad it didn't get as far as the cockpit, but pissed he couldn't see anything more than his unnerved expression reflected on the blackened screen. "Shit," he cursed again, but kept his path straight, knowing the Gundam was dead ahead.

But death was all he was going to meet.

The Strike evaded the attack, lunging forward and under the assault, to leave the missiles to their lonely trek straight into the sand. However, lonely didn't always mean powerless.

The explosion caused an interesting—yet very frustrating—waterfall of sand, hiding the Gundam in its billowing folds as soon as Eclipse was about to make a move of her own. At any other time she may have merely cursed and fled to find a better angle of approach, but she remembered the Strike's target and even though the BuCUE's destruction was inevitable, she still flinched upon hearing the pilot's cry over the radio.

At that moment she was happy for the blindness.

_This is ridiculous, _the redhead thought—debating turning off her radio altogether—and stopped her machine behind a sand dune. _Five BuCUEs were launched and now only two remain. Damn! How the hell could this guy have taken out so many in such a short amount of time?_ The crisp sound of cannon fire alerted her to an enraged Breck taking a shot at the famed mobile suit, reminding her at the same time battles didn't give soldiers the luxury to think on life peculiarities. "Breck, don't—" she started to yell, but sped to his defense instead.

After all, what good were words at a time like this?

Remembering Breck's skills, Eclipse figured he had a pretty good shot of at least damaging the Strike, but destroying him might've been another matter. The boy was inventive—she'd give him that—but the difference in strength was still evident. "Breck, don't go right at him. Swing to his right—" the redhead began, but apparently the young greencoat didn't want to listen. Doing just as she proposed not to, Breck fired two shots at the Gundam and kept going, looking to ram him much like Eclipse had done earlier.

However, the Strike pilot had learned by now.

"Breck, stop!"

Evading both shots with ease, the Gundam raced forward to meet his enemy and, even though the greencoat thought to use his beam sabers, he misjudged the distance and speed of the Strike by unhealthy measurements.

Eclipse saw it all, knew it was going to happen, but couldn't have helped him even if she tried. Her railgun was non-existent and no matter how quickly she adjusted the boosters, she'd never get there in time. All she could do was watch and listen. _Damn it all to hell!_

While Breck may have misjudged, the Strike pilot did not. Tapping his thrusters, he jumped, gracefully kicking the head off the BuCUE. The wires hissed in retaliation, but there was nothing they could do to stop the shot to the cockpit a split second later. Breck made no sound, just eased out of existence like a name in the sand, but that may have hurt more than a panicked scream. Either he was too shocked or too scared to react and neither were meant to be present for such a skilled pilot. _Damnit, he was supposed to live! _At any other time Eclipse may have called the whole sequence awesome or impressive, but at that moment she was merely inspired.

Inspired to slay this god of a pilot and throw his ass in hell.

She might even feast on his burning flesh just to appease her… better nature.

The redhead had been all about flashy and inventive moves lately, so saying grief and anger were a perfect motivation was downgrading the situation excruciatingly. It had been a long shot if the plan even worked, but thanks to some unknown softball talent, she managed to swing her BuCUE's head hard and quick enough to send the saber flying in the Strike's general direction. Her release point had been a tad off—so the weapon landed slightly to his left—but the effect was there.

This was one pissed redcoat.

However, pissed didn't necessarily mean efficient.

Although the frontal attacked seemed to be the favorite of the day—but by far the least effective—Eclipse tried another route. The saber had been enough of a distraction to gain her some ground on the Strike's right side. Inspired by her previous simulation sessions, the redhead abruptly stopped short. Digging the BuCUE's front legs hard into the sand, she showered the Gundam with enough sand to supposedly blind him to his bloody demise. After all, revenge was only sweet to the one enacting it and terribly painful to everyone else aught in the crossfire. However, the plan backfired when three shots grazed the skin of her BuCUE, spoiling Eclipse's brief encounter with optimism—as well as depleting her ego enough to realize not all her ideas were flawless. Obviously, the Strike pilot had calculated the ploy and played his cards brilliantly, but there was a still trap door open for this fair redhead. Since the barrage wasn't aimed well enough to score a hit, the redhead knew her enemy was still blinded, if only a little. Using that information, she ducked low and turned her head, hoping to slice the Strike from groin to cockpit in one try.

Then again, hopes were meant to be dashed.

Never leaving his spot, the Gundam had instinctively brought around his shield and slammed downward, counteracting Eclipse's attack and beheading her unit in the matter of seconds. The machine shook, sparks flying near the redhead's eyes when a stubborn wire refused to snap right away, dragging part of the screen down and narrowly missing her exposed lap. She felt the controls lock up and issued a series of curses even Yzak would be proud of, but nothing would make her BuCUE start moving again. _It couldn't have been that serious of a blow, but apparently enough to cut off some fluid to the controls, _Eclipse thought, wiggling the levers just in case.

The Strike whined outside, metal scraping on metal outweighing even the ugliest scream that could pass over her radio. It could've been because—for once—she was the one waiting for death, but given her brushes with the devil, it seemed rather unlikely. The Gundam was getting to its feet, that was obvious by the deafening noises outside, but was he going to give the killing blow? He had never hesitated before, so why the hell was he taking a breath now? Did he think she was already dead?

Hah, talk about arrogance.

Shifting sand and the familiar sound of a BuCUE railgun—or at least something to that effect—caught the redhead's attention, turning her amusement with her impending death to confusion about what was happening outside. The blast resonated a bit louder than the typical railgun, but it was obviously being fired from a moving machine. A BuCUE was the only thing quick enough to come to her rescue, but there weren't any left.

Wait, the LaGOWE?

"Eclipse, you alright?" Waltfeld called over the radio, sounding a bit breathless and not without a hint of anger.

Somewhat happy about the rescue—but still frustrated she didn't take out the Strike before they got onto the field—the redhead was reluctant to answer. What would she say? "Yeah, got my ass kicked; controls malfunctioning if not nonexistent. Apparently, all your military advice got sucked into the black hole scientifically named 'My Ego' and never got the chance to grace this battlefield with its intelligence. A pity really, 'cause I wanted to destroy that good for nothing pretty boy." Not wanting to sound too overbearing—knowing his reaction to that rant would've been priceless—Eclipse settled for a boring, "Yessir."

"Can you move?"

"No. What's going on out there?"

"The _Henry Carter _has arrived and is offering the _Archangel _some pleasantries, but as for our ground crew—since you're out of commission—Aisha and I are the only ones left to play Grim Reaper." He paused as some more shooting could be heard outside Eclipse's BuCUE. If she wasn't so afraid of being caught up in the mess, she'd peek out and have a look. Alas, she was forced to wait a little.

Or at least until the commander pulled the Strike further away.

The redhead could've blamed anything on the reckless exiting of her machine—heat, annoying transmissions, frustration—but the sight she came up to wasn't appealing in the least. Slipping off her helmet, she took a careful scan of her surroundings, internally laughing at the Duel and his encounter with the rebels. It looked like a cockroach being attacked by ants by the way the jeeps circled Yzak and fired missiles at his unit. One would fire from the front, he'd turn and attempt to make them toe jam, but another rebel would shoot from the back and the Duel would turn in that direction. Having no footing on the sand didn't help matters and made Yzak look even more ridiculous.

Dearka had somehow jumped ship as well. Eclipse heard his fair voice shouting a few colorful words across her radio, but couldn't see his position. Two things could be blamed for that. One, her eyesight was limited with such a hilly environment, and two, the LaGOWE's fight with the Strike had attracted all her attention. She couldn't remember how long she had been down in her scrap metal of a machine, but seeing the commander's unit without a leg was quite unnerving. The redhead knew the Strike pilot was good, but good enough to damage the LaGOWE like that? Thinking back, Eclipse couldn't remember if she ever saw Waltfeld and Aisha fight together—in either simulations or real battle—but she knew they were exceptional. How the hell could some kid be defeating both an elite soldier like herself and veteran soldiers who have been in more battles than that kid had spent dreading?

Some leaking transmission calls from the _Lesseps _turned her back to the inside of the BuCUE and away from the epic battle. Apparently, the _Archangel _had fired and hit the ZAFT ship, leaving the redhead to wonder what they were going to do next. At the beginning, the skirmish looked like a sure win for the powerful Coordinators, but now they had lost all their land units and the only machine still offering a decent fight was Waltfeld and his LaGOWE.

Something was obviously twisted about that scenario if the ship's commander was the only one left with firepower and the enemy was one step above cavemen.

Orders to retreat sounded through the open transmission, static cutting apart most of the message—it was like her machine was corroding as it lied in the sand—but the intent was made. Eclipse merely ignored it. Waltfeld and Aisha had made no movement towards the _Lesseps_ even though the order was practically screaming into every ZAFT ear and flashing on every mobile suit screen within a twenty mile radius. _Are they still going to fight? _the redhead thought, feeling slight panic tighten her muscles. _But they can't—_ The realization came too late and much like Breck's fight, all Eclipse could do was watch in horror as her two greatest allies shifted into her two greatest memories.

Her folly had proven fatal after all.

"No—please—don't—" she stuttered, desperately climbing over debris to reach the soft refuge of the sand below, but only managed to snag a pant leg on a jagged corner instead. The piece bit into her leg, attempting to distract her from the mental turmoil, but it failed miserably and only added to the redhead's pain. "Stop—not like this—"

Phase Shift down; no turning back.

Pure desperation.

"I said I had your back."

The knife was drawn and no one had the desire to back down.

Damned pride. Damned mobile suits.

Damn war.

It was horrid and yet Eclipse couldn't turn her head—refused to look away. The Strike and LaGOWE charged at each other, both wanting to issue the killing blow, but even as they leapt, the mistake was clear in the redhead's eyes. Waltfeld had been too greedy in trying to take the Gundam in a frontal attack. Some might say he had no other option and still others would state the Strike merely had the better machine, but no matter what the outcome was the same.

Death.

A perfect stab to the LaGOWE's battery pack ended the fight—proving the Strike pilot's ungodly abilities had gone beyond annoying and reached the death by torture stage—to the sheer horror and grief of the ZAFT Company. The world stood still for a moment as the commander's machine knelt in defeat, exposing the destructive wound and the inevitable results. "Please," Eclipse begged, wishing someone or even something would hear her cries, but since she had never bothered to listen to cries for mercy, why should anyone else? Finally dislodging her leg, she made one last desperate attempt to aid her comrades.

However, she was too late.

"Commander! Aisha!" the redhead screamed, falling out of her downed BuCUE and into the sand. All she could see was black smoke, flames, and hear the faint sound of whining metal. The smell of burning gasoline, and—maybe just because of the circumstances—the faint stench of death hung in the air. She retched; there was nothing else for her body to do. All the pain and panic had finally clawed through its cage, but without the reassuring smile of some fellow comrade, there was no hope to calm her fears.

Nothing was left.

No one could've survived such an explosion.

Even at a distance, the redhead could still feel the heat, stinging her eyes and burning her cheeks. "Before," she breathed, struggling to her feet, adrenaline pumping energy into her weary legs. "Before, damnit! Why didn't I say before?" She cursed again and sprinted towards the burning gravesite, aiming now for the fallen Strike. Tripping once, she merely spit out the sand and kept going. Just like in the simulation, that Strike pilot was going to die, his machine being carved from the outside in. She didn't give a damn about Namarra's bet. She had held true through the battle and it had gotten her two greatest allies killed.

Dead.

That pilot was going to suffer horribly.

"Hey there!"

Shouting and terrain jeeps could be heard behind her and coming up fast. It sounded like the rebels had finally given up their chase of the Duel, but although it was a good sign for Yzak, it was a bad one for Eclipse. Still, the Berserker didn't care. The Strike seemed so close.

"Stop! I said stop!" an older man yelled, pointing a 9mm at her as the vehicle spun to a stop about five yards away. "The battle's done; haven't you been given orders to retreat? Now, get out of here! I have no desire to shoot—Stop, damnit!" he ordered once more, but Eclipse kept moving. Shooting two bullets into the sand near her feet, the rebels just stared, mesmerized by how she never hesitated.

A one-track mind and they were caught on the rails.

"Eclipse!" Dearka yelled, struggling towards the group while still in his machine. He had been monitoring his comrade, but never thought she'd do something so reckless. "Eclipse!" he shouted again and only when the rebel fired another shot near and over her shoulder did he try to intervene. Reaching down, he put the mobile suit's hand in front of her, both blocking her path and keeping her safe from the trigger happy enemies. "We were ordered to retreat!"

The Berserker paid him no heed, stepping around the gigantic fingers as if they couldn't crush her to a pulp. "I'm sending that pilot to hell!"

The rebels—having moved a bit further back—aimed. Dearka noticed the movement and put his hand in between once more, this time wrapping Eclipse up in the process. "Yzak, can you move?" the blonde asked into the transmission, cringing when he saw how much the Berserker struggled. He could've sworn he saw blood curl away from her fists as she punched the metal.

"Y-yeah. I can make it back to the _Lesseps_. Eclipse?"

"Alive and apprehended. Let's retreat."

"Understood."

* * *

_**A/N: **_Uhh, this is going to be short 'cause I just spent over $100 in Anime figurines/manga--and they're all staring at me--so I really just want to geek out over them. I think SEED's gone past the obsession stage and straight to stalkerish...

Uh, anyway, new chapter! A bit longer than the others. I have a feeling some of you are going to be angry with me, but I know at least two people who are utterly proud of me.

Alas, this is the end of Andy for a while. Thanks for the reviews and I'm glad I did him justice, although, I'm terribly reluctant to let him go... I love that coffee addict!

I hope the battle with the Strike/Kira was good enough for you guys. Yes, I really really wanted Eclipse to kill him, but--unfortunately--I couldn't afford to do that. *Sigh* She had a chance, but her BuCUE let her down. Maybe her Stealth will be a little better suited to her needs.

Oh! A humongous shoutout to my Betas: _Death-Scimitar, CSSStravag, _and the newest _Maderfole_! Wow, you guys are good, honestly. Tons of brownie points and Kudos!

* * *

_**Gripes/Questions:**_

None. Uhh... you sure?

* * *

_**Another Andy side story:**_

A bit shorter than the other one, but I wrote it out in story format this time. Enjoy!

Notorious Shower Singer

"Andy?" Aisha called, stepping into their bedroom. The coffee pot was half full, so she figured he was around. He never left without finishing the entire thing. "Andy?" she tried again, but only faint rustling in the bathroom could be heard. "Is he taking a shower?" she wondered, inching her way closer. "It's almost dinner time." Rushing water confirmed her suspicions, emitting a groan from her lips.

Well, he was the commander so, technically, he could do whatever he wanted.

"Uh, do you want me to leave? If he comes out in a towel—"

"No usually," the pilot interrupted, turning to Eclipse in the doorway. "Just in case he gets called away and—"

"It's the eye of the tiger!"

They both froze, Aisha with an arm over her eyes and the redhead with a hand on the doorframe to steady herself.

Dear God, he was singing.

An octave lower—who knew Waltfeld even had melodious vocal chords?—but on key at least.

"Andy!" his girlfriend yelled, running to the bathroom door and pounding relentlessly. He merely sang louder. "Andy!"

Eclipse watched the spat, knowing she should be terribly amused, but "terrified" and "scarred" were better words to describe her dilemma.

And she thought being proposed to was bad.

Now he could sing the song as she walked down the aisle.

Hopefully, he didn't dance too.


	30. Lucky? Or Unlucky?

Lucky? Or Unlucky?

"I said hold her down!"

"Grab her arm!"

"Damnit, now the leg!"

"For goodness sakes—"

"Ow, she bit me!"

Dearka and Yzak could only stare into the medical room as five medics attempted to soothe their frantic teammate. Someone had suggested just leaving her in the Buster's hand until they could sedate her, but—for some reason—no one bothered to take the proposal seriously. The Berserker wasn't severely hurt, but the large amount of blood littering the Gundam's fingers when Dearka brought her in was enough to cause a panic where the medics were concerned.

"How the hell can the anesthesia _not _be working? Just give her some more!"

"We could seriously hurt her if we did that!"

Eclipse's hands were bleeding badly, but the biggest damage was the chunk of skin missing on the knuckle of her left pinky. Exposing tendons—and even the slick white color of bone—the gash extended down to the tip of her finger, leaving a rotten taste in Yzak's mouth when he saw it. Her leg was much the same, that sharp edge on her BuCUE digging a cut on the side of her right knee down to about mid calf. The wound wouldn't have been so bad if the Berserker hadn't yanked herself out of the wreckage and, thus, tearing the puncture hole downward. Whether or not it was deep enough to have nicked the bone was still under debate.

They had to get her strapped to the bed first.

"Damnit, Dearka, you said she was okay!" Yzak squealed, pointing an angry finger into the room. "Does she look _fine _to you?"

"I didn't say she wasn't hurt, just alive," the blonde corrected, actually glad for the distraction. While the Duel pilot's anger may have been an emotional hazard, at least it was better than worrying about Eclipse. "I didn't know she was _that _injured when I brought her in. She's lucky to be alive."

"I think 'lucky' depends on perspective," Yzak mumbled, his anger subsiding when he heard his teammate cry out in the other room. A doctor and four, male nurses had finally pinned down her lower torso, tying off leather straps near her ankles, one across her shins, and another one on her upper thighs. Some others were still struggling with her arms, but it looked like her strength was waning. Perhaps she would be apprehended after all.

"Quick, stop her!"

Or not.

The redcoats ran to the door after the outburst, wishing they could go inside and help instead of merely peering through the window. Either way, it was a terrifying sight. While still strapped from the waist down, Eclipse had somehow gotten a hold of a scalpel and was currently stabbing an older doctor near his upper chest cavity. Her right arm held firmly onto his shoulder as her left hand punctured three areas on his body. The first one was a direct hit to the muscle just above the doctor's collarbone, splattering the redhead with a bit of blood as she pulled it out and readied for another strike. The second stab grazed the right side of his neck, this time cutting off a fair-sized chuck of skin as well. Even though the flesh landed with a sickening sound on the floor—and the visual was no less horrendous—Eclipse still reared back for another blow. If it wasn't for a heroic nurse, the doctor would've been dead—seeing as the next strike was aiming for his head. The younger man grabbed the redhead's wrist, but not anticipating her to have such strength, the nurse only managed to veer the stab down and away. It clipped the doctor's bicep, cutting through the first two layers of skin and leaving a nice, red gash as a souvenir.

Finally, she was caught and strapped to the bed, but only after two more shots of anesthesia did her body stop flailing. Dearka and Yzak watched in horror as the nurses brought in new machines and began hooking the Berserker up to the various monitors. It was hard to believe that not three hours ago Eclipse was standing in front of them and wishing them luck; the same luck she should've kept for herself instead of giving away. And now she was strapped to a bed with the gut wrenching mixture of blood and tears drying on pallid cheeks.

"Y-Yzak?"

"She'll be fine," the Duel pilot assured, swallowing down the last bit of his own fear. Only when another nurse came around to shoo them away did the panic arise once more.

The closing blinds in the medical room didn't help either.

* * *

"Sir, as a doctor I can't let you take this girl." The man was younger—about late 20s—and even though he may have aced his clinical exam, he had no idea who he was talking to. Surprising, because the man had an obvious, recognizable trait—mainly the mask on his face—but Commander Le Creuset decided to let it slide for now. However, who they were talking _about _was another matter. Lunar Eclipse had been the talk of the base for the past day and a half since her stabbing of the veteran physician aboard the _Lesseps_. "Talk of the base" may not be as good as the phrase "psychopath of the month", but it kept a lid on the panic to some degree. Although, as soon as Creuset arrived, the jabbering stopped immediately. They weren't about to make him angry over some hotheaded girl.

Unlike this doctor here.

"And why can't I take my soldier?" the commander asked, placing a hand on the end of Eclipse's bed. While sill alive and kicking—literally at some moments—the redhead had been unconscious ever since her chaotic rescue. Some blame her hysteria, some blame her guilt, and still others think the doctors went overboard on the anesthesia. If either of the formal theories were the case, she should feel lucky to be alive, but if the guilt of Waltfeld and Aisha's untimely death was behind it all, Eclipse would most likely be comatose for a while yet.

"Well, we did some additional tests as soon as she calmed down and came up with some pretty interesting information. To put it frankly, this girl should either be in a mental hospital or a research facility, not a mobile suit," the doctor explained as he flipped a few pages over the end of his clipboard. Either they did find a fair amount of info, or he just did that out of nervousness. Then again, addressing Commander Le Creuset as he had been was bold in and of itself. Somehow the jitters didn't seem part of the equation.

"And why would you say such thing? Tell me, are you a psychologist now too?"

"Just a simple measurement of her brainwaves showed us something peculiar. As you may have already heard, the anesthesia didn't work right away, so we ended up giving her as much as necessary. She quieted for a little while—providing us with enough time to finish the tests—but in the end we were forced to give her a form of muscle relaxant to keep her from thrashing around."

"That explains the life support and restraints, but, honestly, was all that necessary?"

"Yes sir," the doctor began, absently rubbing the back of his head with the memory. "She was very violent when another member of your team brought her to us. So violent, in fact, there are three stab wounds in my superior as we speak. Given, none were serious, but the act alone has caused a lot of uneasiness, which I'm sure you picked up on. Your soldier here is lucky we had a secluded room and a forgiving staff or she'd be dead by now."

"I'm sorry for your inconvenience, but I'll have to ask you to remove the restraints," Creuset said, noting the small scowl cross the young man's fair face. It probably had something to do with how lightheartedly the commander took to hearing about the hospital's chief medic, but oh well. That guy would be fine; Eclipse was still in the grey area. "So, when do you expect her to wake up?"

"To be honest, there isn't a clear answer for that. She wasn't as badly injured as some of the others, but her problems seem to be more psychological than anything. The test results alone proved this theory. When we managed to calm her down and start treatment, she was still awake—at least as awake as a trauma victim can be. We figured something might be wrong mentally when her hysteria sent her into a fit of hallucinations and the anesthesia had worn off, or even just failed. Her brainwaves were… nonexistent. I couldn't believe it myself," the doctor admitted, swinging his weight to one leg as he lowered his clipboard. A hand on his hip finished the stance, proving he was confident in talking about the situation. Either that or he was proud of his discovery. "There she was, awake, and—for the most part—comprehensible, but somehow her brain wasn't doing anything. We tried another machine to the same result, so we can't blame technology."

"Brain-dead, then, while she was still awake?"

"Yes, but we have no idea why. As soon as she went unconscious, her brainwaves started up again, however, the neurons weren't firing enough to keep us optimistic about her condition. She seems to be stuck in the fourth stage of sleeping—commonly known as Delta Sleep—and the only thing we can do is wait. Her brain's very… unstable and we don't want to rush her into anything that might permanently damage her."

_Huh, I'm not sure you __**can **__permanently damage her, _Creuset mused, admiring the doctor's evaluation rather than being worried by it. The resilience to anesthesia particularly caught his interest. Someone had to have some stubborn genes to pull that one off. "I guess you're right in saying we have to wait. I don't like to, but there's really no other choice, is there? If need be, could she be transferred to Gibraltar unharmed?"

Pausing, the doctor took the time to digest the question. "Sure, it _is_ possible, but if something went wrong in the transfer, that'd be it. I'd hate to see such a good soldier die because of an over-zealous commander."

Now that was bold.

"I'd watch that tongue of yours, doctor," Creuset stated, his tone cheery instead of sounding deep and threatening. Perhaps that was why the young man took a step back. Apparently, his survival instincts were working after all. "You may know something about brainwaves, but never—even involuntarily—think you know anything about how I treat my team. I know the weaknesses and strengths in every one of them, mind you, so you can just worry about how to get Eclipse back on duty."

"Yes sir," the doctor muttered, regretting his ridiculous comment as soon as the commander offered his cold glare as a present. Next time, he'll just say 'no' to taking care of a member of the Le Creuset Team.

And then get the hell out of the hospital.

* * *

"I'm assuming there's been no change," DaCosta muttered, walking into the medical room with what looked like two, freshly picked flowers. Neither Dearka nor Yzak knew what kind they were—not exactly fluent in flower language—and were even more surprised by how he remembered to bring a vase than by the act of purchasing a gift. "Does Commander Le Creuset still plan on transferring her to Gibraltar tomorrow? I realize she's been out for over two days now, but still, is that a good thing to do?"

Dearka sighed, putting down his crossword puzzle and walking to the bed in one fluid motion. Given the room's seclusion, it was expected to be of fair size, but it looked more like a holding cell than a recovery room. The white walls and tiled floor was anticipated—and even the small window facing east—but why did it have to be so boring? Perhaps that was the reason DaCosta had brought in the flowers; just to brighten up the place. Wiping some sweat from his forehead, the blonde checked the monitor before shrugging. "We're not sure what he's up to and, honestly, him coming here was a huge surprise. We both figured he was still in space and then the day after all of this began," he swept an arm over Eclipse's body, "there he was on the doorstep. The doctors say she's stable enough for transfer, but they never make eye contact or seem to stand still when they talk about it."

"We're pretty sure they're lying," Yzak chimed in, setting his book down on the small lamp stand near his seat. "We just can't prove it because we know shit about medical stuff and get more lost in the jargon than I would in my sock drawer."

DaCosta cocked an eyebrow at the analogy, but after a second or two he just let it go. It wasn't important. Sighing instead, he put the flowers down on the desk near her bed. "So, she _is _more serious than I thought." He backed away then and leaned against the wall, having been sitting way too much lately to find a chair comfortable. "Damn, this has been a hellish couple of days."

The two redcoats could only agree. Surprisingly, Watlfeld had been found alive; barely, but still ticking. Eclipse would've been relieved if she ever woke up, but that was a problem too; she was still sleeping nicely in a coma. Why, no one knew and each passing day caused more panic, at least among her closest comrades. Her wounds weren't serious, and there was no indication she received brain damage in the battle.

It was just so frustrating.

"Commander Waltfeld woke up this morning. The doctor called me in to see him, but what could I say? He asked me some questions, joked a bit, tried to make me get him a mug of coffee, but other than that, he avoided the Aisha subject. I'm sure he knows though." DaCosta sighed, combing a hand through his hair as he shook his head. "I was really hoping Eclipse would be able to talk to him."

"Are they _that_ close?" Yzak asked, joining Dearka near the bed. "Based on her record, I'd find it hard for her to open up to anyone let alone a commander."

"Waltfeld has the charisma to get along with anyone and that person, in turn, gets along with him. It's quite a gift and one that took Eclipse by surprise, I'm sure. They respect each other and Aisha adored her, so I think that had something to do with it too."

"But you guys have been friends for years," the blonde redcoat mentioned, shifting his eyes down to the prone girl in bed. It felt so weird to see her lying there like that. Sure, he had seen his fair share of the sick and dying, but when it was someone he knew personally—and even younger than he was—his heart wrenched. "Somehow, I figured you'd have an easier time talking to him."

DaCosta sighed, crossing his arms over his chest thoughtfully. "Eclipse blames herself, as does most of the crew; hell I was stuck in the _Lesseps _the entire time. This blow hurt everyone and the fact that she was the only one—besides the commander himself—to survive an encounter with the Strike doesn't weigh any less. She had two chances to take him down before Commander Waltfeld and Aisha made it on the field, but, in the end, the Strike won."

"Do you think that's what's keeping her like this?" Yzak asked, abandoning his position next to Dearka and heading to another clear spot on the wall. The life support machine was getting under his skin. It was amazing he had lasted an hour in there already.

"It's probably a factor, but I've been hearing some whispers about her mental state," the greencoat replied quietly, shifting a hand uneasily through his red hair again. It seemed to be a habit.

"Not good, I'm guessing," Dearka mumbled, sitting down on the corner of the bed. The mattress moaned as he sat, sounding—for a second—like Eclipse had finally awoken, but a quick glance at the redhead proved otherwise. They were all still hoping, though.

"I don't know the details, but, frankly, I'm a bit scared. Losing Aisha, Breck, the commander, _and _Eclipse all at once was a hard blow. The commander's fine—for the most part—I know that now, but still I wish Eclipse would wake up."

The three stood in silence, sentimental about the whole ordeal, but, honestly, not knowing why. For DaCosta, it could've been the gut wrenching feeling of watching everyone close to him get killed in the span of fifteen minutes and knowing he couldn't do anything about it. War was awful like that, and he had promised himself plenty of times he'd get out one day, but something always held him back. Question was, was that "something" still there?

Yzak's and Dearka's dilemmas were much the same, just bridging on the edge of maturity and immaturity. When they first joined the military, this wasn't what they expected. Sure, death and pain—both emotional and physical—were part of the deal, but at the time, it was a far off nightmare. And now here they were, reflecting on the very thing they thought was a mere fairy tale. "We'll get that Strike," the Duel pilot spat, for once, surprising everyone by the statement.

Dearka agreed softly, but the greencoat said nothing, just staring at Eclipse's heart monitor sadly. _Revenge? Is that really the answer?_

* * *

There was no pleasant dream this time; in fact she didn't dream at all. The last thing Eclipse remembered was the slick feeling of the scalpel as she stabbed some persistent doctor. Then, she didn't care—why the hell would a Berserker care whether a guy was just in the wrong place at the wrong time?—but now she felt nauseous. That feeling had been racking her body a lot lately, and, frankly, she didn't care much for it.

Things were so much easier when she didn't give a damn.

Dry heaving over the side of the bed, the redhead barely had time to appreciate the wet washcloth put on her forehead. It was cool—and very relieving—but her brain felt like it was throbbing; pulsing with too much blood and failing pain killers.

"Woah—shit—is she okay?" Eclipse could hear Yzak stutter from somewhere to her right. She figured he had just run into the room, but seeing as that was the last thing on her mind at the moment, she merely concentrated on shutting off her reflexes. The feeling of her stomach forcing its way up through her esophagus was very distracting.

"Yes, she's fine; just a reaction to waking up so abruptly. Please, give us some space, sir," the nurse said, scooching back herself. She knew the redhead wasn't going to throw anything up—there wasn't anything to—but air was the best thing for her at the moment. "Can you find the doctor for me?"

"Way ahead of ya," the Duel pilot muttered and ran out, bumping shoulders with Dearka on the way.

The blonde was going to make some rude comment, but the commotion inside the room pulled him through the doorway. Staring at the bed, he couldn't help the relief circulate through his body at the sight of his teammate sitting up. "Eclipse," he sighed, slumping slightly on the frame. Perhaps he was more on edge than he thought. However, then he saw her body convulse into another vomiting spell.

It couldn't be healthy.

"Doc, are you sure she'll be all right?" Yzak asked, trailing behind the young medic and passing the blonde into the room. The look on the doctor's face was somewhat frightening as he stared at Eclipse. Mixed between shock and delusional pride, the smile on his lips matched the unavoidable twinkle in his eyes. "Doc?" the Duel pilot prodded.

"Ah, yes, she should be fine. Her body's just waking up is all. You see, because of the large amount of anesthesia we pumped into her, it's expected to have _some_ side effects," he explained, walking over to the bed to check the redhead's heart beat and breathing once she had calmed down. _Actually, I'm surprised she's up at all. Truly amazing._

"She's lucky, y'know," the nurse chimed in absently, as if she forgot she was the lowest ranked individual in the room. "She was about to be prepped for transfer not two hours from now."

"Yes, and that would've been an ugly experience," the doctor added.

"But she'll be okay now?" Yzak's expression as priceless, but not in a touching or cute way. He was angry, but relieved at the same time. Maybe—since he had been worrying enough the past two days—the other emotions were waning on him and were far too unfamiliar.

Anger was easier to understand. Make a brick; throw said brick; watch said brick hit unfortunate person; laugh at said person; feel guilty later.

"I'd like to do more assessments, but seeing as you guys are leaving so soon, that may not be possible. However, there might be some time to do a few."

Hurried steps in the hall caught Dearka's attention near the door. Twisting his head around the frame, he nearly got decapitated when DaCosta rushed by and into the room. "Did I hear right? Is Eclipse really—" He stopped, stared, and did a full body checkout of the redhead lying on the bed. At any other time, Eclipse may have slapped him for the obvious gesture, but right then, she was touched.

Wait.

"Comm—" she began, but the words gurgled in her throat as the nurse shoved a thermometer under her tongue; however, the others understood anyway. DaCosta looked away; Yzak chose not to answer and instead pulled his rebellious stance by leaning against the wall with his arms crossed. Dearka, noting the other two, decided to break the news. "Commander Waltfeld's fine, Eclipse, but Aisha's gone."

The redhead's eyes lit up at the commander's survival, but instantly turned downcast when she heard about his girlfriend. Sweat beaded on her forehead, feeling her face whiten under everyone's hot gaze. Yes, hot. She could tell, they blamed her for everything. She should've gone berserk and destroyed the Strike when she had the chance, but that damned pride of hers had won out in the end. And now she had to pay for it. The coffee runs, the unpleasant skirmishes in the market, the way Aisha pampered her, it was all just a vague memory.

She'd never get them back.

And it was all her fault.

"Come, we'll talk about this later," the doctor said, ushering them all outside. "I'd like to do a few more tests and a little rest before you guys ship out would do her some good."

"S-sure—yeah—c'mon guys," DaCosta prodded. He took one last look at Eclipse and nearly doubled over in grief. She wasn't crying, but had turned deathly pale again as her sweet reminiscing turned into never-ending nightmares. If she was going to vomit again, he'd rather be somewhere else.

"Yessir," Dearka began. "Let's go, Yzak."

"Yeah."

Even though the redhead may have been on the verge of being sick, she really didn't want anyone to go. For the most part, she felt fine. Sure, the raging headache might become a nuisance later on, but if she had heard right and her team was leaving soon, Eclipse wanted to get as much information as she could. _The commander's alive,_ she thought, a goofy grin gracing her lips before the devil snatched it away again. _But Aisha's… Commander, I'm so sorry. I should've done something, even if it was only telling you to propose before the battle!_

"Ah, so you're the great Lunar Eclipse, eh?" the doctor cooed. "I've been looking through your files and, I must say, you're an interesting patient. Tell me, dear, do you know how much trouble you've put us through?" he asked, fixing a few buttons on the monitor before flashing her with a bleached-white smile. Actually, it looked sincere. Anyone who had seen him before might say he was on the verge of a psychedelic meltdown, but now he looked concerned. Even the touch on the redhead's forehead as he brushed aside some loose strands of hair was almost sensual in nature. "Are you feeling better now? You've had everyone so worried."

Eclipse chose not to respond—probably a good move on her part—and turned away from his insistent stare. Out of everyone, he was the last one she wanted to talk to, and, in a desperate attempt to find other company, she searched the room for the nurse, but realized she must've fled when the guys did.

_Shit._

"Dear, did you hear me? How are you feeling?"

_Like shoving this IV stand up your ass, _the redhead grumbled silently, wiping a hand over her face to cover the disgusted expression etched there. "I want to see the commander."

"Do you now? From what I've heard, your guilty conscious is what may've induced your coma, so tell me, who in his right mind would want to see the source of his problems?"

"You know nothing about it!"

"I know your brain's on the verge of collapsing," the doctor explained calmly, holding up a hand to silence another outburst. "I've already talked about this with your commander, but he won't listen to reason; hopefully, you will. While you were unconscious, we did some evaluation tests and came up with some interesting information. I want to say it's a bad thing, but seeing as you're still alive, it might not be as awful as I originally anticipated. Lunar Eclipse, your mind is in a very delicate position at the moment and I'd like to do further tests in order to figure out how we can help you."

"Delicate how?"

"Well, when you were brought in, your hysteria and hallucinations—among other symptoms—prompted us to check your head for further damage. Upon scanning your brainwaves, we found out you had none, at least not until you fell unconscious. This monitor here," he pointed to the screen just to the right of her IV stand, "is measuring your brainwaves right now. The good thing is, they're normal, but it doesn't give us any answers as to what happened a few days ago."

Eclipse nodded a few times after he finished talking, now noticing the small suction cups on both sides of her head. Why she didn't notice them before was beyond her comprehension, but quickly they were becoming an annoyance. _Brain-dead, huh?_ she mused, picking absently at the stickers. _Apparently, this Berserker thing has more to it than just heightened skills and the need to be overly sadistic. Hm, I wonder if Namarra knew anything about this._

"So, you understand my reasoning then? Would you consent to staying here under my observation?"

The redhead almost said yes, until she heard the words "under my observation." Yes, she did want to stay on the _Lesseps _with the commander and DaCosta. Sure, the desert was a bit too hot for her liking—and the sun was far from the word "pleasurable"—but she fit in there. Dearka and Yzak may have been getting "teammate-like friendly" as of late, but what was going to happen as soon as they were all back under Creuset's supervision? Would they shift back to their old selves and hate the world? Eclipse really didn't want to be around them when that happened. She liked them now and if leaving them to stay on the _Lesseps _meant she had that false memory forever, she wasn't about to complain. And then there was Athrun and Nicol. Her last encounter with them was far from pleasant, and since they probably didn't want to see her anyway, why should she risk her mental state with more emotional turmoil? But the look in this young man's eyes scared her more than the thought of being teamed up with some PMS boys. He wanted her under _his _close observation?

What the hell did that entail?

"No," the redhead responded. "I know more than you think about my 'mental condition' and believe me when I say your tests won't do too much. It's about time I joined the rest of my team, sir."

Obviously, that wasn't the answer he wanted to hear, but he masked his anger well. "I'm sorry to hear that," the doctor sighed, pushing off the bed to stand near the doorway. "Honestly, I'm not sure you'd last another stressful battle like this one. Without further tests, you won't be able to get the right treatment to keep—whatever it is—from killing you. Tell me, does that scare you in the least?"

"No offense, sir, but I think I know more about my mind than you do."

"Are you so sure, soldier?"

"No, but I'm willing to take the chance."

* * *

Seeing as Eclipse fell asleep soon after her "delightful" conversation with her doctor, she neither got the chance to see Waltfeld nor say goodbye to DaCosta. Waking up on the transport carrier was an interesting experience as well. Surprisingly, the redhead wasn't startled by the whole ordeal—blissfully sleeping as some nurses wheeled her bed down the hallways—but now, she was just plain pissed. Clawing at her IV tubes, she tried to run out and say her final farewells, but a sudden head rush—and the biting pain in her right leg—sent her crashing to her knees.

"You really must be more careful," Creuset cooed, hoisting her to her feet and helping her sit back on the bed. "You're lucky to be alive and still you want to go run a marathon?"

"I'm sorry, sir, but I can't leave without talking to them."

"We're on a strict schedule, Eclipse, and you are in no position to say otherwise."

"Yes, I understand, but please—"

"Sir, everything's onboard and we're ready to take off," Dearka announced, both him and Yzak saluting as they walked up. They noticed the redhead next, but made no overly emotional reaction to her consciousness other than a quick eye twitch. Perhaps it was because the commander was there; had to be precise and all.

Too bad, Eclipse didn't care about that at the moment. "Sir, please. Just a few—"

Creuset sighed, putting a firm hand on her shoulder when she tried to get up once more. Shaking his head he waited for the other two redcoats to come over before he began talking, "I'm sorry to have to tell you all this right here, but there seems to be no better time. Commander Waltfeld passed away not a half hour ago, while you, Eclipse, were sleeping and you two were making some last adjustments to your mobile suits. The doctors tried desperately to save him, but, in the end, an infection—forming at the base of his amputated arm—is what claimed his life. Alas," the commander continued, watching each face carefully, "his second-in-command was so distraught about it all he could only express his apologies for not wishing us off in person."

The redhead stopped breathing; in fact she was sure she did. Another head rush racked her body even though she was sitting safely on her medical bed, and would've knocked her out completely if her pride wasn't still holding onto some string of hope. No tears stung her eyes this time—having neither the energy nor the emotional stability for such an act—but her hands were clenched in raw fury.

Someone was going to die.

And horribly.

"Truly, I'm sorry. This is a great loss indeed."

* * *

The arrival at Gibraltar wasn't as glorious as originally anticipated. Well, maybe Eclipse didn't think "glorious" so much as "a time for a well-needed rest." The transport was ridiculous. Yzak and Dearka started bickering over the kind of cotton used in the ZAFT uniforms and seeing as the redhead was ordered for bed rest, the only thing she could do was lie there and listen. Given, it was a good distraction from the news about Commander Waltfeld—she figured that was why the guys kept fighting—but after a while it got old.

Thank goodness she fell asleep.

Too stubborn to be pushed out on the medical bed, Eclipse was forced to sit in a wheelchair instead. It wasn't the most comfortable of chairs, but it beat getting the piteous glances from the other military personnel as she lay prone on the bed. This way she'd be able to offer a glare in retaliation.

"We might come around and visit," Dearka mentioned offhandedly as he and Yzak walked at her sides. A male nurse pushed the redhead towards the infirmary, deciding to ignore the angry look his patient opted to give her comrades. He was betting the "might" had something to do with why she was so tense, but his common sense kicked in at the last second, forcing his mouth shut from any careless words.

Good choice.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Eclipse asked a little too harshly. Yzak just let the blonde handle it.

Another good choice.

"Sorry, but I have a feeling we're going to be pretty busy."

Watching Creuset walk out next, the redhead finally caught on. He may have looked like a laidback commander on the outside, but his record proved otherwise. Their stay was going to be hellish indeed. "Any news on when Athrun and Nicol are getting here?" she asked.

"They're coming?" Yzak grumbled, showing more anger than actual curiosity about the answer. He probably should've expected it, but even he was off his game lately.

"I'd assume so," Dearka finished for Eclipse, figuring out her line of thinking. "Since the 'Legged Ship' is here on earth, there's no reason for them to be in outer space."

The redhead debated telling them the "Legged Ship" was formally know as the _Archangel_, but in the end, she just chickened out. After all, what good would that kind of information do? The name "Legged Ship" was easier to spit out than _Archangel _anyway. "And we are a team," Eclipse added after a moment. Even though the Duel pilot was on the verge of boiling, he did nod at the last comment. It _was _true, no matter how much he didn't want to admit it.

"Well, as long as I'm able to unpack before that pretty boy comes and starts bossing me around I'll be fine," Yzak muttered.

"I'm assuming you're talking about Athrun," Dearka said, hiding a smile.

"Who else?"

"If you two unpack like you did at the _Lesseps _you'd have more pretty _girls _attempting to boss you around than pretty boys," the redhead joked, inwardly laughing about the conversation her and Aisha had had some days ago.

Shit; now came the guilt.

Noticing the sudden change on Eclipse's face, the two redcoats shared a knowing glance and instantly tried to shift topics, but—unbeknownst to them—failed miserably. It was cute, however, and that realization wasn't lost on the redhead, but she just needed some time to herself to think things over. Although, right then she smiled, enjoying their bickering far more than she did on the carrier. "Thanks, guys."

Neither redcoat responded, hearing the sincerity in her voice, but choosing not to pinpoint it. After all, in their own little minds this was a tad embarrassing for them, and Eclipse saying something so genuine was probably just as awkward. When in doubt, keep personal interests locked away and bring them out at a more convenient time.

Like when they weren't all on edge.

* * *

"So, this is it," Eclipse muttered, ordering the greencoat to stop the jeep in the mobile suit hangar, careful of her right leg and bandaged left hand as she swung out of the passenger's side. Staring at the crutch lying in the back seat, she debated bringing it out, but decided to be stubborn instead. After all, she had to start rehab sooner or later. "MW-979ca STEALTH. For such a mouthful, I thought it'd be grander."

"Well, you obviously don't know what this baby can do, then," the main mechanic announced, stepping over to meet the redhead at the foot of the machine. Offering a quick salute with his clipboard, he gave her a teasing smile.

"I don't, do I?" Eclipse muttered, ignoring his grin dripping with the words "sexual harassment"; she'll save that for another day. The redhead had convinced herself that morning she would mask her foul mood, but it was harder than she had anticipated. First, her right hand had cramped up—it hadn't done that in a long while—and then her leg and left hand decided to start whining too. It was a huge pity fest and not one Eclipse wanted to be involved in. Unfortunately, she didn't have a choice and when her head wanted to join in on the fun, the porcelain god was the only thing she could pray to. _Damn, with as many times as I offer sacrifice to that thing, I should just become a nun and get it over with._

"Would you like me to enlighten you?" the mechanic asked, noting the glazed over look in her eyes; however—despite his smile before—he didn't want to know what she was thinking about. He had learned a long time ago most pilots were just a little off their rocker.

"Everything would be in the manual, wouldn't it?"

"Did you really want to go up there in your current condition?"

"I take it you won't bring it down to me," Eclipse said, slightly frustrated—and amused at the same time—with his stoic look. For some reason, she thought only certain soldiers could perfect that expression. Kind of refreshing to know she was wrong. "Point taken."

"Alright, I'll let you take a moment to bask in its greatness before I go into specific details."

_Cocky little bastard, isn't he?_ the redhead mused, covering a smile with an upraised hand, but turned to the Stealth nonetheless. Considering the amount of time it took them to build the machine, it was quite impressive. The body looked like it was taken straight from a GINN, but only not as bulky and more angular in how the armor was shaped. A bottomless black color seemed to be the paint of choice, the only thing offsetting the overwhelming feeling of it all was the accent of silver around the biceps, cockpit area, upper thighs, and head. Ah, the head. Ironically, it was a humanoid-like face—common with all the other prototypes—but on top was a helmet and fin much like Commander Le Creuset's CGUE. It didn't look bad, but made the face look a tad smaller than, for example, the Aegis or Blitz. Well, Eclipse was willing to get used to it and since she was in such a judgmental mood at the time, perhaps she couldn't fully appreciate the design just yet. She was going to move onto evaluating the backside when the mechanic's sudden explanation became her chief priority.

"Judging by the look on your face, you're impressed. Good; you should be. This baby stands a tad over 22 meters—making it tall for a Mobile Suit—and weighs about 75 tons. We installed a new battery that just came off the assembly line. It's an improved version of the standard CGUE battery, and should last you between 5 to 20 hours, but if you put too much strain on it—being a tad trigger-happy for example—it'll die before you know it. Be smart; that's all I'll tell ya." Eclipse merely nodded, choosing not to answer just yet. Staring at the machine, she now held more admiration for it than she had a moment ago.

The good part was, it could only get better.

"Besides just the battery though, the Stealth comes with a HFC-EPR, or, since you're probably not fluent in the technical jargon, Hydrogen Fuel Cell—"

"—Emergency Power Rejuvenator," the redhead finished, noting his surprised look out of the corner of her eye. "Yes, I've done my time in the ugly world of mechanics so spare me the 'simpleton' talk."

_Rawr, _the man thought, beginning to hate this girl more and more. Too bad he didn't know that was the only thing Eclipse could remember. _How come the pretty ones always come with attitudes? _Seeing her glare shifting in his direction, the mechanic quickly cleared his throat and continued. "Well—uh—yes, but it's a one shot system and needs to be replaced at a high-tech facility, so don't forget that. However, it's _very_ useful—as you probably know—for recharging your battery one hundred percent mid-battle if need be. Remember though, once; I can't stress that enough. I'd hate for you to be shot down for just having a terrible memory."

The redhead nodded, thinking of the possibilities with such an interesting feature literally at her fingertips. She might be able to get her revenge after all.

"The armor might be something you'll be interested in, considering your tendency to do reckless things in battle—or so I've heard," the mechanic added a second later, feeling the blow of her scowl that time. Damn, why did he do this for a living again? "It's an improved form of the CGUE, but still nothing like the Phase Shift armor your teammates have. 'Bullshit' you might say, but, well, sorry we're good, but not _that _good just yet. On the plus side, it doesn't drain your battery—and you're a bit more resilient than the typical GINN—even if it won't make you immune to physical weaponry. The outer shell of the armor is plastered with a layer of anti-beam coating similar to the surface of the Duel's or even the Aile Strike's shield. While that may sound all fine and dandy, I'd advise you _not _to rely on it to save your ass. It should at least prevent a stray beam from blowing a hole through you, every now and again, but that's about it. Oh, and even that will deteriorate over time."

Eclipse sighed, not liking all the "buts" in this conversation. Yes, she knew ZAFT wasn't perfect, but she was still waiting for the announcement of an "invincible" mobile suit. Honestly, how hard could that be? Hm, perhaps that's why she made a better pilot than an engineer.

She was way too ambitious.

"Woah there little lass, before you force a grenade down my throat," the mechanic began, not liking how this redhead could shift emotions so suddenly. One minute she was doting on the unit and the next moment she wanted to put his head between its fingers and squeeze. Well, now he knew why he never got married. "I should tell you, the Stealth is really designed for more Special Operations than, say, being a scapegoat in a battle. Emphasis on the Special part, by the way. Your primary defensive weapon will be the stealth systems, both passive and active, including an improved Mirage Colloid cloak. It can last up to 180 minutes, and, hopefully, I won't have to tell you to use that wisely either. In other words, you have 3 hours of invisibility per battery, for a grand total of 6 without returning to base if you use the EPR."

"Sounds about right," the redhead said, absently fiddling with the bandage on her left hand. She wasn't bored, per se, more like over anxious and not the scared kind of anxious either; excitement was the better word. Impressive was another good term for the situation but that really only related to the Stealth. And he hadn't even gotten to her weaponry yet.

"There's one more tidbit I'd like to add, your cockpit has also been revamped and expanded a bit, so it should be more comfortable for stake outs and the like. There's also an expanded gear locker to put your—uh—personal equipment," the mechanic stuttered, clearing his throat and hiding a smile from the priceless look she cast him. She even looked embarrassed for a moment. "Anyway, the life support systems have been boosted as well. Oh—given your last reentry to earth—I'm sure you'll like this little feature we added in; there is an option to mount single use, disposable atmospheric re-entry stealth shields to the front of the machine. Alright, it may not sound that great, but it allows for undetected transit from orbit to surface, entirely unaided." Eclipse looked happy about that one, so he moved on, pointing up at the wings next. "Those wings are a new system type called 'HiMat'. They fold out to a wider configuration to provide enhanced maneuverability during combat, and also allow for unaided atmospheric flight. Or—if you don't feel like being some damned seagull—they can fold back for faster flight in space or ground bound movement. One problem, though; they're terribly delicate, so keep an eye out, deary."

"'_Deary_'?" the redhead wondered, rolling her eyes when he just gave an innocent smile in return. "You're babble's growing long, sir, so can we please stop with the pet names and get this over with. Forgive me if my headache's slowly turning to a migraine."

"I know you're sore over Commander Waltfeld's death and all, but—"

"That's way out of line. You stick with the technical stuff and I'll worry about my psychological welfare."

"Of course, ma'am; sorry about that."

Eclipse never turned away, in fact she was enjoying the scared look in the mechanic's eyes. Sadistic? Probably, but after all she had gone through in the past few days, the attitude shift was refreshing. "Now, what about the weaponry."

"Yes—well—there's a pair of 20mm gatling CIWS guns in the head for anti-missile and light anti-vehicle purposes. You might not be so happy about the positioning, but let me tell ya, it can come in handy when you're pinned against the wall. Basically, you'll be spitting them from the mouth, honey, but hey, I've always like a woman who was good with her mou—" he stopped himself then, instinctively jumping two feet away from the redhead. She didn't make any movements, but, damn, the thoughtful look on her face was scary enough. He could almost imagine his intestines wrapped around his neck too.

When was he ever going to learn?

"S-sorry, again, I wasn't thinking, ma'am. L-let's just move on, okay?" Still no verbal response—a blessing in disguise—and not a cue the mechanic was going to miss. Clearing his throat, he began once more. "E-each hip conceals a holster with a pair of EARP Daggers, which stands for Explosive ARmor Penetrators. Hm, just think of them like large grenades made into the shape of throwing knives. One, good hit will take out a GINN—or blow apart a G-Weapon's shield—but if you plan on taking out a carrier, more firepower is probably needed. Now, let's move onto your hand-to-hand stuff. I've heard you're pretty skilled in this area, so I'd like you to know we took that into account. This baby's beefed up for that sort of "in the face" action, let me tell ya. On the top of each forearm is a circular, armor buckler for extra defense. Based off the 'Gleipnir' offensive shield system of the Blitz, each buckler can be fired like a projectile, sprouting beam edges and trailing behind it a metapolymer cord. Just imagine the damage you can do with something like that and I'm sure some teammates might not mind being pulled out of a shitty situation, if you're into that kind of thing. Although, the chords might not stand for pulling too much weight, so watch it. I'd hate to see a good intention turn bad just because you got over anxious."

Eclipse could only agree with him. So far she had been able to avoid the "good Samaritan" scenario, but if all this firepower got to her head, she might think she actually was invincible.

Perhaps all these "buts" weren't bad things after all.

"Beneath the bucklers on both arms are two, foldout swords, each with a blade 4 meters long. Standard GINN physical blades—made out of steel—but they can deploy or retract at any given time and 'in the blink of an eye' if you'll permit me the cliché. They're best used for surprise attacks—which I'm assuming you picked up on—but are really good in 'save your ass' times too. Nothing like a reliable weapon to pull out at the last second before some Natural chops your cockpit in two. Anyway, there's another, 4 meter blade in the top of each foot too. Deploy it at the right time and you can officially make eunuchs out of every male mobile suit on Earth and in space. Appealing, no? So, knowing that, how's your soccer skills, little lady?"

The redhead just sighed and shook her head. She was going to ask how many "endearments" he was going to shower her with before the briefing was over, but restrained herself when he made the "eunuch" comment.

That, at least, had earned him some brownie points.

"Now, this I know you'll love, oh ambidextrous one. The Stealth also has 2 beam sabers—one in each forearm—that are spring-loaded to drop into your hands when you don't want a measly army knife to save your apple-bottom ass." That compliment may have gone a little overboard. He had no idea how lucky he should feel at the moment. "I'm sure you don't care to know the 'potpourri' information, but I'll tell ya anyway. Your right blade's a crimson color—apparently, it has a better output of energy for a fiercer attack—and your left is blue—better for defense. Not sure if the colors are just superstitious shit or actually make a difference, but it might help you out in the long run." The mechanic just shrugged, pausing a moment to make sure he didn't forget anything major. "Oh," he snapped his fingers, "there are two, high-energy beam rifles strapped to the rear of the machine—just above its ass or the curve of the lower back to give you a visual sense—for quick draws and while it may be a weak long-range attack, it may buy you enough time to gather your bearings. There's also a sniper rifle specially designed for this suit as well. However, the two guns I just mentioned have to be taken off in order to mount the thing on your back. Sorry, there's just not enough room on this baby."

Eclipse could only shake her head. The machine would've been far too perfect if it had had all of that juicy stuff.

Well, either that or off balanced.

"Now, this is the last bit I'll tell ya, but save the sigh of relief for when I leave. Trust me, I'll be issuing one of my own. This baby is too decked out for my tastes, but if you're able to destroy a few more Naturals than the average pilot, I say have fun. Okay, in your left palm is a one shot, 330mm Hyper-Impulse cannon, based off the 'Scylla' design from the Aegis. You only get one shot, mind you, but whatever you hit will be sunbathing in the fires of hell before you know it. A thing straight out of your nightmares, I'm assuming. Well, maybe not yours but there are a few out there who'd rather have their body put into a grave than be cremated."

"True, and you have a point; however, I'd rather be cremated any day," Eclipse admitted, this time turning to the mechanic thoughtfully instead of casting an icy glare. "After all, if you're all burned up, there's no chance you'd be buried alive, right?"

"Heh, terribly morbid, but—uh—true I guess. Shall I put that in your will?"

"Sir, if I die I'm sure you're not far behind. You'd probably rather be starting on your own than messing around with mine."

_Cocky bitch, _he thought, but smirked nonetheless. With as much fire power as this Stealth had, the prospect of her dying was a small one. So, in that off chance she did have bad luck, he _would _be running for the hills.

"I'll come back tomorrow and take it for a test run. Sound good?"

"Uh, sure. I'm assuming I should also have the base on high alert as well. Wouldn't want you to have too much fun, after all."

"Whatever you want." Eclipse smirked and limped back to the jeep, motioning for the greencoat to take her back to her living arrangements. The mechanic waved mockingly at her as they drove away, laughing all the louder when her middle finger waved back.

* * *

_**A/N: **_All right, all, here's another chapter. 30, can you believe it? Well, I can't because I _never _thought I'd get this far. Let's just hope I can make it all the way to the end, huh?

And so ends the life of our fair commander, or so we're told. Creuset's a sly snake in this episode and him telling the redcoats such a blatant lie was very unnerving. I found myself twitching at the keyboard as I was whipping that one up. Well, let's just say Eclipse isn't going to let this one go so easily, and Namarra might feel the blunt force of it... or not. We'll have to see!

Ah, here's the Stealth. Yup, I had every intention of wimping out and putting it at the beginning of the next chapter--trust me, I was having a writer's block for _days_ just because I didn't want to write all of that--but thanks to a bit of prodding on my friends' part, here it is for your enjoyment. A **_huge _**thank you goes out to _Maderfole_ for all the technical help. You guys have no idea how bad that part would've sucked--and if it does please let me know O.o--without his help. Remember my cell phone and a Neanderthal comment a few chapters back? Yeah.

Let's see, oh yeah! We should probably give Athrun and Nicol a big "Welcome Back!" party in the next chapter. Hm, perhaps we will. That would be an interesting one-shot... Nicol drunk? Dearka drunk? ...Yzak drunk? Let's lock away the armaments, shall we?

All right, last and certainly not least (Yes, I'm a fan of cliches... You'll find out why later on) a _**special **_thanks to my Betas _Death-Scimitar, CSSStravag, _and_ Maderfole_. You have no idea what you miss until you see a bunch of highlight marks on your paper... and then realize most were because of stupidity. This story makes so much more sense because of them.

* * *

_**Gripes and/or Questions:**_

_Asmus: _FMA wasn't really an inspiration, but it was in the back of my mind. :P Besides, it's so much fun and, since most of them are children anyway, it's only fair to let them have some fun in their life. Sadistic, yes, but still fun. The beam sabers weren't the problem, it was the BuCUE itself. Leave it to technology to ruin a perfectly good attack/kill.

Eclipse did go berserk. Perhaps I didn't specify that as well. My bad.

_Rickrolled: _I love bickering so Kira and her will go at it later. There was a slight time restriction on this battle, so I had to keep it short. Besides, Kira isn't very "godly" at the moment. He's just really... misguided.

* * *

Again, thank you for all the reads and reviews! Thanks too for the new ones and I hope you guys'll stick around. There's so much left to this tale--I'll tell ya that much--and none of it will come without a bit of drama, blood, and maybe even some romance. We'll have to see.

_Strata_


	31. Another Coffee Addict

Another Coffee Addict

It was another three days before Eclipse made it back to the hangar and her new mobile suit. She hadn't planned it that way, but sometimes life had a tendency to do things she didn't want it to. Say, killing two personal friends and putting a huge gash in her leg. The delay wasn't because of her lack of excitement—far from it, actually—but more like her rehab was taking up more time than anticipated.

Well, that and she really enjoyed taking long trips to the shooting range to put a few holes into some dummies.

She could thank that little menace called "Life" for that bit.

"Ah, glad to see you back on your feet. How's the leg?" the mechanic asked, giving her the full body checkout like two days prior. Apparently, he forgot what she looked like.

"Going smoothly, but they're not happy I'm trying to go so fast. Even by Coordinator standards I shouldn't be about without crutches."

"Sounds about right."

"I just have some stubborn genes, I guess."

"Well, that's actually comforting to hear. I'd hate to see your Stealth go down with a weakling in the cockpit." It sounded like he was mocking her, but his face was serious. No lip twitch, no fidgety hands, nothing. He really _did _take pride in that mobile suit.

"Don't worry, sir," the redhead smirked—going with the joking theory— and walked up to the man with her hands on her hips. Leaning forward, she arched her eyebrows. "You don't have to pilot it."

He just laughed and walked away, tossing her the clipboard he was holding. "You said you did this technical stuff before so just do whatever you want. It's yours, after all."

Eclipse was glad her little comment worked. Not that she didn't like the man—honestly, she found him terribly amusing—but she wanted to explore without "mother's" watchful eye. It was hard enough with every other pilot looking enviously at her and half of them didn't even know what a blow torch was. _Such is life, _the redhead thought and walked—well, still limped—over to the lift.

"Look at that tail wag!" she heard from across the hangar, deciding the mechanic didn't go too far away after all. Either that or he felt the need to get the last word in. The loud whistle brought some more unwanted attention but Eclipse turned and flashed a mocking smile. She probably could've said something, but she was in deep water as it was. Playing along would've only boosted his ego and the redhead wanted to deflate it, not appease it.

"Oh yeah, I wouldn't mind taking a hold of _that_ one of these days," another chimed in, making Eclipse flush with anger. She was really starting to hate mechanics. Pulling a lever on lift, she ascended towards the Stealth's cockpit, muttering a few choice words.

"Ah, playing hard to get are you?"

"Y'know, that cockpit _is _big enough for two people."

_You are so dead, _the redhead thought, trying to drown out the insidious laughter as she climbed into the cockpit.

"Now _there's _a view!" she heard one last man yell, knowing what he was talking about, but trying really hard to just ignore it—since she had been doing such a good job of that so far. After all, the easiest way into the machine was head first. No matter how much her valuable assets pleased her onlookers on the main floor, she wasn't about to jeopardize a pain free entry. Listening to one last whistle echo outside, she heaved a sigh of relief and leaned back in the seat. _I must be losing my touch; no one's terrified of me at first glance. A pity really._ Shrugging, she pulled the screen down across the front of her seat, unfolding the keyboard in the same motion. Setting the clipboard off to the side, she was about to start tinkering with the OS when a manila folder fell down and hit her on the head. Eyes tearing up for a moment—the corner of those things really hurt—she rubbed the spot and grumbled a little before reaching inside. She pulled out six papers. Four looked to be a thorough explanation of the Stealth and all the gadgets, including the CA system Eclipse had been looking forward to ever since Waltfeld joked about it at Banadiya. Choosing not to dive into those just yet, she glanced at the other two papers, withholding a gasp when she realized what they were. "A letter," she breathed, frantically searching for the writer's name at the end. "L-Lathan?" she stammered, glancing down at his messy—but still familiar—signature under the word "love". The redhead just stared, holding onto the paper as if it was going to read itself to her.

Shock could do that to a person.

_How long has it been? _she wondered. _Months? Years? _ Shuffling the papers around, she managed to find the first page and began reading. However, she had to stop about halfway through the first paragraph, noting a different form of penmanship—and color of ink—in the margins and around some of the original words. Checking into that for a little longer, she held in a laugh, seeing a little note up in the right-hand corner. "Orange pen = Heine," it read.

_Hey, sis! I bet you didn't see this one coming and the fact that you're sitting there in utter shock does, in fact, float my boat. _**(And mine too, by the way. Ah, beloved, it's so nice to see you again!)**_ You have no idea how long it took me to find you_ **(He didn't try that hard…)** _and when I figured out you were in some special training program I about shit in my pants. _**(Only because you can kick his ass now.)**_ How the hell did you get into that mess? Y'know what? Never mind. I'd hate to add insult to injury so I'll let you keep your nightmares to yourself. I _will _make you tell me about it sometime, though. I like to be a shoulder to cry on, and all that jazz. _**(Me too!)**

_Anyway, I bet you're wondering what I've been up to? _**(You probably don't but just appease his better nature, okay? He's pretty sensitive.) **_Well, I just got into this mechanic thing about four months ago, and, as luck would have it, I was chosen to be one of the few working on this mobile suit. Given, I had a few connections to help me get this far, _**(And I would be one of them.) **_but if this'll keep you out of trouble, my job here is done. Inside the packet is information about the CA system I personally designed. _**(Yeah, yeah. Trust me, Lexi, he's had a huge ego about this for a while now. How the hell did you live with him for 14 years?) **_It'll probably be handier than you want to believe, so be sure to use it. I know you better than you think I do, so don't you dare just ignore the thing and lie to me later on. Oh, and this might make you laugh; _**(Huh? Lexi laughs?) **_I got the idea from the famous Lacus Clyne's pet robot thing. It's not the same pink puff ball, so be of good cheer, _**(Who honestly talks like that anymore? Lathan's cliché addiction is ridiculous…) **_but it sparked the design. And here's one last thing about the CA system; I only have one more ear bud, so don't you dare_ _lose or break that one, hear me? Also, since I have it on me at all times, you won't be able to get it until we see each other face-to-face. In other words, don't be stupid. _**(Lexi stupid? Nah, really? Hah, you can't shoot me so I can say this and not be afraid I'll be singing a few octaves higher.)**

**(This paragraph seems a little too serious to make any smartass remarks.) **_Okay, you're probably not going to like this bit of news, but I got a letter from mom the other day. Now, that isn't the bad part—although, I'd rather not hear from her at the moment either—but, apparently, Cagalli's missing. I'm surprised mom had enough guts to put something like that in a letter, but I wanted to relay it over to you. I have a feeling you and Cags've gotten out of touch recently—call it a hunch—but I know you're still close. You can't grow up with someone and just drop them cold turkey like they didn't matter. I'm not totally sure what you can do with this information, but maybe you'll hear something on the grapevine. If you do, let me know and I'll tell mom and dad. Lord Uzumi's trying to keep it on the lowdown, but I'm sure he's sending out some people to find her as we speak—well, write. Apparently, Colonel Kisaka is missing as well and I'm thinking he followed her. Again, I'm sorry if this causes more worry than anything, but everyone has a right to know what family's up to. Hint, hint, why the hell didn't you write me? Anyway, we'll argue about that later._

_Back to the mom and dad thing, they've been asking about you. I've been discreetly avoiding the subject, but they're getting nervous. Just wait until they find out you're an elite in the ZAFT military, eh? That'll teach their pacifistic egos to keep their heads up their asses. Oops, sorry, that was a little harsher than intended, but we'll keep that between you, me, and the lamppost, okay? _**(I won't comment on the cliché again, but do you guys really not like your parents? Lathan refuses to talk about them and I never bothered to ask you. I'm sure you guys have had a falling out, but they're still alive, Lexi. That counts for a lot nowadays. And, obviously, pacifism isn't a bad thing. Okay, none of my business, right? Sorry, I guess we can talk about this later.) **_I kind of feel bad lying about you, but it's for the best, after all. You were way too sheltered in that place and causing more harm than good, if I do say so myself. How is_ _that anger thing going anyway? Doesn't get you in trouble, does it? Well, if it does, you probably deserved it. You've always been a troublemaker, sis._

_Let's see, I'm off in space now. Became close friends with another pilot _**(That's me!) **_and have been asked to be his personal mechanic. I didn't even think that happened around here, but since I'm not that high up on the food chain anyway, I guess it doesn't matter. His name is Heine Westenfluss and, apparently, you two have a history? Need I ask? _**(He's the one who took it like we had a relationship, so don't hurt me!) **_At any rate, the guy's hilarious. _**(Aw…) **_I'm not sure how long we'll be in space, but I'll try and contact you before long. Because, hey, if I can create such a cool system as the CA one there's no reason I can't hack into it, right? Here's a question, though, will you contact me before I get another chance? That'd be great, just so I know you got this and actually appreciate_ _all the hard work I put into the Stealth. It was made for you, Lexi, so don't get killed. You've changed a lot since we said goodbye at the terminal. A good change? I couldn't tell ya, but from what I've heard from Heine, I'm worried. Yeah, probably not something you want to hear me say, but be careful, okay? _

_Love,_

_Lathan Rymyr_

**(You guys seem really close, that's nice to know. I'll make sure he stays out of trouble, so don't you worry about that. Besides, you're going to be in bigger danger than I am anyway, assuming you're still chasing after SIN-ED. Haven't heard much from them lately, but they—I assume it was them—did break into an EA technical facility not too long ago. They denied the whole thing to stay on the EA's good side—and somehow they bought it—but I'm not sure why they did it. You might know a bit more, but I thought I'd let ya know. **

**Use the suit wisely and even if it's overly armed—you can thank two, concerned guys for that much firepower—don't get reckless. We want a return letter, for sure, but not that you died in the battlefield. Understand? Good. Also, with love from Heine Westenfluss.)**

Eclipse smiled—how couldn't she?—and set the letter down on top of the clipboard, taking an extra second to make sure it wouldn't slide off before looking at the other pieces of paper in the folder. Skimming through the first few pages—the mechanic had already explained that stuff a couple of days ago—she stopped at the one talking about the CA, or Communication Alteration, System. "It talks to you," was the first line, both not surprising the redhead in its lack of technical jargon, and getting her frustrated at the same time.

How typical.

"There's an ear bud located in a small compartment just below the screens for your main camera," it went on to explain. Eclipse looked up and saw and amusing orange dot on the indicated spot, causing another smile to grace her lips. "From now on, it should be in your ear—which one is your personal choice. It'll send out electronic signals directly to your eardrum, establishing a link to the main computer in the Stealth. Might be a bit painful at first, but, eventually, it'll go away and you'll be closer to your machine than you ever thought possible. When I mean a direct link, I'm not kidding. Say any order—you'll be verifying the 'command initiating sequence' here in a bit—and the Stealth will comply no matter how far away it is. Oh, and don't worry, your hearing won't be affected and it'll turn off automatically if it comes in contact with moisture. Wouldn't want you to get electrocuted, now, would we?

"Well, back to what it can do. It's kind of a work in process, so, yes, you are basically the guinea pig. The whole suit is voice activated. I know most of the things you'll be doing—movements, firing, etc.—require physical handling, but I'm hoping there'll be _something_ you can use this for; especially since you're doing special Ops stuff and might not always be near the suit. Say, you're on one side of a PLANT and the Stealth is on the other. Well, just call it to set up a rendezvous point and 'voila' you have a ride and backup fire if need be. Basically, just tinker around with it and you might find some interesting uses. After the battle it'll be the most interesting. There's a program set up to compiles statistics and other data. Well, there's supposed to be. Never finished it so, the next time I see you I'll be sure to work on it, okay? Call it incentive. Oh, and be sure to call me a genius later, since, well, I am."

Eclipse blinked, but ended up smiling a few seconds later. Not only did the system prove he was, in fact, the genius he claimed to be, but his ego was still through the roof—if she'd allow herself to steal one of his clichés. Yes, it was a work in progress, but it could probably come in handy. The instant backup was very alluring; especially if she just happened to get pissed at Namarra. Which—she thought for a moment—she actually was. Anyway, her brother tried so hard to create it for her, so she should be proud of it, no?

"Alright, punch in this sequence here," she muttered to herself, going through the step-by-step process Lathan drew up. "And press this button—"

"Initiating voice verification and ear bud sync," the Stealth responded, making the redhead literally jump in her seat. After the first line of Lathan's note being, "It talks to you," Eclipse should've anticipated it, but perhaps the real reason she was so startled was because of the voice. It wasn't just a low, male baritone or a mid-range alto for a female, but a mixture of the two, creating an interesting combination that was both easy on the ears and unique at the same time. _Leave it to bro to be indecisive, _she thought with a small sigh and reached up to open the compartment with the ear piece.

Feeling around inside the dark hole, her fingers passed over a small lump. She wrapped her hand around it and pulled it out, surprised by the size. It was no bigger than the nail on her pinky toe and cone shaped, making it ideal to stick in her ear, but the tip looked so sharp the redhead couldn't help but cringe. Maybe she just didn't want to put the thing next to her delicate eardrum. On the flat end opposite that nightmare point was one, small button, protruding the surface just enough so Eclipse could reach into her ear and push it down. What it was used for, however, was still unknown. _And leave it to Lathan to leave out information too, _she grumbled again.

"Ear bud sync incomplete. Cannot continue unless the sync is verified," her suit said, the monotone inflection a tad more annoying than she originally thought. Either that or what the Stealth was saying was bothersome.

"Yeah, yeah," the redhead mumbled and took a deep breath, closing her eyes as she slipped the bud into her right ear. At first, she didn't know how far she was supposed to push it in, but the little thing took care of that for her. Zapping her finger away, Eclipse felt tiny, tentacle-like wires latch onto the sides of—or what she figured to be—her eardrum. A panicked yelp escaped her lips from that sharp pain alone and as soon as the bud started firing what Lathan had called "electrical signals", she nearly doubled over. "Damnit!" she screeched, grabbing the sides of her head in a futile attempt to soothe her tortured ear.

"Syncing in progress," her machine stated, but the redhead barely even registered it, too worried about the permanent damage her brother's "work in progress" was committing.

Cursing again, she couldn't help but wonder if he had even bothered to try the thing out himself. _Damn you to hell, Lathan!_

She heard a loud click after the outburst, jerking her head slightly to the right and causing a little more dizziness than was appreciated. Offering up a small prayer, she hoped the first thing she did in her new mobile suit wasn't going to be vomiting. Not only had she been doing way too much of that lately, but the Stealth still had the "new" smell and Eclipse would've liked to keep it that way. "Syncing in progress," the Stealth said again, however, this time the frequency was transmitting directly inside her head, feeling—and sounding—like the screeching of too loudly played music on poorly made speakers. Given, the words were hard to make out, but still there nonetheless. "Syncing is complete," it confirmed a moment later, each syllable becoming more and more bearable than her other experience, but even if the redhead could hear the words, she couldn't make out any other noises. "Syncing is complete," the Stealth repeated, sounding as clear as if she was listening to it in her cockpit.

Blinking away tears, she opened one eye and then the other, cursing the small amount of light passing through the doorway in front of her. She half expected a mechanic to be standing there waving his arms in a desperate attempt to get her attention—seeing as she was probably screaming through that whole ordeal—but, alas, no one seemed to care whether or not she had to live with four senses instead of five.

"Syncing is—"

"Yes, I get the idea!" she shouted, pounding the armchair with the effort. _But wait, _she stopped, staring at her hand and smiling when the realization hit. _I could hear that! And out of both ears!_

"Voice verified, initiating command code sequence. When ready, punch VCOMM onto the screen and state sequence."

"Huh?" Eclipse muttered, blinking a few times before she finally understood what had happened. She couldn't help but laugh then, both giddy from her returning fifth sense as well as knowing Lathan would be cracking up if he knew that was how the whole thing went down.

After all, she always made the best first impressions.

_Okay, now what to do for a command phrase, _the redhead thought, leaning back in her seat and staring at the blue screen. _Stealth is too obvious and CA is too boring. Calling it "Lathan" would be going overboard and I hate boosting his ego, so—ah-ha! That's it! _Typing in the letters indicated earlier, she waited for the Stealth to say the simple word, "Begin", before stating the command sequence. "Coffee Addict."

"Acknowledged."

Eclipse couldn't help but smile sadly, choking back a few sudden tears. Commander Waltfeld would be damned proud of her.

* * *

"So, this is where you've been hiding," Nicol shouted, looking up at Eclipse sitting on the lift near the Stealth's cockpit. Legs crossed in Indian style, she looked almost comfortable—and the thoughtful expression on her face made the boy wonder what she was up to—but she looked different; more relaxed and even happy. Then again, he'd be excited if he got a new mobile suit too. "And here I thought you'd be doing something productive like keeping Yzak from throttling Athrun."

"You call that productive?" the redhead asked, twisting around at the sudden interruption to her work. At first, she didn't recognize her teammate's voice, but as soon as she turned, she couldn't help but smile. It had been a while. "I think Dearka can handle that one on his own, don't 'cha think?"

Nicol just shrugged, taking a step back as to not strain his neck so much. "Sure, he can hold his own, but I think he likes watching those two fight. Must get some sadistic pleasure out of it or something."

"Sounds about right," Eclipse replied, setting the laptop down onto the seat inside the cockpit. Careful of the wires—tripping would hurt a bit—she stepped onto the lift and lowered it to meet the Blitz pilot on the hangar floor. "I bet you missed those two, huh?"

"Is that a rhetorical question, or did you really want me to answer?" Nicol laughed, meeting her halfway. "I had a lot of R and R up there in the PLANTs; it's a pity I had to come back to chaos."

"Sorry." The redhead shrugged. "I tried my hardest, but, in the end, they're still dickheads." The boy blinked at the statement, not responding right away and even managing to work up a hearty laugh. "What?" Eclipse asked, not really sure what was so funny. In fact, she got frustrated when he couldn't even reply right away, still laughing over some ridiculous notion she had no idea about. "What is it?"

"You," he finally managed, wiping a small tear from the corner of his eye. "I _never _thought I'd hear you be so—okay, 'blunt' probably isn't the best word, but I'm drawing a blank."

"Huh? I've always been blunt."

Nicol started laughing again, genuine happiness on his face when he saw the confused look in the redhead's eyes. Not only confused, however, but actually slightly scared as to what was so funny.

She cared.

"Yes—trust me—I _know _you have, but you've never been so—uh—"

"So what?"

"No, never mind," he finished, not willing to say the word "cute" to her face. Not only would he be awarded with some kind of punch on the shoulder—or cheek if it really got her angry—but the glare alone would turn his body to ice. "Actually, I'm sure Dearka, Yzak, and Athrun can all take care of themselves. I was kind of wondering how you were doing. I heard about Commander Waltfeld," he began, noticing Eclipse's body tense at the name. "I do hope penning yourself up in here and fidgeting with your new mobile suit isn't a way to try and ignore the pain."

"You think I'm just in here to make myself stop thinking about it?"

"Yes."

The redhead visibly cringed, turning her head down and to the side after the comment. _And you said I was blunt? _she thought, taking a deep breath before turning to face him again. Catching his almond-colored eyes with her own, her breath stopped in her throat. Some tears gathered—despite her best intentions—with that one look and threatened to crawl down her cheeks, but she held fast, biting her bottom lip in the process. His eyes were sincere, honestly caring about whether she was running away from her grief or turning to face it. Genuine concern was etched there and, for that brief moment, Eclipse almost fell for it; almost went sprinting down an emotional avenue she hadn't dared set a foot on in ages. _Damnit, _she cursed, looking away before any more damage could be done.

"You're not okay, are you?"

"I'm fine, so just stop asking."

"Well, that basically said, 'no, I'm lying through my teeth.'"

"Who cares what it _sounded _like, all that matters is what I _said_," Eclipse spat, only realizing how immature that must have sounded a few minutes later. Biting her lip again, she looked away and to the side. "So, when did you and Athrun get here, anyway?" It was a cowardly move on her part by changing the subject, but she wasn't ready to talk about it.

Not yet; maybe not ever.

Right?

Nicol sighed, but didn't answer the question. Instead, he shook his head and turned to go. "Maybe you haven't changed after all," he muttered, leaving the redhead behind to digest what he had said and—in the end—hating herself for being so conservative.

_Damnit, _she cursed again and watched the boy walk off. It was a solemn stroll, to be sure, but, for some reason, Eclipse's legs refused to chase after him. Maybe Nicol was right.

She hadn't changed.

A sudden beeping sound rang in her ear, scaring her as well as indicating the Stealth's upgrades were finished and moving towards the final stages. The redhead sighed, debating whether or not to return to the cockpit and finish up her adjustments. There weren't many left and she really needed to get them done. But at the expense of Nicol's kindheartedness? After all, hadn't he been one of the few to face her true nature and then not run away?

Could she just let him walk out that door?

Her ear bud beeped again—and even three more times in a row just to make a point—but she just drowned it out and replied. "Coffee Addict, cancel sequence. I'll be back later to reinitiate, but for now be on standby."

"Stealth acknowledges. Switching to standby," her suit replied, cutting the connection and allowing the redhead to issue a small sigh of relief. No matter what Lathan had written in his note, this machine obeying her every command was still iffy by her standards. Not to mention talking to herself looked a tad insane on her part as well.

Pushing aside her inner turmoil, Eclipse gave a small smile and ran out the hangar door. "Nicol—" she started but stopped short, nearly running over another redcoat. "A-Athrun?" the redhead stammered, backing away a few steps as he did the same.

"Nice to see you too," the boy said, clearing his throat in a desperate attempt to push away the awkwardness between them. Her staring at him wide-eyed didn't help matters. "If you're looking for Nicol he just took my jeep back to our quarters. He looked kind of upset. Did you two have a fight?"

To a random onlooker the statement may have been funny, edging on the term hilarious because of its connotations. While that may not have been Athrun's intent, it sounded like Eclipse and Nicol had just had a lover's spat and the man was going to shake it off by kicking back with a few beers and the latest football game.

Now _that _was an interesting image.

"Just a disagreement, and nothing to be terribly concerned about," she replied, trying to sound casual, but not being able to look him in the eye didn't help matters. "So, what are you doing around here?"

"Huh—uh—just coming to see—uh—your… new mobile suit, of course," he quickly added to the end, the upper inflection in his voice didn't help the cover-up. Obviously, that wasn't the reason, but the redhead wasn't about to waste energy blackmailing him, since, after all, he kind of had something on her. He caught her chasing after a wounded Nicol.

"Sounds like everyone's been wanting to see it. There's nothing special about the thing. It has a head, body, appendages, a few shiny weapons, and a comfortable enough cockpit. See, boring."

"Have an attitude much?"

"What was that?" Eclipse countered, clenching her fists at her side as she took a step forward. What was it with everyone pissing her off today? These guys weren't on base two hours and already they were a bit too snippy. Apparently, her PMS notion before made sense.

Mood swings were possible for men too.

"What _is _it with people thinking I have an attitude problem? I make one comment and suddenly they fly off the hook like I just said I planned on turning their testicles inside out! I can't be little on edge because I just let people I admired get blown up in a battle? And, when someone—Nicol by name—asks me about it, he gets pissed when I panic and decide to change the subject. I'm still the damned redhead you left in space, so don't expect tears and rants because I am _not _that kind of girl. Give me a gun, I'll shoot it—and preferably through someone's forehead—when I'm angry and I'll be just fine. So, take your sorry attempt at consoling and get the hell out of my way," the girl snapped, arms flying in rage as well as the constant pounding of her foot on the cement. If only she could figure out she _did _look like that ranting girl; the one with fresh tears in her eyes and a flushed face from misplaced anger.

Athrun noticed it, but was nowhere near emotionally ready for it. What the hell could he say? _I'm sorry? Yeah, that's rich, _he thought, backing up when she took another step forward. _Damn, she's just as scary when she's sad as when she's angry. Then again, she's probably just angry at herself and is using that as a mask to cover up the rest of her emotional rollercoaster. _

"Would you _stop _looking at me like that? I don't need your damn sympathy!"

"Well, maybe once in a while you do, stubborn fool! Even if you may have lightened up a little bit, your 'tough girl' act is still getting old, Eclipse, so grow up and stop running!" the boy spat, his voice rising with every word. By the end he was practically shouting, losing his calm demeanor—and causing quite a scene—in the matter of seconds. Almost uncharacteristic for the levelheaded Aegis pilot, but a part of him didn't care.

It felt good to say that.

"I-I'm not running, you bastard! How dare you even suggest I'd be so cowardly? I embraced it a _long _time ago! They're dead and it's my fault. There, you happy? I know that; I live it every day, every hour, every minute," her voice trailed off, the word "minute" ending up nothing more than a whisper. But she wouldn't give in; she couldn't. "I don't need your damned, male ego telling me I'm some emotional female and should just fall into your arms and cry. Pathetic; I'd never be as weak as that!"

Athrun's fists suddenly unclenched as his expression softened. A small sigh escaped his lips as he brought up a finger to touch her cheek. The movement was so unexpected the redhead didn't even have time to react, but then again, a part of her didn't want to. Pulling his hand back, he looked sadly at the tear on his fingertip. "But, Eclipse, you're already crying and you're the strongest person I know. If this is true weakness," he began, smiling warmly, "than humanity's in worse shape than I thought."

That did it.

She wanted to say the words, "I'm not human, remember?" but they got stuck in her throat, choking her into a coughing spell and—probably the _real _reason she was having trouble breathing—causing the tears to noticeably fall down her face. _Pathetic, _she kept reminding herself, but the accusation was floating further and further back into her mind.

Maybe Athrun was right.

"H-hey!" the boy stammered, seeing her collapse to her knees in—what he didn't realize at first—grief. Arms clasped tightly around her stomach, Eclipse tried to stop the coughing, and ultimately her tears, but could only hide it as far as what sounded like hyperventilating. She'd cough and catch her breath, but the inhales were choppy and strained, nothing like what Athrun had expected. He panicked. "H-hey, are you all right?" Crouching down, he reached out to grasp her shoulders, shaking her—almost violently—to quit the spell. However, his brilliant idea didn't work and even if mere seconds passed, his frantic mind turned it into minutes. "Help," he breathed, the facts of her past hospitalization racing through his memory. _Coma; she had been in a coma. Shit! _ _Life support, restraints—damnit!_ The decision came quickly—most people would call it instinct—and he just picked her up in his arms without another thought, about to reenter the hangar and get help. But something held him back, his hand stalling just above the door handle.

Sobs.

He could hear them now, and felt so foolish for misinterpreting it before. So evident, they racked her body into such emotional distress she must have been avoiding for months. Everything she had lost, the frequent questions she asked, all the fears she kept hidden, it came out now and—despite her strongest attempts—there was no stopping it.

So, she finally gave in.

Wrapping her arms around his neck, the redhead nearly pulled Athrun off balance, but one, quick step forward kept them both upright. _That was a close one, _was the first thing he thought of, making him blush for his lack of sensitivity. Eclipse's dilemma drew him away after his quick moment of awkwardness, reminding him there were more important things to worry about.

More important people.

Crouching back down, he straddled her in his lap, smiling sadly as she clung to him like a child would her mother, knees tucking up to her chest in a desperate attempt to feel like everything was going to be okay. As if her becoming a child for a mere second would make all the pain go away.

A hope she never wanted stolen.

Athrun just held her tight, having no desire to let her go and even more than that, he wanted her to stop crying; make everything disappear. After all, she _was_ strong and he wanted her to feel that way again.

* * *

Eclipse felt awkward; there was really no other way to put it. It hadn't taken her a long time to calm down, in fact, about fifteen minutes after her outburst she was standing up and looking down at a confused Athrun. All it had taken was two quick wipes on her stained cheeks and one ferocious blush to send her running back to the Stealth's cockpit. _What the hell was that? _she panicked, frantically pushing some buttons on the lift to make it ascend. _Why did that happen? I was perfectly fine and then—damn—he must have a "Prince Charming" complex or something. And he has a fiancé! _she thought, literally clawing at her laptop and wires to get them of the cockpit seat. _The last time that happened was—wow—FS and Stray on the night I killed MR._ The redhead hesitated before she sat down, wondering why her emotion had chosen to get the best of her at that moment. Hadn't Nicol tried not twenty minutes earlier? Hadn't the last time Eclipse and the Aegis pilot saw each other she had been the scariest being this side of hell? _Why would he—_she chose not to finish the thought, burying herself in the Stealth instead.

She had had enough of "emotions" for that day.

"Hey, Lunar Eclipse!" a mechanic yelled from the hanger floor. The redhead stuck her head out of the cockpit to acknowledge him. "The Le Creuset Team's wanted in Briefing Room Number 2 on the south end of the complex for a team meeting."

"Thanks!" she called back, waving an arm. _Great, just what we need; family counseling._ Stopping her newest adjustments, she climbed out of the cockpit and down to the hangar floor before heading to the gathering.

It was going to be interesting.

Taking about five minutes on foot, Eclipse was the third one to the room. Looking much like a classroom—two columns of tables and chairs with a holographic picture of earth on the white board—the place gave the redhead the feeling she really didn't want to be there. She never liked school after all. Dearka sat comfortably at the first table on the right, leaning back into his chair with his arms crossed over his chest. Either he was bored or angry, but then again he could just be tired seeing as he was supposed to be keeping Yzak from killing Athrun.

"Please, sir, listen, I can get him; I know it!" Speaking of Yzak, the boy was standing in front of Commander Le Creuset, with an urgent—even angry—look on his face. While they hadn't been arguing when Eclipse walked in, there was definitely some tension in the room. She felt foolish for not noticing it before. Jumping up onto the table next to Dearka's, the redhead watched the scene unfold, resting her hands on the end of the table and kicking her feet back and forth idly.

"Yzak, calm down," Creuset ordered, resting his hand lightly on the desk in front of him. "You're acting far too emotional." Eclipse would've laughed at how true the statement was if someone else was willing to make the first move. Not only would the commander be angry, but Yzak would have a perfectly good reason to throw her out of the second story window. However, the Duel pilot's face was priceless.

A mixture between shock and depression, the only words he could say were an echo of Creuset's. "Too emotional?"

Poor boy; he had no idea.

"Eh, excuse me," Athrun muttered from the other side of the door. There was evident hesitation in his voice and judging by how loud Yzak was yelling a moment before, his uncertainty was well-placed. Watching the door slide open, Eclipse had to turn away when they locked eyes, blushing even more when she realized Nicol was right there with him.

_It's a Le Creuset Team meeting, you idiot! Of course they'd both be here, _she reminded herself before forcing her to look to the front again. There were more important things to worry about than hormones and an embarrassing moment.

"Ah Athrun, Nicol, good. We're all here, it seems," the commander began, offering them seats, but everyone decided to stay where they were; the two late comers in the doorway, Yzak standing in front of Creuset and the remaining two sitting comfortably at a desk.

They looked like such a close team.

"The Earth Forces 'Legged Ship' must be stopped from getting to Alaska with the data it's acquired," the commander began. "However, I'm afraid this mission has already been assigned to the Carpentaria base."

"But, commander, that's _our _job!" Yzak interrupted, his "emotional" side peeking through once more. "This is unfinished business for us!"

"I feel the same way, commander," Dearka announced as he pushed himself to his feet. The chair screeched behind him, grinding on the tiled floor in one sickening movement.

"Dearka?" Nicol blinked, the outburst having more effect on him than it did the others. Or maybe his sensitive ears didn't like the blonde's sudden movements.

"Yeah, well, I've also been humiliate by those guys," Dearka responded. He met Nicol's eyes for a split second before reverting downward.

The look wasn't lost on Eclipse, in fact she had her own share of pent up anger. Humiliated by the _Archangel_? Try disgraced and then throw guilt into the mix. _We all want to see it go down,_ she thought, taking a second to glance at Nicol and Athrun. She tried to read what they were thinking, but failed miserably and turned away.

Not being able to look them in the eye was getting bothersome.

"Needless to say, I feel the same," Creuset continued once everyone had quieted. "I have to prepare for 'Operation Spit Break', so I must remain here. But if you feel that strongly about it, why don't you try yourselves?"

That got their attention.

"Yessir!" Yzak replied immediately, straightened his slumped shoulders with a small grin on his lips. Even Dearka looked pleased.

"Then we'll form a team consisting of Dearka, Yzak, Lunar Eclipse, Athrun, and Nicol. And your commander will be—let me see." He paused, scanning each individual briefly. When his eyes passed over Eclipse, she just looked away. She doubted he had considered her, but she didn't want to give him the impression she wanted the position either. No, she was better at taking orders. "Athrun, I'm putting you in charge." No one said anything right away, but their faces said it all. Athrun was shocked, Nicol seemed vaguely pleased, Dearka was indifferent, and Yzak was pissed. His face contorting into something shy of the devil, he glared at the Aegis pilot, but the "pretty boy" didn't seem to noticed.

Lucky him.

"I'll have you assigned to a submarine carrier in Carpentaria," Creuset continued as if the decision was elementary. Perhaps it was. "You should be prepared to leave immediately."

"M-me, commander?" Athrun stuttered, over whelmed by it all. Since when did he have the ability to hold such a position?

Creuset smiled and walked over to the youth, setting a comforting, but firm hand on his shoulder. "That ship has been a real thorn in our side, it will not be easy, Athrun." After that, he opened the door, leaving the newly formed team to boil over its assignment.

And boil they would.

"So, now we're the Zala Team? Hah, this should be good," Dearka mocked, slumping back down into his chair and throwing his arms up in surrender. Yzak decided to say nothing—or he couldn't talk—and kept up his award-winning scowl. The phrase, "Your face will end up staying that way," came to Eclipse's mind, but she too kept quiet. After all, she didn't want to make the situation even worse and the look on Athrun's face reminded her he'd be the one getting the first blow. But what _was _he thinking about?

The redhead watched him a bit longer, her awkwardness going straight to curiosity. Something was eating him up inside and she figured it had something to do with the boy named Kira. _I wonder if he's opened up to Nicol about it, _the redhead thought, waiting for the others to leave the room before she finally exited. _Maybe that pianist and I will have a heart-to-heart chat after all, but I think there's something I should take care of first. It's about time Namarra got a message from "Bob"._

* * *

"It took you this long to contact me?" Namarra asked, sitting on the wrought iron park bench, legs crossed, and her head propped upright by her hand on the armrest. It was later in the evening—who knew someone could answer an e-mail so fast?—and the girls decided to meet up in a secluded park just outside the big city near Gibraltar. Maybe not the most ideal place to hold a conversation of their caliber, but, for now, it was good enough. However, the Natural's stance was upsetting to the redhead.

For as pissed as Eclipse was, Namarra looked way too comfortable.

"You're pretty hard to reach," the redhead replied through clenched teeth. She stood across from the Natural, trying to pull off a cocky stance of her own, but only managing hands on her hips and a lean to her left side. "What have you heard of SIN-ED?"

"Can't do the research yourself? Getting lazy are we?"

"Don't push it," Eclipse threatened. "I've had way too much going on for me to worry about them at the moment. The only thing I _do _know is they raided an EA facility a few days ago."

"Try six days ago and they have knocked up two other facilities since then."

"Do you know what they're after?"

Namarra sighed, scratching the back of her head as if in thought. "Mostly data and some raw materials; nothing powerful enough to scare the natives. If I wasn't so sure it was SIN-ED I'd just ignore the situation altogether."

"What do you think they're up to?"

"Actually, I was hoping you'd be able to answer that question. I don't know how their minds work like you do, but if we don't have any other option, looks like we're just gonna have to ask them personally."

"Some great assassins we are. We don't even know what our prey's up to let alone where they are right now."

"Not knowing what they're up to is half the fun, but if we really wanted to, we could figure out where they're hiding out."

Eclipse just smirked, matching the Natural's look to almost mirror image. She had a point. After all, most people in their position would just massacre and write up a questionnaire afterwards, never realizing their prisoner was—well—dead. At least these two Berserkers were going to kill them _while _asking questions.

"Oh," Namarra began a moment later, kicking her right leg up over her left and setting it on the ground, "I've been meaning to talk to you about your last battle." The redhead didn't respond, waiting to see how far the Natural was willing to take the conversation. After all, Eclipse had been itching for an "anger release" ever since Banadiya. "You did go berserk, didn't you?"

"No, I didn't."

"I've been hearing sweet whispers about a fair redhead stabbing some well-known physician. 'Eyes straight from the ice age and rage as fierce as hell,' one report read. Do you deny it?"

"I snapped afterwards. Our little deal killed two good friends of mine, so the anger seemed justified."

"Oh, so people did get killed. Figures," Namarra said nonchalant, offering a shrug. "This is a war and you were in the position to choose who lived and who died. You chose your SIN-ED friends; I'm not surprised."

"What?" Eclipse was on her toes by this time, fists clenched painfully at her sides.

"Don't tell me you haven't figured it out yet. That deal offered you a chance to see who—or what—you cared about more. If you went berserk, I'd kill Gluttony and his friend; if you didn't, your new friends would die. I must admit, though, your decision saddens me. Either you have a lot of faith in SIN-ED or you just hate humanity that much. After all, your ZAFT buddies aren't trying to destroy the human race."

That stung.

Sure, she had a point, but there was this little thing called "tact" in the universe. _Yeah, I don't have it either so I can't exactly say anything, but—damn,_ Eclipse thought, not able to erase the scowl from her face no matter how hard she tried. How _dare _that Natural assume she chose one human being—one life—over another, especially when it concerned her closest comrades. "So, you're saying I had to make a choice?"

"Yup, and you chose poorly, I might add. Tell me, what made you think you had the right to be so bold as to let some good soldiers die in order to allow some crazed lunatics walk all over us? Do you think you're—" Namarra never finished; an enraged redhead slamming a fist into a person's cheek could have such an effect. The Natural crumpled over the armrest, catching herself before she could fly headlong onto the ground. Ribs scraping against the metal through a cotton T-shirt, she merely laughed.

"What the hell gives _you _the right to judge _me_?" the redhead wondered.

Namarra continued with her amusement, spitting out some blood from a cut cheek. The metallic taste rested on her tongue for a few seconds, causing another wad of saliva to go crashing to the ground. Scraping a forearm across her mouth she smirked, admiring the stinging bite near corner of her bottom lip. "Nice punch."

"I will _not _have you place all the blame on me."

"Whatever, you feel guilty and we _both _know it. And stop trying to play the wounded hero," the black-haired girl began, forcing her body to sit upright once more. "Not only does it curse your image, but I laugh at it too. You, a hero?"

"Shut up!" Eclipse shouted, this time sending both them and the bench to the ground after one forceful tackle. Landing in a muffled "thump", each sprouted their own, interesting combinations of curses. An onlooker might've been embarrassed—or even offended—for them, but thank goodness time was on the Berserkers' side.

Eclipse ended up on top, her knees straddling Namarra's still sitting form awkwardly near her biceps. Her shins were hot with pain as the backrest dug into her legs; however, she was at the point where nothing else mattered, not even her "interesting" positioning. Plopped on her opponent's stomach—it could've been something straight out of a perverted magazine—the redhead rose a few inches the moment she realized how things must've looked. Then again, it was just too trivial of a matter. Gaining that small leverage, Eclipse wound up and swung again, connecting soundly with the Natural's right cheek bone. _Damnit, _the Coordinator cursed. Even after only two punches, her knuckles were getting sore.

This girl had some hard facial features.

"Get off me!" Namarra screeched, more than pissed about her predicament. An attempt at a head butt accented the order, but Eclipse's hold was too good. "I said move!" Tucking in her knees, the black-haired girl rocked backwards, kneeing the Coordinator hard in the back. It gave Namarra enough slack to loosen her arms and wind up for a punch to the stomach, but just like the Natural, Eclipse had some firm, internal make-up. Crumpling in pain, the redhead still didn't move. Only one, strong right jab was able to send her flying off to the left.

The redhead's right shoulder nicked the far armrest, causing a small yelp to escape her lips, but she didn't have long to worry about that pain when her face hit the cool grass. "S-shit," she coughed, not enjoying the new bruises and how they worked so well with her old ones. The side of her left hand throbbed from trying to catch herself—her leg gash seemed to have reopened—and now she had a tender set of abs and a throbbing cheekbone to worry about. Honestly, the only person she could blame was herself.

However, she'd never say she didn't enjoy the adrenaline rush.

"You have some nerve," Namarra breathed somewhere to her right.

"_I _have some nerve?"

"Here I am just minding my own business—"

"'Minding your own business'? Hah! There's a good one," Eclipse laughed, rolling onto her side and facing the Natural. Namarra was still on the bench, but looked terribly uncomfortable. Seeing the top of the backrest positioned near her middle back, the redhead figured it had dug in well enough to cause an interesting bruise. Either that or some vertebra cracked when they weren't supposed to.

"It's not my fault you're dumb."

"But it _is _your fault we're laying here writhing in pain."

"I'm not writhing."

"Then move."

The Natural paused, cringed a bit, but in the end stayed put. "I don't want to," she muttered. "And it's _not_ my fault. You just have to stop thinking with your hormones and use your brain—hey! Would you letme finish a sentence for once?" she yelped, wiping a fair amount of dirt off her face and out of her eyes.

Eclipse had pretty good aim even from lying down.

Grabbing another handful, the redhead tossed more grass and soil Namarra's way. This time, however, the black-haired girl retaliated, raining her own share of earth down upon her opponent. In all definitions of the word, it was pathetic. Two, highly trained assassins had regressed to using dirt instead of grenades and blades of grass instead of throwing knives. Childish was another word—and immature was up there on the list as well—but neither was in the mood to get up and find such weapons. When in doubt, use what was at hand.

Who knew they'd take it so literally?

"Uh-huh, not sure what to make of this."

The two girls stopped mid-throw and looked towards the new voice, pure instinct kicking in the second neither recognized it. Namarra did a backwards summersault, landing on her feet, but remained crouched down, reaching inside her boot to grab the dagger hidden there. Apparently, she was armed; just not something she wanted to use on Eclipse. The redhead did much the same thing, flipping backwards and reaching inside her own boot for the same kind of weapon.

Ironic.

"Now, that's just unnerving," the man muttered, issuing a yawn after his fair, tenor-ranged voice chuckled at the sight. "But the question is, what to do with you two now? Who knew a lazy nap would create such an opportunity?"

The girls shared a glance, but they knew they were stuck. Sure, it may have been just one man, but the two 9mms pointed at their foreheads gave them a slight disadvantage. After all, Sloth was known to have flawless aim.

* * *

_**A/N:**_ Hey guys, new chapter. Yes, cliff hanger, I"m sorry; it couldn't be helped. And I'm sure the next thing you all want to hear is how I'm not sure when I'll be getting the next chapter out. O.o School's starting up again here pretty quick and that mixed in with work and coaching is going to be one hell of a time. Then again, I have an easy class I'll probably have a chance to write in, but being so high up on the college food chain doesn't give me much free time. Well, I'll try my hardest, that you can be sure of.

So, what did you all think of the CA system? Let me know! It'll get a little more complex as the story goes on, but for now, tell me if it's an interesting concept or if you downright hate it. I'll enjoy the comment either way!

And Lathan's letter. I'm thinking a bunch of you were amused by that one--actually, I was practically laughing and I wrote the thing!--and I'm hoping it made sense. Heine has an interesting sense of humor--that we already knew--and him being friends with Lathan is ridiculous. A good "ridiculous" though.

Special shoutout to my Betas _Death-Scimitar_, _CSSStravag_, and _Maderfole_ for helping me make this an awesome story. Couldn't do it without 'em.

And a special shoutout to all my reviewers. It means a lot when I can get on the computer and see so many compliments/suggestions. I really can't thank you enough since you guys are the reason I keep writing this thing. Keep 'em coming and remember, I don't mind criticisms. In fact, I love them; they help me write better.

* * *

_**Gripes/Questions:**_

_Asmus:_ I'm sure you knew I'd pick out this one, but the name Stealth is staying. Honestly, I thought it was a bit unique, but perhaps I'm just a sheltered little kid and had no idea what the big world held. O.o Sorry, thanks for the suggestions, but I really like Stealth for Eclipse's mobile suit.

* * *

Until the next chapter. Thanks again!

_Strata_


	32. Assassins, Sins, and Druggies

Assassins, Sins, and Druggies

"Gluttony, how in the hell could you lose Sloth?" Wrath yelled from the front seat, twisting briefly to glance at the chef behind him.

"It's Jaeger when we're in public, _Logan,_" Stray hissed, secretly kicking his own ass for letting the lazy Sin fall behind. The codenames were just something latched figuratively onto the SIN-ED board members, who knew some people took them seriously? Given, "Gluttony" was the perfect choice for this particular silver-haired boy, but some individuals needed to think before they decided to be the bane of humanity. _C'mon, taking a catnap in a tree? And on a mission? Alright, we shouldn't have left him, but—honestly—that's ridiculous. _Sighing, the chef scratched the back of his head. "You're at as much fault as me."

"He probably just wanted to see this famous Lexi Rymyr all by himself. Y'know, waited until we left then jumped down and started exploring. You shouldn't have let slip Eclipse's transfer," Wrath whined, shifting uncomfortably in the driver's seat of the convertible. Stray had no idea where his teammate had gotten such a fancy vehicle, but he wasn't about to complain. Honestly, he just wanted to drive the thing. Too bad the hotheaded Logan would never let him no matter how hard he pestered him. Besides, they were both worried about their missing comrade. The Sins rarely traveled alone—since Greed's mishap in space—and with two assassins running around, SIN-ED just couldn't afford any more messy mishaps.

Which is probably what would end up happening.

_Damnit! _Wrath thought, forgetting his whiny mood and skipping right back to anger. _Where is that son of a bitch?_ Stepping on the gas, he blew through a red light and made a quick right at the next intersection. Stray squealed in the backseat—more out of excitement than sheer fright—and grabbed onto Wrath's headrest in order to keep him from flying out of the car. If only he had buckled his seatbelt.

"Woah, Logan, relax!"

"He couldn't have gotten far, and I'm not about to calm down until his bony ass is strapped to the passenger's seat. What the hell is he thinking?" Making another sharp turn to the left, he narrowly missed a crossing squirrel—well, and a handful of innocent bystanders.

_Aw, shucks, _Stray thought, watching the animal scurry up the nearest tree and out of harm's way. _I've always wanted to try road kill._

* * *

"Well, look what we have here. Who knew someone so lost could end up being so lucky?"

"I'm thinking you're the lost one, but how the hell do you see that as lucky?" Namarra asked, slipping her fingers further into the back of her boot and grabbing hold of her throwing knife. "As a regular pedestrian in this park, I really don't appreciate a gun pointed at me."

"A 'regular pedestrian'? Hah, don't make me laugh," Sloth chided, lifting one gun up to glance at a cuticle. It was a cocky gesture to be sure, and one that pissed off the girls a few feet from his position. Why was it when a person had full control of a situation, he or she had a tendency to flaunt it?

Ah, egos.

"I know who you are," the Sin pointed Eclipse's way once his inspection was over, "so that means you must be the other one."

"'Other one'?" the black-haired girl echoed. Glancing sidelong at her Coordinator counterpart, Namarra was happy to see a return look. It was subtle—more of an eye roll than actual contact—but it seemed to mean a lot more to the Natural than to Sloth standing casually across from them. Perhaps if he was paying attention, he may have noticed it as well. _So, Eclipse is armed—or at least not helpless. That's good to know 'cause I really don't like this situation at the moment._

"You're not very bright, are you?" the Sin continued. "We know there's two of you after us, Lunar Eclipse and someone else. That's Lunar Eclipse so you must be the 'someone else', especially since you haven't totally freaked out yet."

"I'm sure Eclipse here has plenty of friends who don't 'freak out' when there's a gun pointed his or her way."

"You being one of those friends?"

"Precisely," Namarra replied, wondering why the redhead hadn't bothered to make a move, verbal or otherwise. Either the girl was biding her time or she just had no idea what to do. Her combat record suggested the former, but her personal record was leaning towards the latter.

How the Natural hoped she knew what she was doing.

"While that is tempting to believe, your little fight earlier proved my assumptions. You, my dear, are, in fact, the other assassin," Sloth cooed, taking a step—more like a strut—towards the two. One gun he began twirling absently, slipping his finger in the crook near the trigger and spinning it near his forehead. If the gun happened to go off, there'd be a messy crime scene for the local authorities to investigate, but knowing the level of ability the Sins had, neither girl was about to bet on that happening. So, they just stared and planned, looking for ins and outs of the situation. They had at least one throwing knife each. Not much of a comfort when the enemy had two guns, but it was better than fists and feet. He was cocky—that was obvious—but skilled, so even if he missed the first shot, he wouldn't miss the second.

Damn.

"Hah, how does it feel to be in our position for once? Well, we have more guts at least; we don't just sit back and snipe you guys in the back of the head. But wait," he paused, catching his twirling gun and bringing it to his lips. Tapping it lightly on his chin, he smiled and nodded. "A shot to the head would be _very _entertaining."

"You won't do it," Eclipse spat, finally getting into the conversation. "I know FS has ordered you not to."

"Hm? Now isn't that cute. You're assuming I listen to everything he says? We have no _one _leader, y'know, and even if Pride sets up most of our operations, it's mainly because no one else wants to. I can put on a pretty face when he's around, but right now I could shoot you and merely say it was self-defense. After all, you two are notorious for making the first move."

First move or no, fate—or even luck in this case—had a tendency to mix things up. Yes, both Namarra and Eclipse were about to do something drastic in order to save their asses, but two unfortunate bystanders happened to walk by. It was the most cliché thing that could've happened and even though the redhead was in the middle of it, she still didn't believe it.

They were an elderly couple—pretty frisky despite the age—and even though they didn't notice the trio at first, the second Sloth leveled his guns back at the girls, the woman screamed.

Some might call that perfect timing.

The Sin—purely on instinct—spun and shot twice, hitting the lady in the cheekbone and the guy in his right ear. If the man hadn't turned his head at the last second, he may have evaded the hasty fire, but his survival instincts weren't as honed as the others. Sloth's precise aim—obviously—wasn't a myth and that thought alone brought on a few shivers. Before the woman had a chance to get her lover's attention, the bullet had cracked through the cheekbone and splintered off into her brain, leaving her to twitch away her last moments and wonder how a late anniversary dinner could turn so tragic. The man—wondering much the same thing—fell on top of her when the bullet passed, literally, through one ear and out the other. His mouth open in a dying scream, his head rested awkwardly against his wife's shoulder.

Or at least what was left of it.

It was a sickening sight to see a late prom king and queen fall headlong into a pool of their own blood and brain matter, but the two girls had to take advantage of the massacre or they, too, would lose a valuable appendage. Eclipse reacted first, drawing her throwing knife and lunging forward and to the left. The move put about ten feet between the Sin and redhead, a decent enough distance for an accurate kill. Pulling her arm in close, Eclipse waited until she had her footing before sending the knife chest high towards Sloth. The redhead's aim was perfect—not even Namarra would contradict that—but the Sin proved to have the quicker reflexes.

Relying on instinct once again, Sloth dropped into a forward roll, bridging the gap between him and Eclipse while escaping death at the same time. The knife sailed over his head, landing with a soft "thump" in a pile of loose dirt, most likely left over from the mud slinging escapade the girls had participated in a while earlier. Losing a firm grip on the gun in his left hand, the Sin flipped it around, grasping the barrel and bringing the handle across in an attempt to connect with the redhead's temple.

Not a bad plan, but Eclipse had had too much time to see it coming. Ducking into a sidelong roll to her right, she managed to evade the first strike, but not the second karate chop. Sloth—despite his codename—was quick and used the momentum of his first attack to do a follow up with his other hand. The tip of the barrel pointed down, the boy stabbed, only grazing Eclipse's back as she tumbled by, but still left a fair-sized scrape as a present.

The gun dug into the earth, burying itself up to the trigger. Sloth managed an interesting array of curses and even more when he accidentally fired the weapon in an attempt to pull it out. "Damn it all!"

"Yeah, something like that," Namarra mocked, having gotten behind the Sin and tackled him away from the gun. They both rolled on the ground for a few feet, each trying to gain the advantage as well as keep the weaponry away from anything vital. Namarra had a bit harder of a time trying to keep the last gun from firing in her direction. It managed some shots as the wrestling continued and even the Natural's knife nicked Sloth a few times. Nothing major, but at least she was getting some kind of attack in, given the difference in strength. The Sin may have looked like a little twig, but he could sure hold his own.

Not a pleasant revelation.

"Hm, feisty are we?" Sloth teased when they finally stopped rolling around. Straddling his waist, Namarra looked defeated despite her advantage. Hair falling in knotted clumps around her face, a small gash extended across her left cheekbone, proving the boy's shots weren't going as wide as she originally anticipated. Her left hand pinning Sloth's wrist to the ground—the one still holding the gun—the Natural's knife hand was being held up by the Sin's free one.

Panting, Namarra spat on his forehead. "Keep your brain in _that_ head, asshole," she breathed, slowly losing her strength from trying to struggle against Sloth's grip. _Damnit. We really shouldn't have had that catfight, Eclipse. _

"You're going to give in here pretty quick; all I have to do is wait."

"You're forgetting there's two of us," the redhead muttered off to Namarra's right. Somehow, she managed to free the buried gun while the other two were wrestling, aiming the barrel down at the sliding saliva on the Sin's forehead. "You're one egotistical bastard to think you could just waltz up to us and figure a shot to the head would finish us off. We're not as weak as you first anticipated."

"The barrel's plugged, dumbass." Twisting, Sloth put all his remaining strength into his right arm and pushed Namarra over to his left. However, such a move didn't come without consequences. Having focused everything onto his gun hand, the Natural won on the other side and drove the knife downward into his side before getting tackled to the ground.

Since the Sin had obviously planned ahead—Eclipse too, for that matter, having already unclogged the gun—the redhead was forced to keep her hand steady on the trigger instead of firing, seeing as the bullet would've passed directly through Namarra instead of Sloth. When he turned, he pulled the Natural's body in front of his, shielding him from Eclipse's shot and giving him time to draw his gun at the same time. Now straddling Namarra—his left leg digging into the Natural's stomach—he aimed and fired point blank at the redhead.

Or at least where she was.

The tackling had taken longer than Sloth thought and by the time he realized his folly, Namarra had grabbed the knife in his side and pulled upward. Thanks to an obsessive sharpening schedule, the blade cut smoothly up his flesh, sliding through muscle and fat alike in a hushed, scrapping sound; almost like too much butter being layered on toast. The blade went straight through his lowermost rib, but got stuck on the one right above it, forcing a scream to escape his lips as the Natural tried two times to jerk it through the bone. A third time proved futile when the amount of blood on her hands caused the blade to slip through her fingers, sending the Sin tumbling to the ground at the same time.

The girls watched him fall, offering a silent thank you when he didn't get back up. Judging by the growing pool of blood under the wounded side, he wouldn't be up for a while. "What the hell was that?" Eclipse breathed, helping pull Namarra away from Sloth. "One Sin against two Berserkers and he almost won? Then again, neither of us snapped—" the redhead stopped, staring into the Natural's eye and realizing her folly.

Eclipse was the cool head that time.

Bang.

Bang.

Scream.

The Coordinator froze again. The first shot came from Namarra in front of her. When the Natural grabbed the gun, Eclipse wasn't sure, but having her aim and fire through the small gap between the redhead's body and arm made even Eclipse fear Berserkers. What—or who—she shot at managed a counterattack.

Or at least his partner did.

"Logan, you all right?"

"Yeah, Gluttony, just a graze. I know these girls are drop-dead sexy, but you're growing soft. Aiming for the foot?"

After motioning Wrath to Sloth's prone figure, Stray took a quick look around. His eyes passed the decapitated couple a few yards away to land on the two relatively safe ones in front of him. Eclipse was bent down next to Namarra, staring hard at her old teammate, but—for some reason—his eyes seemed to look through them. Perhaps Stray hadn't registered what was really going on yet, or even whom he shot. Not surprising considering his instincts. Namarra had the gun in her hand, aiming it at the chef and biting on her bottom lip as the pain began numbing her lower leg.

That was some determination if she could stay so focused with blood gushing out of a bullet hole.

Finally, Stray blinked and focused in on the girls, and especially on the redhead bent down next to her wounded partner. He saw her eyes dart quickly to her knife—about ten feet from her position—before returning to the chef. "Lexi?" Stray wondered.

Eclipse thought the near-friendly fire accident was enough to stop her breath but as soon as her favorite, silver-haired chef had leapt the distance between them, swiped the gun from Namarra's hand, and pushed the redhead away, Eclipse was too stunned to move. When did he get so fast? Now he was leaning over her lying figure with panic swimming behind his grey eyes. Out of all the random areas on earth, this place—and predicament for that matter—was the last one she'd suspect to see his unique grin. Given, he wasn't actually smiling at the time, but his mouth twitched with the effort, almost as if the mere sight of her made him happy.

Perhaps it did.

"Stray," the redhead finally managed, not having enough energy to yell at him for helping her up. "You shouldn't be—"

"Look at you; you're filthy!" he cut in, taking the liberty to brush off the dirt and grass himself. A hand passed over the gash in her leg, causing him to jerk away at the sudden moisture gathering on his fingertips. Glancing down at the cut, he involuntarily took a jump back. "And—ah—you're hurt!"

"Of course she's hurt, dimwit." The phrase must have sounded better in Namarra's head because as soon as she spit it out, she had to bite her tongue. However, Stray didn't even turn to acknowledge her, too concerned about Eclipse's "new" injury.

"Jaeger, what the _hell_ are you doing? Leave it be for now! She'll be easier to apprehend this way," Wrath explained, still holding a cloth in Sloth's wounded side. The bleeding had slowed somewhat, but the cut was still serious. Hopefully—for his own sake—Sloth had learned his lesson and knew the next time a knife was stuck in his side he should just pull it out right away instead of waiting for some pissed females to do it for him.

And take some internal organs with it.

"No, we're just taking 'loose lips' over there. Revelin and I decided a long time ago we will never take Lexi by force, no matter what the circumstances are."

"You're insane," Wrath breathed, not able to comprehend what Stray was muttering about. Letting Eclipse just waltz away? "We have her; this is our chance—"

"To what, _make _her do what we want? No, I don't work like that and since I outrank you, you'll do as I say and leave her alone. Take Trevor back to the car now, Logan, and I better not hear you complain." The threat was genuine—not even Wrath was that oblivious—and although the gun wasn't pointed at him, the hotheaded Sin knew he shouldn't press the matter any further. Puppy dog eyes may've only made things worse, and uttering some half-assed reply probably would've gotten him shot. So, even though Wrath may not have agreed with everything going on, he wasn't about to get killed over it.

"What about the other chick? There's no way we're letting them _both _go."

"As I said before, we're only taking the black-haired girl, but I'll watch them until you get back. Make sure Trevor's comfortable, bring the car around, and then we'll worry about how to handle the girls."

Wrath stared hard at his partner, debating whether or not he should actually follow Stray's orders. Yes, the chef was ranked higher than he was but what he was saying was on the verge of insanity—that he was sure. This was their chance to get rid of their greatest competition. If these two girls were out of the picture, they could really do whatever they wanted because, after all, they were the only ones stopping them at every turn. "Gluttony, I really don't think—"

"Logan, now." No choice that time. Offering one more, quick glance at Eclipse and Namarra, he gathered up Sloth and walked out of sight. "Now, for you two—"

"You're an idiot," the Natural spat, cutting off Stray with a burning glare of her own. "You have the perfect opportunity to take us both and you're just going to let Eclipse leave? Neither of us have the energy—or working appendages for that matter—to put up a decent fight."

"I already gave my reasoning, and don't feel the need to explain it again to you, girl. Now," he began, reaching over to grab the gun lying on the ground at the redhead's feet, "Lexi, you stand over there and don't move. I really don't want to hurt you."

"I'm not leaving her," Eclipse stated, stepping between them. "I _refuse _to leave her here."

"But you're not; I'm taking her."

"I refuse to leave her with _you_, Stray." Now the chef was hurt, the instant watering of eyes and quivering lips making him look on the verge of tears. Quite impressive if he was trying to win some contest, but since Eclipse was of the stubborn sort, she just stared at her old friend, even if the barrel of a gun was blocking her view. "You know I mean it."

"Yes, but you have to know I'm taking her no matter what."

"Why? What good would capturing her do?" the redhead asked.

"It'd make you come back to us."

Namarra watched the whole ordeal from the ground, neither liking the view nor how they were talking about her as if she was some item on the black market. Sure, she could barely move at the moment, but she could at least talk. "I'd appreciate it if—"

"Why do you think I'd come back?" Eclipse interrupted.

"Whether it was to rescue her, or team up with her, you'd have to come and see us, then we could talk at least. I know you're still thinking about joining us. Just by looking at you now I can tell they don't accept you back there."

"Whether they accept me or not is none of your business."

"But it _is _my business. Lexi, I care about you—a lot—and, for some reason, that doesn't mean anything to you anymore. What happened to our trio?"

"It died the moment I knew you planned on destroying humanity. Did you honestly think I'd agree with that?"

Stray sighed and lowered the gun, shaking his head at the same time. "Perhaps you shouldn't pin everything on us. _You _weren't there to change our minds, remember?"

"What? Are you kidding, placing all the blame on me? You're both big boys and can think for yourselves. You can—"

Interruptions seemed to be a common occurrence when it came to conversations between Eclipse and her friends, this time being no different. Wrath pulled a risky move and tried a little off-roading experiment, driving the car up the park sidewalk and onto the grass next to Stray. Sprawling out, the Sin pushed open the passenger door. "Gluttony, trouble. Cops are coming. I'm thinking someone heard all the excitement and got anxious. We can't stay here so hop in."

"I'll grab the girl," Stray said, turning back to his captives, but only saw the tail end of Eclipse as she and Namarra made a break for it. The chef instinctively fired at where they were supposed to be and received a flying knife as a reward. _Lexi must've picked it up. Damnit, she's resourceful._

"Jaeger, now!" Wrath yelled, taking a quick glance at Sloth in the back seat. He was stable—for now—with the seat belt providing enough compression on his wounded side to maybe save his life. But all that work on Wrath's part to get the belt just right would be for nothing if Stray didn't get in the car. Sure, the chef could take care of himself, but if Wrath had to be the one talking to FS about Stray's disappearance, he'd have a mortal wound of his own. "Damnit, Gluttony!"

After another pause, the chef bent down to grab the knife and then jumped in the car. Eclipse would join them sooner or later—he knew—but until that time, he couldn't let her get caught by the police. Her fingerprints on that knife and the gun in his left hand would be the only evidence needed to pin her for the old timers' murders.

Even though breaking her out of jail would be a blast, no one could afford such a setback.

* * *

"You said your friends were going to meet us here," Eclipse muttered, shifting her weight to the left leg. Not only was supporting Namarra beginning to get tiring, but a real pain as well. The wound on her leg hadn't started hurting until they were about half a mile away from where they met Stray and the other Sins—she could thank adrenaline for that one—but now she felt like her calf was on fire. The Natural's friends had said they would be there in about ten minutes and the clock had ticked far beyond that. If only she wasn't so stubborn, the redhead would've just dumped the girl on the ground and walked away, but—for some ungodly reason—Eclipse was sticking around.

Perhaps it was because she had the unnerving feeling SIN-ED was still out looking for them.

"It's only been twenty minutes. Wait a bit longer, would ya? It's not like they could just pull out of the driveway or something," Namarra grumbled, honestly getting a bit worried herself. The duo had narrowly escaped death a few times that night and getting caught by the cops didn't sound appealing either. _They really need to get here quick._

"It's sounding like you guys are in a pretty delicate position."

"Something to that effect," the Natural replied. For a second, she forgot about her wounded foot and stood on it. Ideally, it was supposed to ease the cramp in her good leg, but all it ended up doing was shooting an uncomfortable sensation up her calf all the way to her hip. "Damnit," she hissed.

"Forgive me for saying this, but I have to say, it's about time you got hurt."

"What, you think I'm invincible?"

"Goodness, no, but I've never seen you with a scratch on you let alone get hit by a bullet," Eclipse explained. A small smile graced her lips, but when Namarra put her wounded foot down once more, they both nearly crumpled with the unexpected movement.

"I probably get hurt just as much as you do, and seem to heal just as well too. Must have something to do with these damn genes of ours."

"Well, that's comforting to hear. Did you want me to bandage it?"

"Nah, I'll look at it when I get back. Besides, I think I tied my shoe laces tight enough to cut off some circulation." A pair of headlights rounded a corner roughly a mile down the road. Seeing as no civilian in his or her right mind would be out that late, the vehicle could only be hosting the Natural's friends, but still, neither assassin wanted to take a chance. They had narrowly escaped SIN-ED that time, but somehow they didn't think they'd get so lucky again. Both taking a few steps back, they edged from the side of the road to remain out of obvious sight. If a person was really looking for them, they'd be spotted, but as for a random passerby, they'd be nearly invisible.

"Chicibo!" yelled someone from the car. Even if it didn't reach their immediate position, the voice still carried easily down the road. Since the cops were snooping around, Eclipse physically cringed and dreaded the loud sound of a police whistle. If that happened she'd personally find Stray and hand her over. However, when nothing sounded other than another call, something else caught the redhead's attention.

Who the hell was "Chicibo"?

"Orga!" Namarra replied, pulling the redhead towards the roadside once more. "Orga, slow down!"

The vehicle—corvette convertible to be exact—slowed to a stop as the young driver put it into park. Actually, there were three in the car. Given the time of night, it was hard to see what the individuals looked like, but by the sudden blurting of questions, complaints, and curses, the voices were obviously guys.

Interesting.

"Chicibo, what the _hell_ have you gotten yourself into this time?" the boy in the backseat asked. He was lying down, legs resting comfortably across from him on the side of the car with his head bent back to stare at the girls. In his hands he held a game—which one Eclipse couldn't tell—and thanks to the light from the screen, she could make out some minor details of his physical appearance. With such a coarse voice, the redhead expected someone older-looking, but actually who she saw looked to be a young, teenage boy. Bright, red hair brushed against his scalp, falling no further than his earlobes, but his bangs were swept aside carelessly to dangle on one side of his face. Staring upside down most likely had something to do with the style, but glancing at his visage one more time, Eclipse found the look matched him. A "boyish" face was really the only way she could think to describe him. With rounder cheeks and an oval-like shape to his head, the kid looked to be no older than twelve years old. At least until he spoke. "You got yourself hurt _again_?"

"Shut up, Clotho; it's not like you do anything around here. The next thing you'll tell me is you've just started going through that game a second time," Namarra muttered, still not making a move to getting into the car. For some reason the redhead expected her to just jump in as soon as they arrived.

Why the hesitation?

"So, Shani, you gonna move over, or what? Obviously, 'no-life-boy' in the back here isn't going to let me sit down."

"Obviously," Clotho echoed and turned back to his game, avoiding the Natural's glare. "There's no room for your bleeding ass back here."

"What was that?"

"Would you two just relax?" Orga asked, scratching the back of his head. The boy in the back sat up quickly, seemingly offended by the comment and thanks to some handheld game waving, Eclipse could catch sight of a longer face and some short, green-blonde hair; however, the antics didn't help with any precise details. But there was something interesting she saw.

An Earth Forces emblem.

_Shit, _the redhead thought, glad she had decided to change out of her own uniform earlier. This meeting would be going even worse if she had opted to adorn her ZAFT colors. Being an elite wouldn't have helped either.

"And you, Shani, scooch. Nam's gotta sit down," the driver ordered, but the teen in the passenger's seat seemed deaf. "Hey, Shani!" Still no movement. Frustrated, Orga snatched Clotho's video game and—while ignoring the pleas from the back seat—used the little light to pull out an ear bud from the deaf boy's left ear. "Shani, I said scoot."

This time he moved; the slow turn of his head proving he was, in fact, pissed off about the ordeal. Longer, pale green hair covered the right side of his face—so Eclipse didn't get a good glance at his expression—but judging by the surprised looks on his comrades' faces, he had to be pretty angry. Somehow, these three seemed pretty battle worn—in the sense that nothing much shocked them—and yet there they sat, speechless. Grabbing his ear bud, Shani put it back in and turned up the volume on his music player.

"Fine then, I'll sit in between you two," Namarra announced, unperturbed about the situation. Perhaps she was just used to it. Releasing Eclipse's shoulder, she hobbled over to the driver's side of the car, waited for Orga to get out, slid onto the seat, and then punched Shani hard on the shoulder.

He didn't seem to care.

"Chicibo, you gonna say goodbye to your friend?" Clotho asked, having already returned to his previous position in the back of the car.

"Oh—yeah—I'll see you later, Eclipse. We'll be in touch."

_Dare I ask about the nickname? _the redhead thought, but kept her mouth shut. After all, she might be able to use it to blackmail the Natural later on. "I'm sure we will be."

"Hey, Orga," Namarra began a moment later as the other teen slid in behind the wheel. "Can I drive?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"Your foot's injured, dumbass," Clotho explained.

"But it's my left."

"No, and that's final." Namarra was about to complain again when Orga put the car in drive and stepped on the gas.

Eclipse couldn't help but smile as they drove away, hearing more arguing from the front seat, some interesting inputs from Clotho in the back, and the silent soldier in the passenger seat shouting a final, "Nam, shut the hell up! And give me back my earphones!" to end the dispute.

_They seem close, _the redhead decided, turning and walking in the opposite direction. _I wonder if FS, MR, Stray and I could've ever been like that. Or even me and the other guys. _ Pausing, she couldn't help but laugh, knowing the first scenario was the most likely.

Even if one of the prime candidates she personally killed.

* * *

Eclipse's return to the base was—thankfully—uneventful. Yzak and Dearka had spotted her near one of the hangers and had called her over, but the redhead had waved them off, trying her best to hide the limp while making a quick getaway. Eclipse was pleased with the welcoming gesture—she was under the impression they were ignoring her—but fled towards the infirmary anyway. Having them see her in such a state would've probably made things worse for both her and her two teammates. After all, they had a lot on their mind with Athrun becoming the new commander.

Actually, that "pretty boy"—as Yzak so lovingly called him—was the one person the redhead was afraid she'd run into, seeing as he had the tendency to jump out of nowhere. Nicol was up there on the list too, but that boy seemed to put himself into those kinds of situations, not vice versa. However, when she managed to make it to the infirmary door and open it without incident, Eclipse couldn't help but issue a small sigh of relief.

Finally, no awkwardness.

Neither Dearka nor Yzak were able to see her physical state before—having both distance and a quick change back to her ZAFT uniform to thank for that—but not doubt she looked horrid. Her red clothing was able to hide most of her cuts, but both the fresh blood from her leg and back as well as the bruises on her face were becoming quite noticeable. _And uncomfortable,_ she realized the moment she felt a trickle of blood fall down her spine and soak into the waistband of her pants. All she had to do was dress the wounds and then flee to her quarters for a long nap.

In theory, anyway.

"Doc, I need you to—" Eclipse paused, having turned the corner but didn't see the physician sitting at his desk. Sure, it was late, but the redhead figured there should be a medic around at all times. Seemed reasonable from her standpoint. _Maybe they're doing shift changes_, she thought and walked further into the room to plop on a bed. _Then again, maybe they don't care and I should do this myself_. Shrugging, she reached up to some cupboards near the bed and pulled out tape, gauze, a bandage wrap, Neosporin, stitching supplies, and a towel.

She sat back down on the bed, taking off her stifling jacket at the same time. Wearing only one of Yzak's white beaters—apparently, she _did _manage to grab one—and her uniform pants, Eclipse ignored the slippery and squishy feeling as the shirt passed over the gash. _That'll be next, but how the hell I get to it is another matter, _the redhead thought with a sigh. _Hopefully, the doctor will be back by that time, because I am definitely not that flexible._

Bending over didn't seem too painful until Eclipse tried it. Cloth scraping on open wounds wasn't a good feeling, let alone noting how her healing skin stretched with the movement. She could only push it aside, choosing to concentrate on rolling her pant leg up and over her gash. _I hate my life, _she decided at length.

It looked worse than it felt—which had its advantages and disadvantages—with enough dirt and gravel mixed in to make any masochistic softball player proud. _Grand; just grand._ Grabbing the towel and bottle of Neosporin, she stared at the ingredients, cringed, took a breath, poured some on the towel, and then pressed it hard to the wound.

Neosporin was an interesting mixture of chemicals, and the more Eclipse thought about it, the more she forgot about the stinging feeling shooting up through her calf as she applied it to the wound. Pain she was used to, but feeling it to make a person heal was hard for her to understand. Sure, punch a person and they'll get hurt, but put a needle through someone to stitch up a wound? _No pain, no gain, as Lathan would say,_ the redhead grumbled and dabbed the towel a bit more. _Damn that cliché._

The wound cleaned—or close enough, she figured—Eclipse grabbed her stitching needle and threaded it, remembering to tie a knot at the end. _This probably isn't one of my better ideas. _Gritting her teeth, she pinched the flesh together and put the needle through, careful to pierce a hole far enough down to not have the string cut through the skin later on. _Nope,_ she decided as she pulled the string through the next hole and tightened it, _not one of my better ones._

Two stitches away from the end, someone finally opened the door. Thinking it was the doctor, Eclipse looked up, forced a smile, froze, looked back down, and then cursed.

Athrun.

"What the hell—"

"You took the words right out of my mouth," the redhead muttered, speeding through the last two holes and tying off her work. "You have _got _to work on your timing, sir."

"And apparently, you on your accident proneness. Please tell me you at least numbed the area and sterilized the needle?" Thankfully, the boy wasn't of the squeamish sort and the fact that he was standing there calmly watching her being a masochist earned him a few brownie points. Given, he was a tad pale, but that could've been from shock.

"The needle damn well should've been sterilized already—we're in an infirmary after all—and there was no reason to use any anesthetics. Grit your teeth, don't think about it, and you'll be fine."

"Leave it to you to say that," the boy grumbled, walking over to her as he scratched the back of his head. He just could not figure her out and now that he was—technically—her commanding officer, he had to start. Yzak was easy, Dearka not so much, but he was getting predictable, and Nicol, Athrun knew, was the one member of the team to always believe in him.

And maybe this girl too.

"How can you be crying one minute, and then stitching your leg the next? Some might call that Bipolar."

"How about we forget about that, huh?" Eclipse suggested, blushing at the memory. Her embarrassment only grew when—after searching frantically for the scissors—the pilot had pulled them out of a drawer and handed them to her.

Damn him.

"What are you doing here anyway?" the redhead asked and handed the scissors back after she was done with them.

"Honestly, I was looking for some Aspirin. I was getting a huge headache and—thanks to you—I think it just got bigger."

"Glad to be of service," Eclipse replied, dabbing the towel against her leg once more time before rolling it into a ball and throwing it into one of the bins near the sink. "Check the cabinet behind me for the pills."

"Trying to get rid of me that easily?" Athrun wondered.

"What, did you want to stay and watch me stitch up my back too?"

"Your back?"

Her and her big mouth.

Leaning back too slowly, the pilot managed to get a glimpse of her bloodied shirt, even getting a hand on her shoulder to keep her from hiding the wound any longer. "Holy shit, Eclipse! Has there ever been a time you've come back from a SIN-ED mission unscathed?"

"Of course! Just the other—" She stopped, twisting her head to stare at Athrun when he mentioned the name SIN-ED. Why would he know? Damnit, she didn't _want _him to know. "H-how do you know about that?"

Sighing, the boy grabbed another towel and then motioned for the Neosporin bottle. "Take off the shirt and I'll explain."

"Excuse me?" Cocking an eyebrow, she couldn't mask her surprise well enough. What kind of a request was that?

"I said, take off your—" Finally it clicked. "Y-you have a sports bra on, dimwit!" Athrun shouted, blushing both at what he had said and the incredulous look on her face. "I-I'm _engaged_, remember?"

"And my neighbors were _married _but they still had—"

"Would you just let me stitch your back?" The pilot was blushing brighter by the second, making the redhead do the same as soon as she realized what kind of conversation they were having. Either her retorts came on instinct or she was just too dumb to see where they were heading with such a topic.

She was betting on instinct.

"I was waiting for the doctor," Eclipse said, trying to turn the conversation around. "_You _just happened to walk in."

"Yeah, while you were being a damn masochist."

"Just because I know some medical things, doesn't mean you can call me names."

"Fine, I won't bruise your little, girly pride—"

"Hey!"

"—but are you going to let me help you, or not?" Athrun continued, looking exhausted and pissed at the same time. He seemed to be getting that way around her a lot recently. That could've been because he was starting to care about what the hell happened to her along with his newfound drive as a commander to connect his team. Whatever the reason, sitting there and putting a needle through her skin wasn't what he thought would be the first, genuine amount of alone time they'd have to just talk.

Well, who was he to complain?

Finally, Eclipse gave in, dragging over a chair and sitting in it backwards. It was an awkward feeling when she heard—felt even—Athrun sit on the edge of the bed behind her. His knees straddled the chair as she took off the tank top. Even though her back was facing him—and the cut was, thankfully, below her sports bra—she was still embarrassed, and no matter how hard she tried, the redness wouldn't leave her cheeks. Why he had such an effect on her, Eclipse wasn't sure, but perhaps she was just avoiding what was really going on in that heart of hers. Yes, the attraction was there, but she never felt like this in a while. Hell, she lived with 29 other men for a year and never once was she so uncomfortable, not even around FS or Stray—at least only for the first time.

Why, then, was she so shy around Athrun?

"Brace yourself, this might sting a bit."

"Yeah," Eclipse began with a sigh, saving her inner turmoil for later and tensing up as soon as the towel was against the gash. Somehow, she was hoping it wouldn't hurt as bad as her leg but—come to find out—her back was more sensitive. She should've anticipated that one, but involuntarily flinched when the Neosporin touched her skin. Honestly, she expected some kind of retort from her comrade, but was glad when he didn't say anything and put the towel on more gently the second time. "How's it look?"

"Actually, it's not that bad." A finger traced along the side of the cut, callous fingertips both hurting and soothing the redhead's skin at the same time. At one point, she shivered, but Athrun didn't seem to notice. "Only your left side is bleeding, but it's probably not deep enough for stitches. You got lucky this time."

"Heh, lucky; that sounds about right. I still need to get quicker, though. This should've never happened." Eclipse was glad when he got up to grab some gauze, hugging the back of the chair as the wetness from the Neosporin and the cool air caused her back to ache. Who knew such a little cut could cause so much trouble?

"Mind telling me how you got so beat up anyway?" Athrun asked once he sat back down.

"Just a skirmish gone wrong with a couple of friends," the redhead half-lied.

"Friends in SIN-ED, right?"

Catching her breath, Eclipse twisted around, ignoring the pain in her back as well as soft feeling of the gauze as it slipped down her skin to the floor. "How much do you know?"

"Creuset filled me in while you were out. Since I'm, technically, your commanding officer now, I have to know what mission you're assigned, where it is, and why you're doing it. Since you left for this little escapade on your own—not to mention your 'secret' one in Banadiya—Creuset isn't too happy. Wants me to keep a closer eye on you now."

"How convenient."

"I was gonna try and talk him into kicking you off their trail, but somehow I don't think either you or him would go for it. Just tell me, why did you volunteer when you know them?"

"He told you that much?"

"I know they're the renegades from that facility you were at. Just put two and two together," the boy said, matching her glare with a calm look of his own. Perhaps he could pull of the commander position after all.

Eclipse backed down first, turning her back to him once more. "I-I'm trying to save them."

"By sacrificing yourself to them?"

"I don't know how to yet, but—" she paused, taking a deep breath as Athrun applied the gauze, "if I keep following them, I might figure something out."

"Alright, here's another question: _why _do you want to save them?"

"Because they're—" she hesitated again, but not because of her wound. The redhead knew what she wanted to say, but she had a feeling it wouldn't hold as much weight for her as it did before. "They're my only friends; the only ones to truly understand me and accept me for what I am."

"After everything we've been through—the whole team—do you honestly still think that?" His touch was gentle on her back as he tightened the wrapping and even the tone of his voice didn't sound as if he was angry. For some reason, Eclipse thought he would be.

"Tell me, do you know what I did to people back in the PLANTs? Were you there to throw up next to the instructors after they saw my work?"

"No."

"See, two of those SIN-ED members were and can still accept me for it."

"Just because I wasn't there doesn't mean I can't accept you, Eclipse. I don't give a damn about your past."

A part of her believed him, but as soon as she turned around to look at his eyes, she knew she couldn't. There was still something there and the redhead had a feeling she knew what it was. There was a part of her he still didn't understand and wasn't sure if he was ready to understand.

Being a Berserker was beginning to look like a curse.

No doubt Creuset had—even vaguely—informed him on her "condition" and capabilities. Besides, he had seen the Berserker firsthand, even if it wasn't in a combat situation. _Of course he'd be scared, _Eclipse thought and turned away again. "But you don't accept me, Athrun. Please stop lying."

At first, the boy didn't respond, perhaps feeling guilty for not being able to outright deny her claim. Yes, there was a part of her he didn't understand, and everything he had heard from Creuset terrified him. Sure, Eclipse had been nice to him so far, but in Banadiya she almost killed a comrade during training. She was still unpredictable; however, there was something she didn't know.

Athrun was going to try and understand.

"Alright, finished," he said and got to his feet, squeezing out of his spot to stand near the exit. Turning the handle, he opened the door just as Nicol passed by.

The Blitz pilot stopped and looked in to see Eclipse putting the shirt back over her head. Blinking, he turned to Athrun and was about to say something until both of them cut him off. "Gauze on back," they said in unison, sounding a bit primal in their choice of words, but Nicol just let it go.

"Woah, sorry. Got it."

"_Both _of you have really bad timing," the redhead grumbled, getting to her feet. Or at least tried to.

Athrun caught her arm and helped her sit back on the bed as the other pilot put the chair near the desk. Walking to the bed once more, Nicol squatted down in front of Eclipse, back facing her and arms out. "Hop on; I'll take you where ever you need to go."

"W-what?"

"Piggyback. C'mon, you wanted to see your mobile suit, right?" the musician pressed, offering a reassuring smile at the same time.

The redhead turned to Athrun who just shrugged and smiled as well. "You never did give us the full rundown on your new unit."

"But it's so late," she argued.

"I'm too restless," the Aegis pilot said.

"Just woke up from a nap myself," Nicol added.

Blinking, Eclipse looked from one to the other, not really sure what she should do. Given the circumstances, she really had no other choice and the smiles on their faces _did _make her feel better. Sighing, she gave in, tucked her knees under the musician's arms, wrapped her own arms lightly around his neck and felt her heart flutter when her cheek brushed his hair as he stood. After making small adjustments to her positioning, Nicol turned to the other redcoat standing off to the side. Seeing him doing nothing, the boy sighed and shook his head. "Well, as soon as Athrun gets the door—"

"Yeah, yeah," the boy grumbled and grasped the handle again, ushering them all out into the hallway, Nicol and Eclipse exiting first.

It was a funny—but nice—feeling to be carried. The redhead wasn't really coherent when Athrun did it before, but no doubt she would've been embarrassed, however, this time was different.

She actually felt comfortable; like she belonged.

"Oh, hey, Nicol, did you know Eclipse stole one of Yzak's white beaters?"

"Hey! I did—"

"Did she really? I thought it looked familiar."

"Athrun—hey—he wasn't going to use it and there was no use in wasting it—"

"I hope she washed it before she put it on," Nicol joked.

"Why, does she smell like him or something?"

"Guys!" Kicking her feet childishly, the musician, actually, remained upright.

He just laughed once she calmed down. "No, thank goodness."

Maybe not as comfortable as she thought.

* * *

**_A/N: _**Well then, hey guys. Been a while, hasn't it? And here I left you on a cliffhanger. I was afraid I'd get a bit more hate mail then I did (especially after the long wait) but I'm glad I didn't. This chapter is a bit shorter than the last few, but that could be because school's started and I don't have that much free time to sit down and think/write. On that note, the next chapter may have a long wait. I'm so sorry... :( I'd rather be writing this story, but my livelihood is at stake, so that has to come first.

I felt a bit rushed with this chapter so if there are any mistakes--my Betas did a good job, but you never know--let me know and I'll fix them. Specific areas are better than saying "there were some", but thanks for pointing them out nonetheless. It's just easier on this end if I have a rough estimate of where the mess-ups are. The ending of the fight seemed half-assed in my estimation, but all my Betas said it was fine. Let me know what you think. Basically, I put Lexi and Namarra in this impossible situation and was getting mind blanks on how to get them out of it. O.o

Let's see... Oh yeah. I put up a poll on my profile. Yes, it's about love interests and I'm sorry if that's exhausting to some people, but I want to know what you think. I'm at a point in the story where Lexi could go with anyone and everyone, so I want to see where you all stand. Obviously, you don't have to participate, but it'd be nice to have some input.

Thanks for reading this story, by the way. I've become a lot more confident in it lately and I'm sure it's all because of your support. Don't be afraid to let me know what you think in a review, or even a personal message if you'd rather do that. Suggestions are always welcome as is criticism. Actually, I probably prefer the criticism to the praise and a special thanks to all the people doing that for me.

Lastly, a huge shoutout to my Betas _Death-Scimitar_, _CSSStravag, _and _Maderfole_. I'd still be banging my head against my desk if it wasn't for them. This was a rough chapter at parts. O.o

* * *

_**Questions/Gripes:**_

Sorry about the cliff hanger, guys. Not only would the chapter have been ridiculously long, but I had no idea what I was going to do next and that was a good place to stop. Hopefully, this chapter was worth the wait.

The ear bud thing in the last chapter was--yes--probably a bit on the "too painful" side, but Lathan likes to go overboard. The reason she kept it in was because even though her brother is eccentric, he knows what he's doing. Eclipse may not always admit it, but she both respects/trusts him and hates him at the same time. Well, she admits the hating part of their relationship... O.o

_Rickrolled_: Eclipse vs. the Strike will be coming up here soon. I'm thinking she'll have a few "kicking ass" moments just because that boy needs to be knocked off his "throne". (Sorry, Kira-loving readers). Haven't written that part up yet, but I think--to please both you and myself--I'll let Eclipse have a bit of fun.

_Darkangelsonic_: You'll have to wait for the next chapter for Eclipse's apology to Nicol, and I'm hoping you'll like it. Already written up some of it, actually, so it'll definitely be there.

* * *

Thanks again to all who have read and review! I'll see you the next chapter!

_Strata_


	33. Acceptance

Acceptance

"So, tell me what happened again?" FS asked, rubbing his temples as another migraine pounded behind his eyes. How can such competent people turn out to be so hopeless? "And keep it in chronological order this time, Logan." Three of the remaining Sins were sitting in the SIN-ED medical room. It was much like the scene from before, except Sloth was the one lying incarcerated in the bed and Stray was standing in the doorway perfectly healthy. Fortunately, Sloth lived, but being stuck in a coma until further notice didn't exactly mean he was useful. Too little oxygen to the brain was the main reason for the life support machine, but stupidity and pride was the _real _reason the Sin was lying in the bed.

"We were about to steal the final materials when Trevor here literally jumped out of the car," Wrath explained. "He was complaining about something, but, honestly, I have no idea what." The boy shrugged, shifting sideways on the armrest when FS's elbow nearly hit him. "So, he jumped out and just walked off. Gluttony tried to call him back—even tempted him with a four course meal—but he just waved us off. Quite rudely, actually."

"Jaeger, what happened next?" FS asked, trying to hear things from both comrades. Wrath had a tendency to put things out of order and Stray was notorious for being vague. One way or another he'd get the truth.

"We got the materials next and when we returned to look for Trevor, he was long gone," the chef said, staring at the floor as he leaned against the doorframe. Exhaustion and frustration were only two of his emotions.

Sadness was a big one too.

"Why didn't you chase after him to begin with?"

"We scheduled our break-in around when they changed their security and that time was coming up fast. Besides, I honestly didn't think he'd run off."

"You didn't think _Sloth _would go anywhere?" the brunette emphasized, knowing that particular Sin did have a rebellious streak every now and then despite his obvious laziness.

"_Especially_ because it was Sloth."

FS sighed, getting to his feet—knocking Wrath off the chair in the process—and walking over to the window. The hothead said a few unfriendly words, but no one paid any attention. "Then what?"

"Well," Wrath began after he composed himself and sat down in the chair once the brunette left, "we searched the area, heard some gunshots, and came in on Sloth spilling his guts to some females. Not in the emotional sense, of course."

"Of course," FS muttered, merely humoring the boy, but then mentally kicking himself for doing it. That Sin had a big enough ego already.

"Then, I took Trevor back to the car, heard the cops coming, sped over to Gluttony, and we high-tailed it outta there. Oh, without the girls though."

"Yes, I think I realized that much, thank you." The brunette sighed again, wishing the headache would go away, but knowing that as long as the Sins were being so childish he'd be having plenty of migraines. "Now Logan, please go join Kross at the car. I'm sending you two—along with the building supplies—to outer space. Some SIN-ED engineers should be waiting for you near Jachin Due. There's an unused propulsion system there Zala's letting us use."

"What about Miato? He's the only one who really knows what he's doing," Wrath said, seemingly unperturbed by the assignment.

"The engineers should've gotten a head start, but I want you to begin with the basics—the mirror would be a good idea—until Miato gets there. He has a few more things to do on Sloth and then he's heading up. A day or so, I'm thinking," FS explained, waving Wrath out a moment later. The boy passed by Stray, offered a small wink and then ran down the hallway. A scream sounded from where the Sin fled, making his remaining comrades sigh, knowing the exclamation could've been from anything—sexual harassment being the highest on the list. Exhausted, he turned to his friend looking guilty in the doorway. "Why did you let them go?"

"I didn't; they fled."

"You had your chance to bring both in. Why didn't you?"

"You said we weren't going to take Lexi by force. Besides, I still think—"

"You're still on that?"

Stray blinked. Having gotten worked up during his last response, he stopped with his arms outstretched and leaning over Sloth's bed. Mouth agape, he only managed a faint reply, "W-what?" Was this really FS standing in front of him? The one who _promised _him they'd get Lexi back?

"You have to forget about that."

"Forget about what, Revelin?"

"Lexi; she's not coming."

That stung.

"What do you mean 'not coming'? You _said—_"

"Please, Jaeger," the brunette groaned, leaning over on the opposite side of the bed. Waiting for his comrade to reply, FS curled his hands into fists when a blank stare was his only response. "We can't trust her to—"

"What, you want me to kill her?" the chef interrupted, making fists of his own. _Now _he was going to give up? When they were so close?

"Do you _want _to kill her?"

"What kind of a question is that? No, dumbass."

This time it was the brunette's turn to stare. Stray had never been so disrespectful—let alone swear at him. Sure, FS should've anticipated such retaliation, but the SIN-ED leader knew Eclipse wasn't coming. There were more important things to worry about now. "At any rate, I'm sending you—"

"You're just going to change the subject?"

"_Stop _interrupting me." FS's look was sharp, and its meaning not lost on the stubborn chef. He knew when the brunette was serious even if some of the others had no idea. "I'm sending you to space with Logan and Kross, so go get ready."

"What? Just like that"

"Your little masquerades are getting my people slaughtered. Lust and I will handle things down here while you baby sit Wrath and the others up there."

"But Lexi is down here!"

"Damnit, if you say that one more time there'll be even more people wanting you disposed of." Silence. Who knew a simple statement could replace so much tension with the sickening sense of fear?

"'Disposed of?'" Stray asked, the statement squelching his anger for a moment. "Why would anyone—"

"Think about it; open your eyes and—y'know what? Better yet, just pack and follow Logan into the shuttle. For some reason, that Sin is still attached to you and you should be taking advantage of that. Lay low while you're up there and I'll see you in a few months."

"A few months?"

"Maybe less, but we have a _lot _to work on down here yet. Not to mention we don't even have all the supplies. Durandal and Zala can only do so much without drawing too much attention to themselves."

"But I can still be of some help—"

"Jaeger, please, this is getting terribly frustrating. For once, just don't argue with me and go." Stray was about to respond, but FS—fed up with the whole thing—silenced him with an outstretched hand and started leaving the room. If the chef really wanted to fight, he could do it at another time. Right then, the brunette was trying his hardest to keep everyone under control. Yes, certain members wanted Stray killed—and that was out of the question by FS's standards—but he could only do so much. They were down to four Sins: Pride, Gluttony, Wrath and Lust and the prospect of trying to find new replacements for the others made FS even more exhausted. Actually, he wasn't even sure if he was going to. No one else was eligible for the task—blame insanity and the large amount of youngsters for that one—so how could he put more people on the staff if they were going to do a half-assed job at best? Miato and Kross could fit in nicely, but neither of them wanted to step up. Most likely because they knew what had happened to their predecessors and the thought of getting dismembered wasn't so appealing. "A few months then," FS said to his comrade, patting him on the shoulder before exiting the room.

Stray watched him go, but made no movement to leave himself. It seemed so simple, and yet everyone was making it so complicated. _Talk Lexi into joining SIN-ED. Not so hard, right? Hah, it didn't seem hard until Revelin had Roan killed. That guy was obsessed with getting her, but now that he's gone, no one else gives a damn but me. We weren't even sure why he wanted her so badly and we just killed him anyway. Now look at what's happening, _the chef thought, chewing on his bottom lip as he sat down on the edge of the bed, _I'm getting blamed for something Revelin started in the first place. Sure, I want her back too, but how can he just give up like that? _Cursing, the boy looked around at the empty room, his eyes resting on the medical machine off to his left. _Lust and him are gonna stay here, huh? Damnit, all! Doesn't he realize Lust'll kill her for sure? _

Stray didn't get angry often—his close friends could vouch for that—so when he did, people in the vicinity had better hope he wasn't in arms reach of his knife collection in the kitchen. Well, needless to say, he wasn't in the kitchen, but his anger still came on strong. _FS, you better not kill her. And you, shut the hell up! _Spinning, he side-kicked the life support machine and sent it spiraling away. The chords stretched and the alarms blared just before it crashed into the wall. "Stupid sonofa—" Stray cursed and stomped out of the room, ignoring the nurses and Miato as they pushed passed him. Obviously, the chef did the damage, but no one bothered to accuse him of it.

Oh well, just another check to add to the "why kill Gluttony" list.

* * *

"Each of you will have your own transport. More room for the mobile suits, and this way we can all having a relaxing flight. I'm sure we have things we want to think about individually and whatnot," Athrun explained. It was an impromptu meeting with the newly formed Zala Team in the same classroom they all met Creuset the day before. Fate, some may call it, but convenience was more like it.

"So nice of you to think of our psychological welfare," Yzak grumbled, shifting uncomfortably in his chair across from and to Athrun's left. Nicol sighed to Yzak's right while Dearka smirked from the other half of the room next to Eclipse. The redhead decided to stay neutral.

"We're heading out in four hours. Be packed, with your mobile suit in the carrier, by then. Understood?"

"Sir!" Nicol and Eclipse said immediately, saluting respectively.

"Yes, commander," Dearka added, spitting out the title.

"Yeah, yeah," the last soldier grumbled before following the previous three out the door.

Athrun watched them go sadly, angry about the predicament, but also knowing there was nothing he could do. Yzak would act like a delinquent as long as he felt necessary and Dearka would follow along like a good flunkie. Surprisingly, the blonde _was _getting a personality—as far as Athrun could tell—but not enough to make him bearable. Sighing, the boy just scratched the back of his head and looked at the papers stacked in the folder near his left hand. Some of those papers were combat statistics from the previous battles, but most of the information was the stuff on Eclipse Creuset never got around to explaining. Not much, but enough to make him nervous. Did he really want to know?

Would things between them change if he did?

"What the hell was that, Yzak?" Eclipse spat, shoving the hothead sideways into the wall. "Can we retire the diapers already and buy you some boxers?"

"Hey, watch it! I'm sick of his superior act—"

"He's our _commander_," the redhead stressed. "If he doesn't act like that, I might as well get you _both _some training underwear."

"Would you stop calling me a baby? I just hate that—"

"Yes, jealousy sucks."

"Enough," Nicol stepped in, turning and literally pulling the two apart. The conversation had gotten so heated they were practically face-to-face. Face-to-chest was a more accurate visual, but Nicol didn't feel like getting on Eclipse's bad side. Yzak was doing fine with that already. "Don't you think it's about time we started acting like a team?"

"Hmpf, it's not that easy," the Duel pilot muttered, but still looked guilty for admitting it. Pride was a dangerous emotion and when combined with jealousy, it was close to the ugliest combination humanity could concoct.

"Alright, alright, Nicol has a point," Dearka said, finally speaking up. "If we want to defeat the 'Legged Ship', we have to start liking each other. Or at least agree on some form of toleration."

"The only ones who have issues are you two. So, yes, great advice, Dearka. Now, follow it." With that, Eclipse stormed off, leaving the rest of her team to wonder who shit in her omelet that morning.

"And now I'm thinking Athrun was on to something," the blonde said first. "Perhaps we need some alone time after all." Eclipse usually wasn't the hothead of the group—hell, she usually wasn't even emotional—but knowing what she had been through recently, none of them could blame her for the sudden fit of rage. If only she'd ask for their help, though.

Yzak nodded slowly and followed his friend down the hall. Nicol sighed and shook his head. They all had to get their act together if they wanted to defeat that Earth Forces ship. "It's all so ridiculous."

"What's ridiculous?" Athrun asked, meeting the boy in the hallway. The folder of papers was slipped under his arm, but the grim smile on his lips said he knew—or at least guessed—what had happened. "Never mind; let's get ready for transport."

* * *

"You should've taken her for a test drive at least," the head mechanic said, standing next to Eclipse as she made some quick adjustments. "You haven't even gone walking in the thing."

The redhead sighed, and—despite her foul mood—replied calmly. Maybe she was just exhausted. "I know, a lot of things came up and now there's no time. I'll take it out when we reach Carpentaria. All the information's been transferred?"  
"Sent and probably memorized by now."

"Good. Thanks."

"Yeah, sure, it's my job. I will admit, I really wanted to see this baby fly." Fixing his cap, the older man nodded a farewell and turned to go.

Eclipse thought she heard a sigh and before she could even stop herself, she became another victim of the famed word vomit. However, this kind didn't taste too bad. "I'll bring it around later. You'd better be here."

The mechanic laughed, stopping mid-step. Pivoting, he placed his hands on his hips and smiled. "I'll be around, but she'd better not have a scratch on her."

"Who, me or the Stealth?"

"The Stealth, of course," he said matter-of-factly. "I don't give a damn about you. I didn't _make _you."

"Are you sure? Apparently, I look nothing like my parents."

"No, trust me. Kids like you are the reason I never spawned."

Eclipse laughed, the laptop nearly falling off her legs in the process at such a blunt comment. It could've been because of his choice of vocabulary, but the look on his face was priceless too. He was serious. She tried to respond, but resorted to more laughter the second he winked and walked away.

Maybe she'd miss him after all.

"Coffee Addict, switching to outward maintenance. Ending OS walkthrough," the redhead muttered between grins. It was hard to stay professional when his joke was still echoing in the back of her mind.

"Stealth acknowledges. Closing all interior maintenance and awaiting further instructions," the mechanical voice replied, sounding a tad more stoic than the redhead remembered, but she wasn't about to complain. Perhaps she was just getting used to the monotone, or even on the verge of liking it. After all, monotone meant there was nothing emotional going on behind the scenes and that she could handle. There was so much emotional drama in her life now she was nearly drowning in it.

It was nice to be given the cold shoulder.

Letting out a slight groan, Eclipse got to her feet. While her wounds weren't bothering her too much, they were still there and noticeable. Her back was giving her the most trouble, even offering a restless night for her troubles. Well, she had no one to blame but herself and if it wasn't for her lack of energy—or even working appendages—she'd be training. SIN-ED _did _have her running ragged lately.

"Coffee Addict, I plan on making some adjustments to the wiring in the left arm and then fixing the energy output in the OS."

"Acknowledged." While the Hyper-impulse cannon was an impressive weapon to have, she honestly wasn't sure how often she'd use it. Yes, she never really took the Stealth out in battle yet, but if she was forced to use the positronic weapon, her battery would be drained to a point she wouldn't be comfortable with. She knew there was a way to decrease the cannon's power output as well as shift it to have a more practical use than just obliterating mobile suits. Overkill wasn't something she enjoyed. Well, at least her human side.

The Berserker loved it.

_Maybe I could have it shoot electrons instead, _she mused, hoisting the lift up the Stealth's left arm. _Hey, that's it!_ Stopping, she stared at the elbow joint and smiled. A few adjustments here and there she'd be able to have an outward, energy transfer as well as a relatively powerful attack weapon. The whole thing could be controlled from the cockpit—which made things easier in a battle situation—but how she altered the energy output depended on how much battery life she wanted to lose on each execution. _Not as strong of an attack, _she admitted, deciding to decrease the output and save the battery,_ but having a taser might not be too bad. It'll only be for emergencies, after all._ Nodding to herself, she began removing the armor panels near the joint, silently groaning when she saw all the wiring inside. If there was one thing she hated about fixing suits, was all the damned, colorful rubber tubes inside of them. However, it was amazing when by moving one or two wires, the suit could take serious damage. Hence Breck's BuCUE in the simulation. Snip and move the right tubes and, bam, there's a totaled unit. Muttering something under her breath, she reached inside and got creative.

Eclipse had no idea how long she had been working. In fact, she didn't even have a chance to look at the clock. Who knew it could take three hours to sort through an electrical labyrinth?

"Eclipse, may I talk to you for a minute?"

That startled her. Not only was she concentrating so hard the rest of the world had drowned out, but the voice was vaguely familiar. Turning around, she realized it was, in fact, terribly familiar. "Yzak?"

The Duel pilot looked reluctant to be there—embarrassed even—but why, the redhead wasn't sure. However, the look wasn't really comforting. "I'd like to talk to you about what happened in the hallway."

"Okay—sure—hold on." Taking a few moments to reattach the metal plate she removed, Eclipse flipped some switches and slowly descended to the hanger floor. She wiped the sweat drops from her forehead before leaning on the railing, not bothering to completely leave the lift. After all, she planned on going back up.

Sighing, Yzak scratched the back of his head before crossing his arms over his chest and looking off to his right. "I'm sorry." The redhead blinked, but didn't say anything. That was a surprise. "I know I can get a bit touchy when it comes to Athrun and—well—there was no reason for me to take it out on you."

"You didn't take it out on me, though. You do realize I was sticking up for Athrun, right?"

"Yes, I know, but you're right, I _do_ take things out on him way too much."

_What the hell? _Eclipse thought, almost saying it aloud, but withheld the comment. Yzak was apologizing. To the wrong person maybe, but apologizing nonetheless. Now she smiled. "Yes, you do, and you should really start thinking about that."

"I think about it—sure—but acting on it's another story. We've had a rivalry for a long time, you see, and—well—he won."

"He didn't win, Yzak."

"Yes, he did. Eclipse, think about it. _Why _did Commander Le Creuset choose him? What has he got, I don't?"

The redhead sighed, really wishing she wasn't the one he had come to on this particular subject. What was she supposed to say? Well, the truth usually worked. "He has a calm head—for starters—and I might even say more experience, but that's not necessarily true. See, you act more on impulses and Athrun thinks things through a bit more. When facing the 'Legged Ship', the commander was probably thinking we need more of a tactical leader than just one who relies on strength."

"So, you mean he chose Athrun not because he's better than me, but because he likes his methods for this situation better than mine?"

Eclipse nodded, smiling slightly at his change of appearance. He looked pleased with that explanation—thank goodness—and, frankly, it made sense. Yzak would be a fine commander, the redhead knew, but when facing opponents with as much strength and skill as the _Archangel_¸ they couldn't afford to rely merely on luck and muscles. Finesse maybe, but not pure power.

"Alright, I guess that sounds logical."

"Glad to hear it. You'll back off then?"

The Duel pilot smiled then, more of a devilish smirk, but an interesting look nonetheless. "We're still rivals, Eclipse; I can't let him off so easily. If you're telling me he's only won round one, then I'm gonna win round two for sure. But," he began when the redhead sighed loudly, "I just _might _cut him a break. Might."  
_That's the most I can expect, I guess, _she thought, but couldn't help but smile. Yzak could be a dick at times, but some moments—like now—he seemed like a whole different person. She knew he'd never stop picking on Athrun, but toning it down was a good idea, especially if they were on the same team. Now they had to rely on one another and having fist fights every time a decision had to be made was going to get ridiculous, not to mention a huge leap backwards.

"So, you ready to take off? Since you seem tangled in all this wiring, I'm thinking not."

"H-huh? What time is it?"

"We're leaving in a half hour."

"What?"

"Yup, I'd get moving if I were you."

Wide-eyed, Eclipse nearly fell off the lift. Given, it was flat on the ground, but still a face plant on cement wasn't an appealing injury, especially since she had so many other scraps and bruises to worry about. "I take it you've already loaded the Duel?"

"For once, I was thinking ahead and you were the one stuck daydreaming."

"I wasn't daydreaming."

"Well, that's good to know." He smiled slightly and the redhead just cocked an eyebrow. This was a weird situation. "C'mon, I'll help you get this thing onto the carrier."

And it got weirder.

"_You're _going to help me?"

"Why, does that sound strange?"

"Only a bit." Sighing, Eclipse threw up her hands in defeat. Yzak didn't understand why his offer was causing so much confusion, the Stealth was only halfway through adjustments, and they had to be off this base in less than a half hour. She had no choice but to give in. "Coffee Addict, we're transferring to the carrier. We'll stabilize the left elbow in there and finish the OS when we reach Carpentaria. Our top priority is getting us off this base on time."

"Understood. Stealth heading out."

"Who the hell are you talking to?" the Duel pilot asked, deciding not to delve into her mental stability. The picture of that medic in Banadiya was still fresh in his mind. Quickly, he glanced around for any sharp objects and when his eyes rested on a few mechanic tools, he gulped. "You're not going psycho on me, are you?"

"Huh? Psycho?" Eclipse didn't have time to explain after that, her mobile suit taking a step forward on its way to the hangar exit.

"What the fu—" was all Yzak managed, having to dive out of the way before a huge, metal foot squashed him in his short moment of sentimentality. Either the Stealth was still getting used to moving on its own, or it didn't like anyone calling its pilot names. Considering the redhead's record, the comment was well-placed, but the Stealth didn't know that yet. Well, it would know firsthand soon enough.

"I don't think my suit likes you."

"I-it's moving on its own?"

"Courtesy of my genius of a brother. C'mon, we'd better catch up to it. I'll explain as we run."

* * *

"The flight is going to take a while, so get comfortable," was all Eclipse heard before the pilots got the carrier into the air. The Stealth was safely in the transport and, thanks to Yzak's helping hand, the left elbow joint was secure. If anything was to happen to them during the flight—a random encounter, for example—she could at least put up a decent fight without worrying about the unit falling apart on her.

Comforting.

Kind of.

Sitting down in one of the many offered seats, she just sighed. While some personal time may've been appreciated—needed even—for the other individuals on the team, Eclipse was starting to think otherwise. Probably, because she now had time to dwell on the things she was purposely avoiding. It was easy to forget her psychological instability when she was talking to her mobile suit, but now there was nothing but silence. _I should've stolen that guy, Shani's, music player,_ she thought. _Music would be a welcome distraction right now. _Accepting her lack of good fortune, she opened her laptop. There was some saved information from her previous searches—stuff on SIN-ED she said she'd get to later—but still not enough to keep her occupied for the whole eight hours it would take to get to Carpentaria. _Maybe I'll write Namarra a letter, _she mused, but shook off the idea immediately.

After all, she didn't want a return one.

Drumming her fingers impatiently on the armrest, she gazed out the window as the carrier breached the clouds. A sight, to be sure, and not one that's beauty was lost on the rather unoccupied redhead. She had always loved flying—and all her transports were enjoyable for just that reason—so watching the clouds hang below her was beginning to be a relaxing pastime. The sun was off to her right—causing no major comfort issues from her sitting position—and the interesting shadow the carrier cast on the clouds made her smiled. _We look like a crane_, she mused. The colors in the sky were gorgeous, but what was even more interesting were the small patches of Earth seen through the clouds. Not much was down there—mainly desert sands since they were still above the upper part of Africa—but the thought of being up so high gave the girl a sense of power. However, seeing the dunes rippling below, Eclipse had to turn away, not ready to face them so easily just yet. By this time, her laptop had warmed up, displaying the bland, ZAFT logo as her background and the various icons she had never bothered to click on.

Perhaps she should have.

Boredom could've been the reason she paid extra attention to them this time—stalling being another—but whatever caused the inquiry, three new icons had appeared since the last time she had opened the machine. _When did I use this last? _she thought, realizing her arrival in Banadiya was probably the most recent time. _That's interesting; I don't remember putting these here. _ They were all worded documents and simply named "Eclipse 1", "Eclipse 2", and "Apology". Blinking, the redhead clicked on "Eclipse 1".

"Simple, Good, And Quick Coffee Recipes," she read aloud, surprised with the sudden burst of laughter that hit her system. Waltfeld had obviously written the document, and the fact that he had bothered to hack into her personal computer to write such a thing meant he took her love for his addiction seriously. That was both funny and even cute at the same time. Just imagining him breaking into her room to steal the computer brought more laughter—most likely Aisha did it for him—enough to cause some happy tears. "Alright Waltfeld, what did you put?"

_Haven't named this one: _

Mix 1 1/2c of hot chocolate

2c of Italian coffee

3tsp orange extract.

Interesting blend, but you need to have a liking for oranges. Mess around with the extract yourself.

_Irish coffee: _

2c of strong coffee (Espresso is good)

2tbsp of orange juice

2tsp of lemon juice.

This is another fruity one, but I think you'll actually like it. Try switching the amounts of orange and lemon juice. It tastes good that way too.

And the recipes went on, the commander adding in comments here and there to explain his reasoning. There was an interesting area at the end where he went into alcohol mixtures, causing the redhead to smile again. "Only when you're of age!" he stressed, but then added in a few lines down, "When you're with me, though, it doesn't matter."

Taking a few more moments to enjoy the document, Eclipse closed it and went on to the one labeled "Eclipse 2." _Oh boy, _she thought. _What's this one gonna be? Fashion sense?_ "Tips On Love: How to Find It and How to Avoid It," the title read, Aisha's name typed just below. This, the redhead only chuckled at, feeling a bit solemn rather than happy. Here was solid advice, and, honestly, Eclipse wished she could've heard it in person.

Step one: Strike up a conversation. (Don't forget to ask his name if there's no formal introduction. Awkwardness is never fun.)

Step two (part 1): If interested, flirt.

Step two (part 2): If not interested, run away fast. (Just kidding. Actually be nice about it, okay?)

Step three: Smile. (This could be involved with step two, but just remember it. You have a pretty smile, Eclipse.)

Step four: First date. (Remember, not everyone is obsessed with coffee. That _can _get rather old after a while. Oh, don't tell Andy I said that.)

Step five: Kiss. (Oh, stop blushing! Fact of love, honey.)

Step six: You're on your own. (I won't tell you what to do from here on out, but—hey—maybe you'll get to ask me, right? Oh, but steer clear of Yzak and Dearka when they start throwing their clothes around. I wouldn't want to walk in on any risky business next time.)

_How to Avoid it:_

Step one: Don't

Step two: Follow step one. (Honestly, Eclipse, you close yourself off way too much. Sure, I think you _can _love but you choose not to. And, no, being friends doesn't count. You know what kind of 'love' I'm getting at here. If you've made enemies, apologize. If you've found prospects, think about it.)

The redhead smiled, going on to read some smaller tips at the bottom of the page. Yes, she really wished she could've been able to talk to Aisha about all of it personally. _But wait, _she blinked, _when did I turn into a sap? _ Chuckling, Eclipse closed the document and opened the last one labeled "Apology." This one was from DaCosta.

_Yeah, sorry for hacking into this thing, but I watched the other two do it and figured you deserved some kind of apology for the trouble. I debated deleting what they wrote and pretending like nothing happened, but it looked like some positive guidance. Can't argue with good intentions. Anyway, I'm sorry. They didn't look at anything personal—at least I don't think so—and all of the files are still intact. Blame me for mentioning the new shipment of champagne in the village and for running out to get it. I had no idea this was how the night would turn out. _

_Oh, on a happy note. I was talking with the commander the morning after this whole escapade—I don't even think he had a hangover—and we're thinking of keeping you on permanently. We'll talk about this another time, but I just wanted to get the gears moving. _

After the two messages before, the redhead couldn't even feel sad about this. She suspected the transfer, but—most likely—Creuset wouldn't have allowed it. No surprise. _They were sweet for thinking of it, though_, she thought with a smile and closed the last document. _Honestly, I wouldn't give up that time for anything. _Nodding, Eclipse searched through her saved documents and pulled up the information on SIN-ED. It was a drastic change in subject matter, but in order to keep her other friends from dying, she _had _to know what they were up to, or at least have a few guesses. _FS, Stray, how did it come to this? Aisha says don't avoid love of any kind and here I am trying to break ours apart. FS, I really need to talk to you. There has to be something—anything—I can say to change all of this._

* * *

In the end, the flight didn't seem to take eight hours. Part of that could've been blamed on Eclipse falling asleep three hours in and the other part on the panic a water battle caused when the transports just missed it by ten minutes. If they had left any later, all five of the redcoats may have been inadvertently involved.

Well, there were supposed to be five.

"Why hasn't Athrun landed yet?" Dearka asked, running to catch up with the other three standing near Nicol's transport. "The Buster is already in the hangar and he still hasn't showed?"

"I've been wondering the same thing," the Blitz pilot admitted.

"It's only been a half hour. Maybe he got the slow driver," Yzak muttered, turning to walk away from the group, but the redhead stopped him.

"If you're leaving, go find out what's happened. If anything you can get on the transmission line."

"Yeah, Eclipse's got a point," Nicol said, fixing the Duel pilot with a hard stare. "I don't like this; something's wrong."

"Honestly, I agree. You all got the message about that battle, right? Do you think he got involved somehow?" Dearka wondered, turning from one comrade to another. "If he needs backup—"

"Alright, alright, I'll go see what I can find out. You guys just wait in a briefing room, or something. I'll contact you when I know more, how's that?" Yzak grumbled, walking off without waiting for an answer and flailing his arms in defeat.

Eclipse smiled. "He's worried."

"That's obvious," the blonde added. "But let's do as he says, just case he really _is _pissed off." The remaining two nodded, all three walking past the transports and into the Carpentaria headquarters.

It was another twenty minutes to a half hour before Yzak opened the door to the briefing room. Inside, Nicol had been staring out the huge, bay window and Dearka had been reading on the only couch. Eclipse sat on the coffee table across and to the right of him, watching the other two as well as run through some scenarios in her head. If something had gone wrong, the Stealth wouldn't be able to do much. Not even she knew how the adjustments—half finished—affected her battery life. She might have been able to flee from a scrape during transport but to send her out for a full-scale battle would be suicide.

Hopefully, everything was okay.

"Yzak, heard anything about Athrun?" Nicol asked, walking towards the Duel pilot as he closed the door.

"Members of the Zala Team," he began, "I'm here to give you an update on this honorable team's first mission." His tone and choice of endearments bothered the redhead, but she kept silent. They had already talked about his attitude. "There could be no mission of greater importance that this." He paused, building up as much tension as he could muster out of the small group. No doubt he'd get slapped for it later, but, at the moment, it was worth it. "We are to rescue our leader."

_Damnit_, Eclipse cursed as Dearka immediately started laughing. Nicol, however, didn't seem as pleased as his blonde comrade. In fact, he looked pissed.

"I suppose it's not his fault since it was his transport plane that threw him out," Yzak went on. "Anyway, HQ is too busy right now, so it's up to _us _to find him."

"Oh boy, our team's certainly off to an incredible start," Dearka mused, setting his book down on his lap and shaking his head. Yes, things were getting interesting, but they didn't have to sound so heartless. Nicol—silently fuming in the corner—seemed to agree.

"But, since the sun is about to set, we'll start our search tomorrow."

"You're kidding?" the musician snapped, cutting in after Yzak with an intimidating look on his face. Even the silver-haired boy rocked back on his heels.

"Calm down, he's in the Aegis, so I wouldn't worry too much, if I were you," Dearka countered, aiming to get a hold of the situation. Either that or he felt bad about his laughter a few moments before and was trying to make up for it. "Even if he _did _take a fall, it's not like he fell through the atmosphere."

"Maybe not, but we landed in ally territory and on land," Eclipse said, knowing the Buster pilot was referring to their recent experience with space travel. "Yzak, did his transport leave later than us?" The boy nodded. "Then he must've run into the battle we nearly missed. If that's the case, he could be shot down right now and we're sitting on our asses making fun of him for it."

"If he was in a lot of trouble, he would've contacted HQ by now and we would've heard something," Dearka argued.

"Alright then," Yzak cut in, willing to end the dispute before anyone else could speak up, "there you have it. We'll stay here over night and then set sail tomorrow when the next carrier sub is ready." He didn't even wait for a reply, turning and walking out of the room as his blonde sidekick grabbed his book and hurried after him.

"We can never do things the easy way, can we?" Nicol asked, plopping down on the couch across from Eclipse once the other two had left. Staring out the window, the boy issued another sigh. Yes, he really wanted to go find Athrun, but, despite the callous approach to the situation, Yzak had a point. There was no way they'd find him at night, so all they could do was sit around and wait.

Frustrating.

"Life would be so boring if everything came easy," Eclipse responded, sighing as she shifted uncomfortably on the table. "They do have a point though, he should be fine."

"Yes, I know that just as well as you, but still…" the pilot trailed off and tried getting to his feet.

"Trying" meaning the redhead pulled him back down by the cuff of his sleeve. "Just relax; there's no use getting all worked up over it."

"What, you're not worried in the _least_?"

"Well, I can worry all I want but that won't make him walk through the door. Besides, I have to keep convincing myself he knows what he's doing. Commander or no, he has his moments."

"As do we all."

Eclipse sighed, nodding slowly. "And most we regret," she whispered. Nicol didn't seem to hear her—which could've been a good thing—but since her apology was long overdue, the redhead figured this was as good of time as any. "I'm sorry, Nicol."

"For what?" the boy asked, turning a confused look her way. Judging by his initial reaction, Eclipse would say he really had no idea, but there was no way he forgot something like her immature behavior back at Gibraltar.

Or was she the only one it bothered?

"Before—at the Stealth—when I blew you off," she explained. "You were only trying to help and I practically threw a wrench at your face."

"I don't remember any wrench, but don't worry about it; I pressured you into it anyway. I should've stopped to think how uncomfortable you felt."

Pausing, she blinked, and then started laughing. Not a full-out laugh, but one cute enough to make Nicol's stomach do a flip.

He liked that sound.

"_You're _saying sorry to _me_? Definitely not something I expected."

"Well," the pilot began, his mood lifting. It felt good to see her smile again. "I really think you should at least talk about it. Now, I'm no psychiatrist, but having something that huge eating you up can't be healthy."

"No, it probably isn't, but don't worry. I've—uh—gotten it out of my system already," the redhead stammered, looking away when the memory flashed across her mind's eye. Hiding a blush, she tried not to think about Athrun as her teammate started talking again.

"That's a pretty vague answer, although, I won't press the matter further. But, Eclipse, you _are _going to be okay, right? You _do _know none of that was your fault?" The concern was expected, hell, even the question was, but when Nicol reached over and placed his hand on top of hers, she nearly jumped from her seat.

What was it with her and awkward situations?

"Y-yeah, I-I know."

"Do you? Because I really need you to. Eclipse, you can't blame yourself for something beyond your control."

Ironically, she almost snapped at him. It could've been the immature gene kicking in her system again, but her guilt was another possibility. The fact was—like Namarra mentioned before—the battle _was _under her control.

She just blew it.

"What if I could prove to you it was my fault?" Eclipse began, looking down to the floor after she made the comment. At first she regretted it. After all, what good would it do to open that can again? She had already cried to Athrun—that was embarrassing enough—and doing the same thing to Nicol was out of the question. Actually, she wasn't even sure she could. Athrun was different than this boy next to her; different in how he boggled her feelings. Knowing that, Nicol may not get the same pleasure—if that was what she could call it—of seeing her shed a few tears.

"Eclipse, no matter what happened—what you did or didn't do—the outcome would've been the same. Commander Waltfeld made a choice. While it may not have been the right one, you didn't _make _him want to fight the Strike. Just like you didn't _make _Aisha fight with him. Sure, you could've fired one more shot or evaded to the left instead of the right, but they still _made _that choice. So," the pilot continued, intrigued by the surprised look on the redhead's face. Somehow he thought she would've known all of this by now. "You saying you can _prove _it's your fault, is just plain bullshit. Feeling slight guilt is expected, but to outright blame yourself is selfish and not to mention unhealthy. A mechanic can be at as much fault as you and you would have no idea because you're _convinced _you should've pressed the trigger one more time." Nicol sighed, watching the conflicting emotions dance across her features. Guilt and sadness were still there, but anger and uncertainty were starting to flare up as well.

A combo that terrified him.

"You can't second-guess yourself; you know that right? I didn't think I had to tell you this—seeing as you said something similar to Athrun—but death is part of war; part of life. Humans need it to know how to truly live."

"When did you get so philosophical?" she asked, smiling slightly to ease the tension. The conversation was going in a direction she really wasn't comfortable with, but he made a lot of good points. Thing was, she'd never readily admit to them. "Tell me, you can talk about death so easily. Why? Out of everyone here, I'd think you'd have the hardest time, or at least put a little more emotion into it. You talk as if it's so practical."

"I don't have to like it, but death is a part of life."

"Yes, I know. Maybe what I mean is, you're just so—how can I put this—kindhearted. Soldiers like Yzak and Dearka I expect to be in the military, and to be high-ranking pilots too, but not you. At least people like you," she added after a moment, not wanting to sound offensive, but not wanting him to miss her point either. "Why are you here?"

Nicol didn't seem hurt by the accusation, merely shrugging. "Thank you for the compliment, but my reasoning is—well—kind of complicated. I don't want to, and yet feel—what's the word—obligated? Does that work? Y'know what, let me get back to you on that one. I'm sure I have some grand explanation somewhere."

"Hmpf, I wish I did," the redhead admitted, smiling sadly at his confused expression. "I'm just here; maybe because I have to be, maybe because I want to be. Or maybe, I just don't know what I'd do if I wasn't. Have you ever felt like that? Like there's no where else you belonged?"

"Honestly? No." Eclipse frowned, and the musician put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "You see, there's always somewhere you belong and in war is definitely not the place. If you haven't found it yet, I'm sorry to hear that, but I _know _you're close. You've really changed, Eclipse, and not for the worse."

* * *

They all left early in the morning as scheduled. Dearka and Yzak were a tad grouchy, but the remaining two were wide awake. A storm had passed through the early part of the night, causing both Eclipse and Nicol some restless hours. "He'll be fine," they had to remind each other when they had ironically met in the hallway. "It's just a little thunderstorm." The blonde and Duel pilot, apparently, had slept very soundly that night, but neither of the younger redcoats bought it. After all, they were all in a hurry to be off.

They decided to go in hour shifts, two in the air, and two in the submarine. First off, the team checked the radar, hoping to catch sight of a distress signal, but the N-Jammers were messing with the airwaves, making it practically impossible to tell if something was a distress signal, or just a technical joke. Nothing definite at port, Nicol and Eclipse boarded one-man helicopters, taking off in opposite directions, but still being sure not to stray too far from the submarine. "Communications check," Dearka said through his headset, nodding to Yzak beside him when both redcoats replied with an affirmative.

All four knew it was going to be hard. One, small mobile suit in such a large searching area was hard to find. They thought they had made some progress during the second hour when a distress signal was finally picked up, but it was the transport plane that had kicked Athrun out in the first place. Both pilots were relatively unharmed and quite angry about the whole ordeal. Nicol listened to their report as Eclipse manned the communication line, but they didn't even know their own coordinates let alone where they had dropped the Aegis. The Blitz pilot sighed about that, but there wasn't much he could do. He was just happy to know there was a chance he was still alive. After all, the transport had downed the attacking aircraft.

"What's that, Dearka?" the redhead asked, sending Nicol to her side immediately. "Dearka, repeat."

"I see some floating debris about two kilometers away and at your one o'clock. I'm thinking it's leftovers from the battle yesterday. There isn't much of it and it's pretty scarce. The storm could've washed this from anywhere."

"So, we probably haven't even reached the battle area yet?" Eclipse muttered.

The blonde sighed on the other end of the communication. "Looks like it. Any good news from those transport pilots?"

"No, nothing. Everything was too hectic to know any precise coordinates and the carrier's too beat up to look in its computer filing."

"How about from Yzak?"

"Nope, he's come out dry too. It's time for shift change, anyway. Come on in and grab something to eat."

"At least there's good news from someone."

The redhead smiled lightly and called Yzak in for the same. She didn't receive as happy of a reply, but he did readily obey. "Nicol, anything new on the radar?"

"Negative. Nothing prominent at least."

"Anything close we can head for right away? A start is better than nothing."

"Nope, still a negative. Our best bet might be the debris Dearka found." Sighing, Eclipse could only agree. If any part of the Aegis was in the junk the blonde found, he would have said something. The thing was, would they find more further out?

They all took a quick breakfast and fueled the helicopters before changing pilots. Yzak took the communications, and Dearka asked the transport pilots a few more questions he had thought of during the meal. _Anything _to help.

Again, nothing to report. Eclipse and Nicol had followed the debris trail, but—as they all suspected—it was only random blotches for the next four kilometers. Nothing looked from the Aegis—finally, a good thing—but there was no sign of an island or anything to land on safely either.

Not very comforting.

"Yzak, I'm gonna try the airwaves again. How's the radar looking?"

"Still nothing, Nic—wait. Radar, what d'ya see?"

"It's not strong, but it's consistent, sir."

"Where at?" Dearka asked, joining his comrade on the bridge.

"About three kilometers south, southwest from our position, sir."

"Nicol—"

"Heading over there now, Yzak. Eclipse, rendezvous."

"Roger that. Nicol, still go on the airwaves. I'll try on my end too."

"Understood," the musician confirmed, a small bit of adrenaline pumping into his system. The end of their shift was only five minutes away, but with such a discovery, there was no way he was just going to ignore it. "Athrun! Athrun, do you copy?" No response. The first seven attempts came back static as well, but there was no way they would quit. Eclipse spotted a ration bag in the water, offering some kind of comfort. At least they were headed in the right direction. "Athrun, can you hear me? Please respond!"

"Nicol, that you?" a voice replied, cutting in and out as the boy spoke, but it was definitely their lost teammate.

"Athrun! What a relief! We'll get a fix on you from this transmission. Yzak—"

"Way ahead of you, Nicol. You and Eclipse hold your positions for now. We'll feed you the information here pretty quick." The silver-haired boy sighed, pulling off the headset and slinking down into an offered chair. "It's about damn time."

* * *

"You're always getting hurt aren't you?" Athrun stated more than asked, looking over at his redheaded comrade. Eclipse could tell that he was in a good mood, but why she honestly didn't know. It had only been a few hours since Nicol and she found him and the Aegis on a small island literally in the middle of nowhere, but since then, he had been pretty calm and light-hearted. Yzak and Dearka had given him his full of insults when they arrived back in Carpentaria, but even after all of that, there was still the slightest hint of a smile on his lips.

The pilot had been ordered to check in at the infirmary even though he was, obviously, unharmed after the fall and day out on his own. She knew his superiors were just being overly cautious, but when it came to the Chairman of Defense's son—as well as a commanding officer—things like paranoia were standard procedure.

"Not always. See, I don't have much in my first aid kit and—after your little escapade—I thought I should stock up. Who knows when you're going to end up missing again?"

"Hah, nice to know there's someone always watching out for me."

That was an interesting comment to make, but Eclipse let it slide. The awkwardness could've come from his good mood, but for some reason, he seemed a tad off. But off in a good direction. "Uh, sir, are you okay?"

"Huh? Yeah, they just have me do this because—well—I'm not sure why they're making me do this."

"Not health wise—well, physical health—I'm wondering why you're in such a good mood. N-not that I'm not glad you are," she stammered and blushed, turning away before her face could say something she dared not even comprehend.

"I just had an…interesting experience," he admitted vaguely, walking past her and further into the room. Reaching up into one of the cupboards he pulled down some wrapping and set it down on the empty desk before unbuttoning his jacket.

"W-what are you doing?"

"What? Oh, I have a gunshot wound—relax, it's just a graze. I need to fix the bandage though." Obviously, the seriousness of the injury wasn't exactly what the redhead was worried about, but when he only go as far as his blue undershirt, she sighed of relief. "Hey, Eclipse?"

"Yeah? What?" she asked, trying to look occupied with her med kit. Actually, she had already filled it to capacity, but would've felt embarrassed if she attempted to leave.

"Thanks for coming to find me."

"You didn't think we would?" she chuckled, turning to face him this time. He was smiling, a small grin, but a genuine one at least. In fact, it was almost sad. "Athrun, what happened?"

"Sorry, I'm just wondering why things have to be like they are. Why Junius 7 had to be destroyed, why the prototypes had to be stolen, why you have to chase SIN-ED, and why—" He stopped, and judging by the look on his face, he may have been trying to talk about that boy Kira; the one Lacus had spoken so fondly of and the one this boy was so troubled over. She almost brought it up, but was cut off. "How did things end up like this?"

"I think you're asking the wrong person," Eclipse admitted. "I've been trying to figure that out for the longest time."

"If we weren't in ZAFT—weren't fighting a war—what kind of people do you think we'd be?"

"Innocent. Or at least as innocent as a teenager can be."

That made him laugh a bit, but there was something still troubling him. He fumbled with the words for a moment, thinking things over in his head. "Are the Naturals really to blame?" There it was, the question that had probably been eating at him ever since he was found on that island.

But what was the answer?

"What do _you_ think?"

"But I'm asking you."

"And I'm asking you because the only answer that matters, is yours. I can't tell you what to think."

Again, he smiled, this time flashing a little teeth and making Eclipse straighten in surprise. "You remind me of someone, y'know that?"

* * *

_**A/N:**_ Hey all, glad to be back at writing this story again. I had a bit of a break with homework and practically finished this thing in a day. O.o Well, at least made the appropriate fill-ins and somehow it makes sense. Anyway, it's a bit slow and a bit long. Not sure if that's a good combo yet, but the good news is, next chapter we should be getting to Orb! Finally! Let's hear a big hurrah for the home team! Yeah, I never thought it'd take me at least 33 chapters to get there… And looking back, it probably should've taken me more. Ah well, we'll worry about all that in the rewrite. O.o

I really had no idea what to name this chapter, so if it's lacking a bit in the "wow" factor, that's the reason. Also, I never noticed until now I have three chapters in a row starting with the letter 'A'. Hm… Well anyway, sorry for the less than enthusiastic title.

Month long breaks is probably what you're gonna have to be expecting from me for a while. I _do _have a class where I can write most of the material—gotta love powerpoint lectures—but there's only so much I can do in an hour and a half. Figure too, most of that is jotting down notes. At any rate, I'm hoping to start the next chapter really soon. I've got a few ideas already and it's just a matter of making it work in the grand scheme of things.

Speaking of the "grand scheme of things," if anything seems off, please let me know. I have a tendency to get ahead of myself, so, yeah, let me have it. My betas are awesome at this, but everyone has a different opinion, so feel free to share.

Oh, and for the ones who _do _share, thanks! I love hearing from all of you! I will admit, the repertoire of reviewers I have scares me shitless. All of you guys know what you're doing—technical wise, but you're all kickass writers too—and I get so stressed out with whether or not the story makes sense _to you guys_. I have an idea of what I want, but then I always think, "But will _they _buy it?" Hm, not sure if that's a good thing or not, but damn, thanks guys. A good thanks, of course, because—hey—I'd be sitting alone in a corner and pouting if it wasn't for all your helpful advice.

And on to betas. If you don't have one, get one. They're Godsends who deserve a lot more credit than I can give and a lot more candy than I can afford. Or maybe I should up the gifts to alcohol… Oh, wait, even more expensive… Anyway, I can't go anywhere without them. _Death-Scimitar, CSSStravag , _and _Maderfole_, a huge thank you is all I can give for now, but you never know when my luck—as poor as it

Wanna hear a cool note about my betas. They each looked the draft over rather closely and none of them came up with the same mistakes/corrections. O.o Yay for betas!

* * *

_**Questions/Grips:**_

_OrangeP47: _The police thing was my "get the hell out" scenario, so I never really thought on past the—well—"get the hell out" part. They probably won't come for her (_Maderfole_ had a good point about her military status) but even if they did, they'd have more to pin on her than just two elderly people. O.o

_Asmus (and a bunch of others): _Druggies, yes, I like Druggies. Not to mention one of the—about to be—main characters is a Druggie. Hard to just write off a huge—uh—race if a character is one. Not _entirely _sure how much I'm gonna do with them, but I want to focus more on their personalities and "family" time than just their battle scenes. I'll try to give them some kind of human qualities, don't worry.

_Lots of reviewers: _Yeah, I realize Eclipse stitching her wounds may have gone a bit past the "badass" and slipped into the "not possible" realm. For that, I'm sorry. I got a bit carried away, I guess. O.o

* * *

A big thank you to all who participated in the poll and I'll still keep it up for a while if anyone wants to say their two cents. As of right now, the number one pick has a _four_ (What the hell?) way tie: Nicol, Heine, Yzak, and Jaeger/Stray. Ironically, two of those die in the original series, so I'm thinking you people want me to sway from the main story line a bit. Well, we'll see. I have most of this story mapped out, but there might be some room for changes. ;)

Thanks again to all for all the reads and reviews!

_Strata_


	34. Everything's a Piece of Shit

Everything's a Piece of Shit

Athrun's escapade—thank goodness—didn't cause as much of an uproar as the team anticipated. Well, at least in the grand scheme of things. Yzak and Dearka went off every now and again, making a few jokes about the event, but that was normal; however the other three redcoats still wondered if they'd ever change.

Eclipse grumbled about that on the way out to see her machine. Apparently, the mechanics had been so eager to see the Stealth they had been running random tests almost nonstop since they had landed. The good thing about the intervention was the little things on her suit that needed adjustment were—well—adjusted, but now she had to go back and make sure everything was up to her standards.

After all, she was still a picky pilot.

"Glad to see you finally showed up," one of the mechanics yelled, motioning the redhead over to the computer. "Your suit is one fine piece of shit."

"Is that a good piece of shit, or a bad piece of shit?" Eclipse asked, standing next to the younger guy. He had blonde and spiky—on the verge of comical—hair with fair skin and brown eyes. The rolled up fabric on both his arms and legs only added to the sight, having him look more like a farm boy than a top mechanic. Actually, the redhead thought the look suited him.

"A good piece of shit, of course."

"I never knew a 'piece of shit' to be a positive phrase."

"You haven't? Ever taken a dump?"

"What the hell are you two talking about?" Dearka asked, reluctantly entering the conversation. He debated staying out of it—not really knowing why it was going in such a direction—but had a sudden 'Prince Charming' moment and felt he had to save the fair damsel.

Hah, don't say that to her face.

"Nothing," the redhead responded.

"Shit," the mechanic said at the same time, smiling smugly about the whole ordeal. Extending a hand, he shook Dearka's hand and then Eclipse's. "Szell Dekker, kick ass mechanic and in your ass blunt." His smile was priceless, on the verge of overly charming with innuendoes clenched between his pearly whites.

Damn mechanics.

Both redcoats digesting their inevitable migraines before they dared to respond to such an introduction. "Are you any way related to that mechanic at the Gibraltar base?" the redhead asked, slowly seeing some similarities. If the language wasn't enough of a giveaway.

"Yuppers, he's my uncle."

"Can I fire you?" She turned to Dearka for confirmation, but he merely shrugged.

"Hey now! I resent that. So, changing the subject away from my—uh—potential demotion, you wanna check out what we did to her?"

"Is she still a virgin?" Dearka asked, totally straight faced.

"Dear God, it's spreading," Eclipse groaned, turning away from the two in complete dismay. Holding a hand to her head she could just feel the pounding headache forming. And it was only ten in the morning.

"N-no, I-I mean you haven't taken her out yet, right? Aw c'mon, stop looking at me like that! Is this is your first test run?"

The redhead nodded slowly, not wanting to make any stupid remark and push the conversation any further down this ridiculous direction. The blonde elite smiled, relief flashing across his face as soon as his point was made and even understood. This girl took things too literally sometimes. Frustrating all her comrades, of course.

Eclipse—after digesting that entire conversation—really didn't want to know what he did in his spare time.

And in the Buster for that matter.

"Yes, she's still a virgin and ready to be taken for a ride. How about it?" Szell asked, the smile never leaving his fair lips.

If the redhead wasn't so stunned, she would have knocked him senseless by this time. _Please tell me he doesn't have a girlfriend_. "Yes, I'll be taking the Stealth out. Now, can we stop with all the sexual references? I'm really getting tired—"

"She's taking her out everyone! Stealth will be ridden after all! Three cheers!"

_I give up, _the elite groaned, throwing her hands up in defeat.

Dearka couldn't withhold his grin anymore, finding Eclipse's frustration terribly amusing and the looks on the faces of the other soldiers was just as priceless. It had been a while since he had had that much fun. "I'll man the computer from here, if you don't mind me sticking around."

"Sure—yes—please. Judging by the others here, you're probably the only sane male in the hangar at the moment."

"That might actually be a compliment."

The redhead smiled and waited until the blonde left to put a hand to her right ear. "Coffee Addict, status report."

"Stealth reporting. Adjustments made to Scylla and the operating system is updated. Mirage Colloid is full and battery charged, but may be unstable. Energy output on beam sabers adjusted, may need more maintenance."

"So, basically, the OS needs a lot of work."

"Affirmative."

Sighing, Eclipse cut the transmission and walked towards the lift. "Just let us know when you're ready to take off," Szell called from the hangar floor.

"I plan on making a few more adjustments to the OS and then take her out. Standby for now."

"Roger that."

_At least they take orders well_, she thought and pulled back the lever. Ascending, she took a quick look at the physical condition before jumping into the cockpit. _Things look alright from out here, but what the hell did they screw around with on the inside? _The redhead paused and shook her head. _Oh my, now I'm going on with innuendoes. _ "Coffee Addict, beginning maintenance."

* * *

"Finally finished?" Dearka called from the floor computer, tapping impatiently on the keyboard. It had only been fifteen minutes, but still the blonde was getting bored just standing around waiting to begin the test run. He hadn't bothered to check out the Stealth yet, so this was going to be his introductory course into the newest model based on the prototypes.

"Just a few more minutes," Eclipse replied, sticking her head out of the cockpit to answer and then disappearing back inside.

Dearka could only sigh. Well, at least he had some time to actually_ look_ at the Stealth. Yzak had been talking so highly about the suit, but it looked like nothing more than a mix of all the prototypes. It had the large firing capabilities of the Buster, the Mirage Colloid like the Blitz, the Scylla—although a small version of—like the Aegis, and the maneuverability of the Strike. The only machine not embedded into the unit was the Duel. _Maybe we'll say the pilot is like the Duel's. Yeah, that's right; a real patchwork._

"Finished, detaching maintenance wires and battery cable."

"Roger that, unhooking from down here as well," Dearka responded, slipping on the headset near the consol. "Communications check."

"Feels like déjà vu," Eclipse muttered from her end. "At least we have no AWOL commanders to chase after."

"Amen to that. Did you want targets set up?"

"Nah, I'll just check the maneuverability and HiMat wings. The OS is updated in here, so I'm assuming the weaponry works well."

"Assuming might be a bad thing."

"Trust isn't always a bad thing, Dearka."

The blonde just shrugged and watched the machine walk out the hangar door. He couldn't argue against that. "Alright, systems check."

"All systems normal, battery output acceptable. Ready on this end."

"All green here. We're following you out."

"Roger that." Eclipse walked the Stealth out towards the harbor, not willing to have any bystanders get in the way. Flipping a small switch on the control pad near her right hand, the redhead initiated the HiMat system and could feel a small amount of excitement—or was it anxiety?—chill up her spine. Two, mechanical wings erupted from the Stealth's back stretching behind the unit to about the same height as the mobile suit itself. Another switch and those wings opened, four, metal feathers breaking apart to make the mobile suit look like a crow against the fair sky in the background.

"A fallen angel sounds so cliché," Dearka muttered as he stared at the suit, but her next transmission pulled him away from his insistent gawking.

"Stealth heading out."

"Roger that, Stealth, you're clear, but Eclipse, be careful, alright? I don't trust this new flying system. It may look flashy but—"

"That's what these test runs are for, now stop being a pansy," the redhead retorted; however, she couldn't blame him. She was having her doubts about this flimsy wing system as well, but would never let it show like Dearka had.

And she was the one in the cockpit.

Stepping down on the pedal, the thrusters powered up, lifting the machine into the air in the matter of seconds. Holding her breath, Eclipse steadied herself at about 500 feet, awaiting the sudden plummet back to earth. Luckily, that never happened, the individual feathers emitting their own thrusters and making small adjustments according to the air currents. "So, it works?"

"You doubted it?" Szell asked from the other end of the transmission.

The redhead just ignored him. "Dearka, how do things look from down there?"

"Everything looks normal. Try to do some simple maneuvers."

"Affirmative." Taking his advice, she pushed forward and did some zigzag moves along with some other ascent and descent tricks to make sure everything was working correctly. And things were still normal. "Alright, time to have a bit of fun."

"Huh?" the blonde asked.

"Stealth is getting creative."

"Heh, roger that." Dearka chuckled, leaning sidelong on the console and watching the screens. If anything went wrong, he'd be the first to know, but the amusing remarks Eclipse made from the cockpit were just as interesting. Her maneuvering wasn't half bad either; some mechanics even whistled in appreciation. But when the screens started flashing red, they all had to break out of their daze. "Eclipse, your altitude—"

"Boosters failed. Battery life running low. Damnit, what happened?" Fiddling with the controls, the redhead brought up the OS. "Transferring energy from—Ah! Shit!"

"Initiate the Hydrogen Fuel Cell!"

"I'm working on it! Coffee Addict, maintain altitude. In—"

"The Stealth's still falling," Szell reported, pulling the binoculars from his eyes. Leave it to him to state the obvious and in such an unprofessional way. He sounded almost amused. "Well, at least she's over water."

"Can't you be a little more serious?" Dearka spat, typing vigorously on the console.

"Why? It's like she said, this is what test runs are for. Well," the mechanic began, sighing when the Stealth hit the water, issuing a tidal wave that may have been pretty in any other situation. "This may be the first time we've had to repair a mobile suit before it went into battle."

"This is ridiculous," the blonde groaned, never even noticing the suit go down until Szell had opened his big mouth. "She's gonna be pissed."

* * *

Eclipse glared at the young commander, cursing the hour he came in to "check up on her." The only thing they had been doing since he walked into the hangar was argue; argue on how the Stealth was supposed to be programmed, why the test run failed so miserably, and how much trouble this was going to cause him as her superior officer.  
Damn frustrating.

Athrun had walked into the hangar just as the Stealth was pulled out of the harbor and standing back against the wall for repairs. Neither Dearka nor Eclipse knew why he had decided to come in and observe, but it had been hell ever since he walked over to the controls. The blonde, wanting nothing to do with some touchy redcoats, retreated back to his room for a nap. Eclipse had almost begged him to stay—not wanting to confront their commander alone when he was in such a foul mood—but he had snuck off too soon. Even Szell muttered something and fled to fix another machine. _Damn it all._  
"I _said _this should be like this," Athrun muttered, pulling the keyboard away from the redhead and typing in another sequence.

Eclipse knew why she was so pissed off—blame Mother Nature and a failed test run—but the pilot's attitude seemed out of the blue. _Maybe he's just exhausted,_ she decided, but nearly screamed a second later when he basically changed all her adjustments. _Or he's just looking to get killed._ "What're you doing? I just did that, but my way was faster. Here, look."

"No, no. You miss so many other things when you take shortcuts—"

"No offense, _sir_, but I've been doing it this way for the past year and the machines have been running just fine. If you'll just let me—"

"Yes, it may work like this on the battlefield, but when you finally have time to sit back and relax, going through the whole thing will help you out so much more," Athrun explained, beginning to redo the entire OS.

Eclipse glared on his right, standing stubbornly with her arms across her chest and a foot tapping impatiently on the floor. It was a good thing they were at ground level or his remains would have been rotting on the cement by then. "Is this a good time for me to tell you I've been doing shortcuts on your Aegis ever since I started taking care of the thing?"

"You what?"

"Yeah, back in space, I really didn't give a damn if there was one more zero in the sequence or not. So, tell me, how's it been running since then?"

"If I said 'like shit' would you believe me?"

"Like what?" she screeched, her fists now curling into fists at her side. If he didn't start thinking before he talked, this pilot was going to get a good whooping. She didn't care if he was technically in charge now.

"Hey there, what'cha doing?" Nicol asked, walking up to the duo quite cheerfully—what was it with these soldiers popping out of nowhere?—however, as soon as he saw the scowls on their faces, that cheerful disposition faded immediately. Leave it to those two to suck the happiness out of the world. "Okay, I guess I won't—"

"No, you won't ask and just get this dickhead away from my machine!"

"Dickhead? _You're _the one who can't take advice!" Athrun countered, pulling himself away from the keyboard to stand face-to-face with the redhead. "I mention one or two helpful things—"

"More like force them on me!"

"Uh, guys—" Nicol began, but was cut off by another response from Athrun. By now, the two had gathered quite an audience, some were pointing and laughing, while others just shook their heads in embarrassment. This was a commander and one of his soldiers? "Guys, please—"

"Damnit Eclipse, you're beginning to act like Yzak more and more each day!"

"Well, that's fine with me. At least he has the balls to stand up to you."

"What was that?"

"Enough!" the musician shouted, putting an arm in between them and pulling the duo apart when they managed to get even closer. Some soldiers began laughing loudly, but not even that humiliation could make the two stop glaring at each other. "This is ridiculous. And you guys call yourselves elites? C'mon, we're getting away from here."

"No, we're not, Nicol. I have a lot to do—" they both started simultaneously, but another glare by the musician kept them quiet.

"No, we're leaving this place and getting some fresh air," Nicol spat, surprising both of his teammates with the finality in his voice. Blinking, they were still too shocked to resist as he pulled the two out of the hangar and all the way back to headquarters.

Stopping at their rooms individually, he shoved each inside. "Now, get changed, both of you. We're going into town. I'll change and get permission. No arguing!" he shouted a second later when he saw them open their mouths to retaliate. "We're going and that's that. Now, get dressed damnit!" That shut them up and when the young pilot stomped off down the hall and slammed the door to his room, Athrun and Eclipse gave each other a surprising glance. Although, that didn't last long before the glare returned and they ended up slamming their doors as well.

Nicol was changed and had already gotten permission by the time the two walked out into the hallways. He wore dark, khaki pants with white tennis shoes that had—surprisingly—stayed their bright color through their three years of use. Given the chill in the air, he decided to put on a light green, long-sleeved shirt and topped it off with a black, zipped up vest. Athrun walked out next, wearing a pair of loose jeans and running shoes with a blue t-shirt and a short, black coat to keep out the cool air. Glowering, he barely looked up at his friend, choosing to lean back against the wall.

Eclipse came out a few moments later, sporting jeans, a green t-shirt and a blue, zip-up sweatshirt. Surprising both guys, she wore high, khaki boots, ending about mid-calf and looking rather trendy with ties laced up the front. Two belts hung loosely around her waist, being more for show than anything. Her short hair was flipped out casually to the sides, making her actually look... feminine.

"Uh, Eclipse you look—well—uh—" Nicol stammered, being the first to say anything when she walked out.

The redhead glared a response, seeming to not want him to finish that statement, but Athrun—still a bit peeved—added in his own thoughts.

"You actually look like a girl."

That did it.

"Why you fucking smartass—"

"Alright, let's go," Nicol countered, stepping between the two. "I'd rather not get into another argument."

"Fine. Where are we going?" the young commander muttered, pivoting on his heels and leading the others back down the hallway before the musician could respond.

"Well, then let me _show _you," Nicol said, grabbing the back of Athrun's coat and pulling him to the rear.

It was going to be a long walk.

* * *

"Athrun, what is that?" Eclipse asked slowly, trying not to let the anger get the best of her; however, _now_ she was sure that boy was trying to piss her off. Nicol had led them both to a small café on the outskirts of town, having to shove them both inside as soon as they had gotten there. They were going to leave right away, but the musician offered to pay, got their orders, and then had sat them down in a table near the middle of the room. Probably hoping their prides wouldn't let them make a spectacle of themselves.

"What? It's tea," Athrun responded, taking a careful sip and licking his lips.

"Why the hell did you get that?" the redhead continued as she absently stirred her latte. "We're in a café, damnit."

"So? You can order tea in a café. I didn't see any rule that says I can't."

"Oh, that's rich, going by the book again."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean? Why does it matter if I got tea or not? I just didn't feel like drinking coffee. Damn, just because Commander Waltfeld—"

"Guys, I really don't—" Nicol started, but could only sigh when Eclipse cut him off. Taking a sip of his mocha, he slouched down in his chair and muttered a prayer.

It didn't work.

"Hey, that guy was a genius."

"I'm not saying he wasn't. I'm saying that's the only reason you're bugging me for getting tea."

"No, I'm 'bugging' you because we're sitting in a _coffee _café and you ordered something _without _coffee."

"Honestly guys, please—" the musician tried again. Still futile.

"Who cares? It was on the menu, wasn't it?"

"Damn it all, you're an insufferable moron!"

"Well, as I recall, you're the reason your _precious _coffee genius is dead, so I'll take being a moron any day."

_Ah shit, _Nicol thought with a sigh, trying to digest the emotions crossing each of their faces. Athrun's frustration had gone too far and Eclipse was just too touchy to let any of his insults brush by. And now it had come to this.

The redhead was rather surprised about the comment, but anger won over as the chief emotion. Scowling, she instinctively grabbed her coffee mug and threw its contents at the pilot across from her. Nicol managed to dodge the droplets that went off-target but Athrun—as intended—got the bulk of the attack. Making some inaudible noise close to a gasp, he jumped to his feet too late and caught most of the beverage on his chest and stomach.

At least it wasn't smoldering hot anymore.

"I hope that jacket is dry clean only," Eclipse muttered before stomping off to the bathroom.

"W-what the hell?" Athrun stammered, but in the back of his mind, he knew it was his fault. Grumbling, he accepted the napkins from Nicol and tried to dry himself off. "Damn girl."

"You brought it on yourself," the musician replied, getting up to grab the towel offered by the server at the main counter. He just tossed it at the young commander.

"Yeah, yeah."

Stifling a laugh at the ridiculousness of it all, Nicol glanced about the room and saw some hidden smiles among the other customers. Many girls were outright laughing and some men were eying their dates suspiciously, probably debating if they'd do the same thing.

"Damn it all. Me and my big mouth," Athrun grumbled again.

"What started this huge argument anyway? I don't think I've ever seen you two so pissed at each other."

"Well, it was probably my fault to begin with. Eclipse and Dearka were giving the Stealth a test run and I dropped in. My original plan was to get some fresh air and stop reading reports for a while, but I saw what they were doing and thought I could help. Dearka had everything under control up to that point, but when Eclipse came back in, I sort of decided to jump in and start helping her with the adjustments. We began talking about the reports, some personal things she artlessly evaded, one response led to another and we ended up venting our frustration out on each other. Now, I'm covered in coffee."

"Hm, you're right. It _was _your fault then."

"Thanks for the sympathy," the boy sighed, peeling the shirt away from his chest a few inches before the elasticity slapped it back with a sick, squishing sound.

Nicol could only laugh.

* * *

_I shouldn't be so angry at him_, Eclipse admitted as she looked into the bathroom mirror. _He's probably stressed out about his promotion and I'm just making things worse. _ Sighing, she turned on the faucet and started washing her hands. _And poor Nicol. He just wanted a nice coffee break and we're acting like four-year-olds. I should go apologize at least. _ She grabbed some paper towel, wiped her hands dry, and then grasped the door handle, but stopped before opening it. Piano music sounded on the other side, muffled because of the walls, but still beautiful. _Nicol? _she thought, smiling slightly. She had always wanted to hear him play. Just the richness of the melody made her shiver, never hearing that particular song before and as soon as he added the lower accompaniment, she couldn't stop the grin on her face. Opening the door, she stared across the room.

Her intuition was right again when she saw the young musician sitting behind the keys. His back was to her, but his body swayed on the seat as he played, following his left hand to the bottom of the keyboard and then back up with his right hand.

Mesmerizing.

Athrun was turned in his seat to watch the boy play and when he saw Eclipse, he smiled sheepishly. It seemed they were both sorry.

The redhead passed the piano—feeling a sense of warmth as the musician smiled—and sat down across from her other comrade. "I'm sorry," she admitted first. "Drinking tea is fine with me. Not everyone has to be obsessed with espresso like me."

"Heh, thanks. And it's not your fault," Athrun said as he took a sip of his approved beverage.

"Yeah, I know. Nicol already drilled that into my head."

"Well, he's a smart guy."

"And talented. I'll have to ask him to teach me the piano when all of this is over."

"Hah, and I'll laugh as you flounder over the keys," the pilot joked, receiving a glare in return, but there was a smile under that anger.

"I'd like to see _you _try. I, at least, have _some _musical talent."

"Bragging now, are we?"

"Just drink your damn tea."

Nicol smiled from across the way, glad to see that things had calmed down. It was impressive to note the changes Eclipse had gone through in the past few months. A while ago, he wouldn't never though this possible—the three of them enjoying a day out in the town. Hell, her and Athrun had always argued, but even the young commander had changed a bit. He seemed more comfortable—or maybe even confident—in his position. Nicol knew about Kira and how much it had bothered Athrun, but perhaps he had finally come to a conclusion in his own mind; however, that the decision was, the musician didn't know. But, despite that apparent revelation, something else in him had changed. Athrun had told him a little about this island excursion and the main thing he talked about was that girl Cagalli. Infatuation wasn't a good word to describe how he talked about her, but he was definitely intrigued. _Ah, Athrun. What's going on in that head of yours? _

* * *

"Alright, we finally got news about the 'Legged Ship's' whereabouts," Athrun began, flipping off the lights as a map projected on the screen next to him.

"Well, we've always known _where _it was, but we never seem to get there in time," Yzak grumbled, sifting uncomfortably in his chair. "Take our submarine excursion for example."

The others sighed, but this time it wasn't for the pilot's lack of respect. There was another _Archange__l _sighting about eight days prior—a couple of days after Nicol's impromptu café trip—and they were all ready to go, but the submarine they had boarded suffered some malfunctions. So, in the end, they had gotten to the battle too late.

How ironic.

_We just have really bad luck_, Eclipse had decided when Athrun had relayed the embarrassing report. Yzak had been upset—surprisingly, not as bad as he used to be—but the others hadn't said much.

"Yeah really; I'm actually shocked we haven't found them sooner," Dearka chimed in, folding his hands behind his head. "It's been rather dull for the past week."

Eclipse had to agree. SIN-ED seemed to disappear and Namarra had been silent. The redhead had debated sending her a message and ask her if she had heard anything on the organization, but dropped the idea, deciding to enjoy her short moment of peace.

Well, it was peaceful if no one argued.

"ZAFT has been going through a lot of changes lately, not to mention, many of the soldiers here are working on Operation Spitbreak. Unfortunately, the 'Legged Ship' isn't a top priority for them like it is for us," the young commander explained.

"Yeah, you have a point." For a few seconds, the team was speechless. Did Yzak just agree with Athrun? "What?"

"Nothing," Nicol said, deciding to turn the conversation back to the _Archangel_. "Where's the ship, Athrun?"

"It was by the Strait of Malacca the last time we got an update, so it should be—" Pointing to the screen, the officer dragged a possible path across the map. "—Somewhere near the Fiji islands; heading near Orb."

"By Orb?" Eclipse asked. "Are they insane? I'm sure we all know where they stand in this war."

"The same could be said for us. By the time we meet them, we'll be dangerously close to Orb territory. Here's a question, do we confront them before they get close to Orb, or hope to get them after? Are we positive they don't have some, secret agenda in that country? They are from Heliopolis," Yzak brought up, feeling a bit superior by his observation and he had a right to. It was a disturbing revelation.

"Well, if we stop them before Orb," Athrun began, "perhaps we can push them away—"

"Or push them towards the country and use Orb's strength to help us sink them?" the redhead suggested.

"Cowardly," Yzak countered immediately.

"Possible," Nicol added.

"Suicidal," Dearka finished. "Orb'll fire on us too."

"True, but we're not as big of a target as the 'Legged Ship' is," Eclipse continued. "We're fast enough to get away. After all, we'll all be on Guuls, or at least attempting to fly by ourselves."

"That's _if _we don't get shot down first," the blonde stressed, receiving quite a few glares for his realistic remark.

"He's got a point," Athrun added, getting the butt of the glares now. "Orb is very powerful."

"Well, what if we didn't worry about firepower? Wait, here me out," Nicol began, waving off the surprised looks by his comrades. "We all know how strong Orb is, and we know their neutral state, so—putting all that aside—is this the only opportunity to get the 'Legged Ship' before it reaches Alaska?"

"Before it reaches Alaska, no, but we don't know if they are actually heading to Orb to restock on food and weaponry," the commander explained, leaning back against the wall near the screen. He honestly didn't think this briefing would take so long let alone go into so many different directions. However, he really didn't mind. They were all bringing up good points, and ones that made him quite proud. He had a capable team.

The only problem was getting them all to work together.

"Does their current course support this?" Yzak asked.

"We don't know their course exactly, only their whereabouts. Also, since the battle at the Strait of Malacca, they'll probably stick to shallower waters so as not to get snuck up on again," Athrun continued.

"So, they could be heading to Orb or they couldn't be?" the blonde asked, sighing as he scratched the back of his head. They were just going in circles.

"I don't know about you," Yzak chimed in, "but I don't want to take that chance. I say we get them _before _they reach Orb."

"I second that,' Dearka added.

"They won't restock in Orb," Eclipse said, sounding quite confident in the statement. "I know that country, they wouldn't jeopardize everything for one ship, even if they did build it."

"So, we're back to square one?" Everyone grew silent after Nicol's remark, each issuing a small sigh of exhaustion. There were just too many things that could go wrong with whichever path they chose to take. The fact that they knew nothing of the _Archangel_'s and Orb's plans made everything worse. Were they in cahoots? And if so, would attacking the ship before it reached the neutral nation be suicide for the Zala team? But what if the ship was trying to avoid that country as well? Would attacking them right away—thus initiating Orb into the battle—actually work to ZAFT's advantage?

"We'll attack them before they reach Orb," Athrun ordered, having the final—and official—say in the matter. "We can't just pass by this opportunity no matter what we think Orb will or won't do. Now, get all you stuff together, we'll leave as soon as the next carrier submarine is ready."

"Yessir!"

* * *

As planned, the Zala team caught up with the _Archangel_ about six miles from the Orb territory. The ship looked a little worn, most likely from the recent battle it was put through. _That may mean they're low on ammo,_ Athrun thought, having thought about it during the briefing, but felt there was no need to mention it. There was no reason to rely on such suspicions. No matter what, they had to fight the _Archangel_ with everything they had because—after all—it was still a formidable enemy. "All suits launch as soon as the submarine surfaces, Yzak and Dearka, center your attacks on the starboard side. Nicol and Eclipse on the port side. I'll focus on the front and lure the Strike out into the open."

"As soon as the Strike's out, I'm taking over," Yzak announced, flipping a few more levers on his consol.

"We'll worry about that as soon as we get that far," the commander replied. "Oh, and Eclipse, how did the final adjustments to the HiMat system end up?"

"They should be working now, sir, although I'm not so sure I trust them fully."

"We don't have another Guul for you to board, so you're gonna have to trust them a little bit more."

"I hear ya. I don't think those mechanics would let me down. Heading out."

The _Archangel _was ready for them, but not as much as they were for the ZAFT forces at the Strait of Malacca. After the island escapade, they were down one Skygrasper and relying on less than a comfortable amount of ammo. Not surprising for a lone battleship, but now having to face five, high-speed mobile suits with only two units and some armaments made everyone nervous.

"What do you think you're doing, Dearka?" Yzak complained, having just evaded some rear missiles launched by the _Archangel_. "Hurry up and stop that ship now!"

"I know!" the blonde replied heatedly, not enjoying being the emotional dumping ground. He had already fired three, well-aimed shots and destroyed three Igelstellungs along with scarring the outer armor on the ship. "It's not easy evading all this fire power!"

"Dearka, you're our best shot. I'll provide cover if you just clip off those guns," Eclipse suggested, flying next to the Buster and destroying some stray missiles that came nearby.

Waiting for the smoke to clear from the small explosions, he unhooked his rifle. "Sounds like a plan." He straddled the gun launcher and high-energy rifle at the suit's hips and fired two separate rounds into a port side Igelstellung and Valliant gun. The Igelstellung was destroyed—along with scarring another nearby—but the Valliant was a little more resistant, only suffering minor damage. "Eclipse, missiles approaching from my nine o'clock."

"I'm on it. Let's swing around to the back and cut the engines before—damnit, that plane is buzzing about now," the redhead spat, firing her CIWS guns to destroy three of the five missiles and armed her saber to cross slash the last two before the Skygrasper flew in. Hoping to take advantage of her distracted state of mind, it fired the impulse cannon mounted on the bottom of the plane. The mobile armor missed the Stealth's right side, but due to the trajectory, the shots nearly hit the Buster on its downward ascent to the _Archangel_. "Damnit! Dearka, incoming from your six."

"I see him."

"Eclipse, move!" Nicol shouted over the same frequency, causing the redhead to turn her unit just in time to see two barrels of the ship's Gottfried cannons aimed at her backside. The barrels surged with green energy, sucking in the oxygen from outside to gather enough firepower to shoot and—hopefully—destroy the Stealth in one, clean shot.

However, things weren't that easy.

Cursing, she cut her thrusters and dropped quickly, evading the gunfire, but not without suffering some minor paint damage. Eclipse didn't really like earth until that moment, and especially the gravitational force that kept her from getting her backside fried. This ship was definitely more formidable than she remembered in outer space. The redhead turned her thrusters on again before she hit the water, skidding across the waves and out wide to avoid the Strike's persistent gunfire. _I hate this ship._

"Yzak, don't go too far out!" Athrun ordered, having to evade a few missiles of his own. So far, none of the redcoats had lost their edge on the Guuls, but given the hotheadedness of one team member, such a blessing wasn't going to last long.

"Shut up!" the same hothead shouted, causing a scowl to grace the commander's lips.

They were doing okay. Eclipse providing cover for Dearka—even if it was for a short time—had cut down the _Archangel_'s defenses, but not enough to start uncorking the champagne bottle. They had to cripple it even more. "Try and aim for the engines. Nicol, flank them on the port side."

"Roger that, Athrun."

"Eclipse, how's the HiMat?" the commander asked, firing at two more Igelstellungs.

"Working better than expected."

"Good, support Nicol."

"Right."

The Blitz and the Stealth sped to the port side. Sheathing her beam saber and pulling out her rifle, Eclipse attacked the missile launcher on the tail of the ship just as it was about to open another round on the redcoats. Only two of the six barrels took severe damage, but that was enough to cause some internal malfunctions and hinder later attacks. But the redhead knew that wasn't enough. To finish the job, she pulled out her beam saber again and was going to sever the contraption altogether, but that annoying fly fired and cut her off. Nicol fared better, launching his lancer darts at the Valiant gun—damaging it enough to kick it out of the game and fall off the ship—before moving to the engines. Eclipse tried to meet him there, but neither got close enough to cause any damage. The _Archangel _fired its Helldarts from behind the bridge, frustrating the two pilots and forcing them to fall back in order to destroy them all safely.

Athrun had had his share of sitting back, but when he saw the Strike on the bow of the ship, he couldn't remain idle any longer. They promised each other they wouldn't hold back, so it was time to see who was ultimately supposed to win. Diving his Guul towards the _Archangel,_ he fired a mere three shots at the Strike before the Duel cut him off. "Stay back, Athrun, I'm gonna get this guy!"

"Yzak, don't be reckless," the commander yelled through the transmission after seeing the Duel's high-speed attack. It didn't even look like he was attempting evasive maneuvers. "You _know _it's not that easy!"

Either the pilot didn't hear him, or Athrun had said it too late. The Strike aimed and fired at the Duel's Guul, destroying the contraption in a display of billowing heat and debris before forcing the redcoat to jump off so the explosion didn't damage his machine. _Damnit_, the boy thought, unsheathing his beam saber and prepare himself to dive bomb onto the _Archangel _to engage with the Strike. His plans, however, were thwarted when that same unit used the Duel as a stepping stool.

"Yzak!" Nicol yelled from above him, having come around to give his comrade some support. It was a good thought, but having the extra lift from the Duel, the Strike was able to bridge the distance between the two suits and knock the Blitz off its Guul. Nicol cursed silently, but only managed one shot at the unit—one that went wide—as it destroyed the flying machine with its beam saber and fell back to the _Archangel_.

"Yzak! Nicol!" Eclipse yelled, but knew they would fine as soon as they were under water. Their carrier submarine wasn't far away, after all. _Damnit, he's gotten better!_ Eclipse thought, dodging one of his shots to the right before turning a 360 and colliding sword to sword with the Strike. Deciding to avenge her fallen comrades, the best bet was to meet that prototype hand-to-hand and hopefully catch him off balance from his little escapade with the Duel's face. The flat expanse under the bridge was a good enough place as any. "Well, I don't care how good you've gotten, kid. You're facing me in my own suit now!" There was no response from her opponent and seeing as the two swords were at a stalemate, the redhead wasted no time in turning the attack downward. Pivoting on her right foot, she spun her left leg around and kicked the side of the Strike, sending the machine flying into the wing of the _Archangel_. Regaining balance, she took her right saber and threw it towards the prototype, not planning on hitting it, but at least throwing the pilot into a frenzy.

It worked.

The Strike evaded the tossed sword to the right, ramming into lower bridge. His head was spinning, but still retained enough consciousness to avoid a serious blow. At least for now. Eclipse leapt towards him, spearing her second sword into his left shoulder—trapping him firmly against the ship—and putting her right hand on the machine's chest. "Activating Scylla," she announced, smirking as she felt the controls tingle with electric energy. Perhaps the change had been a good one for her suit and just imagining the look of pure terror etched on the pilot's face made everything worth while. _Sorry, Athrun, but, in the end, he was meant to die._

"Not this time!" a man's voice shouted over an open frequency, sounding a bit familiar—but just as annoying. Turning and seeing the Skygrasper, along with feeling its machine gun bullets, Eclipse had no other choice than to abandon her advantage, leaping off the Strike and back fifty meters.

"Why you—" Stopping the Scylla's attack, she pulled out her beam rifle to try and clip the machine as it sped away. Her shots went wide, but when she saw the Buster flying by to intercept, she let him do it. Besides, the Strike seemed to have regained its bearings.

"I'll never let you get another chance like that!" the boy shouted, a little shaky from the past exchange, but still eager to fight.

Eclipse just laughed. The kid sounded way too emotional. While his proclamation may have sounded good to him, in reality, he didn't have a chance.

And the Berserker knew it.

"You won't will you? Tell me why did you let me in the first place?"

"What?"

The Strike pulled out his remaining beam saber from behind his abandoned shield, standing defensively as the Stealth charged forward with the saber she previously threw at the Strike now back into her right hand. "I asked," the Berserker continued, laughing as he barely managed to parry her thrust near his damaged shoulder, "why the hell you were so weak as to let me get this close in the first place. You do realize, right?" Spinning, she blocked his attack with the buckler on her left arm, sending the sword wide and coming in with a jab from below. He just jumped out of the way. "You do realize we're right below the bridge? Just one shot—" she emphasized, jabbing the sword at the Strike's head. The blade went clear through the machine's left eye, crippling his cameras. She laughed again as she saw the energy from the saber slowly melting away the metal. Such a memorable picture. "Just one shot and your ship is gone."

"I won't let you!" the pilot screamed, yanking out the blade and making one last charge. Using his limp, left arm as a shield, he swung it wildly out in front of him, forcing Eclipse to block that attack and take the careless strike from the beam saber in his right hand. The blade barely missed her side, but sliced through two feathers on her left side, severing them.

"HiMat system 33 percent damaged. Switching to alternate modes of transportation," the Stealth reported, but Eclipse ignored it. The attack had left the Strike wide open. Grabbing the limp arm, she threw the machine towards the bow of the ship and took a second to watch it dangle over the edge.

Sweet victory.

"Kira!" the Skygrasper pilot yelled, flying towards the Stealth again, but never managing to get off an attack. The Buster clipped his right wing just as he was going to fire. It wasn't an accurate enough shot to down the plane, but the pilot was forced to steer away from the Berserker.

"Thanks, Dearka," she managed, but had to laugh a second later when a stray shot from the _Archangel_ nearly damaged the blonde's Guul. By this time, the Orb fleet had come to its borders, making some speech about its right to defend itself if either army came any further. Eclipse ignored them.

Adjusting her thrusters and pulling out her beam rifle, she couldn't stop the smirk from curling up her lips. This was her chance to get revenge for Commander Waltfeld and Aisha. Even though it was off-handedly, this damned ship had caused their untimely deaths and just destroying the Strike wasn't going to make her feel any better. No, she had to get rid of them all, and this was her chance. Just one shot and so many wrongs would be paid for. Yzak's revenge, and ultimately her team's revenge would be enacted.

All she had to do was pull the trigger.

"…we strictly prohibit all armed ships, aircraft, and mobile suits from entering our waters…" the Orb commander muttered over the communication line. But it was all too late.

_See you in hell, _Archangel. _Hah, such an ironic phrase. _ Leveling the gun, she aimed it at the captain's seat on the bridge, taking that extra moment to watch the crew members squirm in their seats.

"…This is your final warning…"

Some jumped up and ran for the doors, while most of them merely stared in horror, or cowered in their seats. The Berserker could just see their fondest memories erupting and disappearing before their very eyes, giving them a last bit of hope before their bodies became dispersed among the debris. Sweat drops, tears, screams; none of it mattered. Rubble and burnt fish food was their destiny; to remain scattered without a face, an identity, or even a body. A water grave for the ones soulless enough to attack those close to a Berserker. They all knew it, wish they could've changed it, but couldn't stop it. Smirking, her lifeless eyes glimmered with excitement as she pulled the trigger.

But stopped.

Another girl had just entered the bridge, her cool demeanor offsetting the ghastly looks of her crew members. She wore a red t-shirt and cotton, khaki pants, but the things that were most familiar were her blonde hair and golden eyes. "Cagalli," Eclipse breathed, snapping out of her Berserker mode in time to cease the attack. "So you're—"

"Stop!" The Strike had started moving again and fired reckless shots at the backside of the Stealth. Two attacks clipped the remaining feathers on her left side—not enough to totally sever them—and the last shot hit the thruster on her back. Cursing, she had no other choice than to bail into the water and sink back to the submarine with her other teammates.

She failed.

_Maybe—in the end—I shouldn't have changed, Nicol. Commander, I'm so sorry._

* * *

"This announcement is nothing but a pile of crap!" Yzak shouted as he slammed the piece of paper down on the table. The mission had failed and the _Archangel _was still afloat—or so they figured. The only thing throwing that theory off was the "official statement" made by the Orb government.

"I can't believe they're actually telling us the 'Legged Ship' has left Orb territory," Dearka muttered from the corner. Him and Nicol sat side by side as the other five in the room—Athrun, Yzak, Eclipse, the captain, and second-in-command of the submarine—stood around them.

The redhead could only sigh, shaking her head and leaning against the wall. She was still upset about her missed opportunity. If she hadn't have been so cowardly, none of this may have happened. Now, the _Archangel_ was probably under the protection of Orb instead of sinking to the bottom of the ocean.

"That's their solution?" the blonde continued. "They're treating us like complete fools! Maybe it's because we have a _raw_ commander."

"Dearka!" Nicol spat, igniting a scowl on the musicians fair face. Even Eclipse looked pissed, but the one the remark was aimed at didn't seem bothered in the least.

"That's irrelevant," Athrun said. "But, unfortunately, you can't deny this is Orb's official response. So, you can complain all you like about how they're a bunch of liars, but it's not going to change the situation we're in."

"Say what?" Yzak chimed in, taking a threatening step forward.

Eclipse was off the wall and ready to intercept the hothead, but just one look by Athrun kept her still. _Yeah, yeah, you can protect yourself, _she thought with a snort. _Just didn't want things to get that far._

"If we forced our way in, it'd only turn into a diplomatic scandal," the commander explained.

The room paused for a few moments as it digested the idea. Yes, they couldn't just march into Orb and declare the _Archangel _was there without any hard evidence, even if they were sure it was docked inside. As soon as Orb made that announcement—no matter how absurd it was—the situation went beyond just two armies fighting one another. Now it involved politics.

Damn it.

"Heh," Yzak chuckled, breaking the silence. "Your analysis is impressively rational, Athrun—oops, _Commander _Zala."

Ignoring the comment, Dearka continued with a few thoughts of his own. "Hold on there. Are you saying we have to accept their word and just leave?" It even sounded foolish to the others in the room. After all they've been through to get this far, they had to retreat back to headquarters? After yet _another _embarrassment?

"We'll ask Carpentaria to apply some official pressure, but if there's no quick resolution, we'll sneak in." That was a surprise. Athrun, the supposed nice guy on the team, was going to suggest something so malicious? "Does that meet with your approval?"

_Perfect_, the redhead thought with a small smirk. _Now that's an interesting proposition._

"Oh, to pinpoint the ship's location, right?" Nicol added, catching on.

"Yes, because whatever the situation is, our opponent here is a sovereign nation. We can't take any hasty action against it without evidence of some sort." Eclipse was really starting to like where Athrun was going with this. Perhaps he read a little too many of her personal files.

"Look, we can just force our way in," Dearka said, apparently not liking the idea. "We know the ship's there."

"This is nothing like Heliopolis!" the commander shouted. It was obvious he was sore about what had happened before, but why the sudden emotional attraction? Nicol had an idea and one look between him and Eclipse gave her a small hint as well. What the hell happened on that island? "Just look at the size of their forces, and I don't have to you how advanced their military technology is. Officially, they're neutral, but behind the scenes they are a cause of great concern to us."

Laughing, Yzak shook his head and walked to the door, the blonde standing and following him a moment later. "I'll go along for now," the Duel pilot said. "But if it were up to me, we'd be forcing our way in. I can't disagree with the son of Committee Chairman Zala, can I? Well, sneaking in sounds fun too. And there's always the possibility I'll finally get a chance to see the face of the Strike pilot."

Athrun gasped at the comment, watching his two comrades leave, but made no move to follow them. Of course he'd be hurt by the remark, but he shouldn't be showing such emotion in front of Yzak and Dearka. That kind of thing would only make things worse.

"You were serious about sneaking in then?" Eclipse asked, pulling the commander away from his thoughts. If anything, to get his mind off of it.

"Yes, I think we've established that is our best move at the moment."

"How long do you think the 'Legged Ship' will be docked there?"

"I don't know. A week? A few days? We damaged it pretty good, but we don't really know why it's staying there in the first place."

"If you want, I could get us some internal contacts to let us in undetected," the redhead continued, interesting both Nicol and Athrun as to why she would bring that up. "If you let me go ahead of you, I can set things up if you hear nothing back from Carpentaria."

"But, Eclipse, you're from—" the musician began, but Athrun cut her off.

"You want me to let you go now and alone? Just like that? What if you're caught?"

"Do you think I will be? You're the commander now, Athrun. You know what I can and can't do, so _you _have to make the decision. If I said I won't get caught, will that make you feel any better?"

The pilot sighed, thinking it over, but there was really nothing he had to think on. Yes, he knew he had to send her in. They needed contacts if they planned on infiltrating—since that was probably what was going to happen—and if they wasted any more time, the _Archangel _would be long gone before they even got into the country. The thing was, did he want to send her alone? If more than one person went in unattended, it might look suspicious, even if they were disguised as newlyweds or lovers. Also, she was the only one registered in that country.

But did he want to use her like Commander Le Creuset had?

"Fine," he said at length. "Be ready to leave by morning. Get some rest, we'll give you some money and other essentials. Lodging?"

"A motel will work for the first night. I'll make contacts and might get a temporary residence from there on out. I'll let you know."

"Very well then, dismissed." Saluting, Eclipse hurried out of the room and down the hall, passing the captain and second-in-command as she ran to her quarters.

"Are you sure about this?" Nicol asked when they had all left. "Sending her alone?"

"She used to live in the country, so I'm not too worried. She'll know how to blend in."

"That's not my point—"

"I don't like saying this, but we have to use her. I'm thinking she already has some people in mind she's going to contact and we're gonna have to trust her. We can't pass up this opportunity to get the 'Legged Ship', Nicol."

"Is that you talking, or Yzak?" the musician asked, but never got a solid answer. Sighing, they both left to get some rest.

* * *

Eclipse had made it Onogoro Island easy enough. Making a fake ID wasn't as hard as she anticipated it to be, then again she still had her original one lying around to go by. Just change the picture, name, and other characteristics and she was officially Rayne Corim, out of town journalist coming home to see her parents.

Having booked a room at a motel near the coast and already set her stuff inside, a walk seemed ideal. The redhead wasn't necessarily glad to be back in the country, but being under a false name gave her more freedoms than she would've had before.

Rymyr was a well-known name, after all.

_It hasn't changed, _she thought, stopping in front of a wrought iron gate. She had ventured a few miles inward, weaving around the various subdivisions to pause at the one labeled "Rich Bastards Central" by the local high schoolers. "Rich Bastards" may have been close to fact if someone stopped to look at the houses—well mansions—nestled along the road. The smallest house was two stories and built on seven acres with so many windows the house literally screamed "no privacy." However, the one next to such a mansion was the one Eclipse had found interesting. The driveway ran up to a three car garage, which probably stored a yacht, two motorcycles, and one vintage car since the limo was parked outside near the front door. The house itself was two stories tall, stretching a total of 9,500 square feet across eight acres of land. A pond settled out in front of the house—the limo having to cross a bridge in order to get to the front door—with no particular features other than a small rowboat near the shore and a gazebo on a small island.

"Probably has too many rooms to count," Eclipse muttered, picking up a stick and dragging it across the iron bars. _I hope they never know I'm back_, she thought, but ended up sighing. Announcing her full name was the only way she could get any contacts in the country. That kind of news wasn't about to be ignored. "Yes, Orb, both your precious princess and her sidekick are back in the country. You can all breathe a sigh of relief and know that, after much turmoil, they're both alive and well. Hah!" she laughed, throwing the stick through the gate and angrily brushing away a small tear. "Yes, alive and well. Happy Birthday, Lexi Rymyr, welcome back to hell."

* * *

_**A/N: **_Hey! I'm actually surprised this one turned out to be so long because I really just wrote it up quickly in order to—mostly—get it out before November first. Why? Well, NaNoWriMo is why and for all of you out there who know what I'm talking about or who are doing it, I feel for you. So, because of that contest I probably won't be writing much besides my new story. Hence, trying to get this out quickly. I'm thinking there are quite a few spelling errors then too. I've read through it a couple of times now and have noticed more and more mistakes and if there are some I've missed, sorry. Blame time—or lack there of.

Oh, and those of you who are doing NaNo, let me know and I'll add you to my buddy list. It'd be cool to read someone's story and something non-Anime related would be neat too. Putting it in a PM might be easiest—if you don't feel comfortable posting it in a review—but either way I'd love to add you!

And so the Stealth and Strike meet. Up to your approval, reviewers? Yes, I'm still getting the hang of this mobile suit battling thing, so if it's rather short, that's why. The good thing, though, was how comfortable I was with writing this one. Given I had to look up all the schematics of the _Archangel_ and the other mobile suits, but I feel as if I know so much more now! And maybe that's just me and the whole thing actually sucked. O.o

Anyway, we've finally made it to Orb and it doesn't look like Eclipse is too happy about it. Not surprised, given her past with her parents, but I'm one of the few who actually know about that so the rest of you are just squirming in agony! *Insert evil laugh here* I'll be getting into more of her past as their stay in Orb drags on. Besides, it's not like the stumble upon Morgenroete on the first day. Well, that's how it always happens in the Anime.

Oh, and going off that time thing, I'm kind of mad I found that SEED timeline. There are so many huge gaps between events and I have very little to no idea what to do with those. SIN-ED's a good filler, but I can't do it every time. Well, I guess that's up to me to decide on and I'm thinking all the little rendezvous with Nicol and Athrun are getting rather old. I'm sorry if they are, but I like to think they're doing some form of characterization.

Speaking of the timeline. For those of you who are wondering what Eclipse's birthday is, it's March 24. (I know two of you who might recognize that date) The battle against the _Archangel _took place on March 23rd and Eclipse entered Orb on the 24th. Ironic how it worked out that way, really.

And this is when I give a shoutout to my Betas. They helped me a lot with the battle sequence because—as we all know—I needed some extra help with that. I'm getting there, but will probably never be up to par with most of you people out there. So, kudos to anyone who can write a MS battle.

* * *

_**Questions/Gripes:**_

On an off note, wow. There were some long reviews for the past chapter. Thanks! I never knew you people could write so much on this story let alone have it be amusing. O.o

_CSSStravag:_ Thanks for your little comment on SIN-ED because, as you know, it helped me out a lot for future events. I even wrote an outline for what I want to happen and, I must say, it's rather dramatic and bloody. Huzzah for Betas!

_OrangeP47: _Yes, those notes were kind of spur of the moment, but amusing nonetheless. I was debating whether or not to have her cry again, but this is Eclipse and she was still embarrassed from crying to Athrun. Besides, I think that breakdown was good enough for now. Oh, and Nicol seems to be a local favorite, so you might be seeing something in the near future.

_Maderfole: _I'm still fifty-fifty on whether or not I want to have Athrun explain his little escapade. I eluded to it a little in this chapter, but never went into a lot of depth. What do you guys think out there? I have a few more chances to have him spill his guts—not Sloth-style mind you—but is that part just too over written/played? Would you rather me leave it out and just bring it up off-handedly again later on?

_Death-Scimitar: _I've never really put this up yet, but how you ramble just cracks me up. "What should I write about? Oh, how about how long I can or can't make this review." Always a welcome. Yes, Namarra, Lexi, and the Lust twins is going to be the bitch fight of the century. Better buy your tickets now because I'm sure after reading this author's note the things are gonna be sold out. O.o Oh, nevermind, we already get front row seats. Pretty much "in the action" if you catch my drift.

* * *

On an ending note, I'm not sure when I'll be posting the next chapter. As I mentioned above *points to the _**A/N**_*** **I'm doing NaNoWriMo and just typing the name gives me a headache. I'll try, really I will and volleyball is going to be ending here pretty quick so I'll finally have some extra time to sit back and enjoy some good writing. Gotta burn those finger calories.

Thanks again to all who did the poll and I'm thinking a few of you voted twice? Not sure if that was allowed or I'm just so surprised so many people participated, but thanks! Glad to see the two prime candidates die… O.o Oh, I did alter one suggestion so I wonder if anyone—those of you who haven't voted yet—will pick him.

_Strata_


	35. Home Sweet Hell

Home Sweet Hell

Living in Orb for most of her young life gave Eclipse an upper hand when it came to scoping the terrain, as well as trying to find some inside delinquents to help her out. While the country may have looked like a peaceful place on the outside—and even on the inside people had no idea what was going on—there were still those who didn't like the prospect of peace. Some of those individuals joined the military, but most formed little gang-like organizations throughout the country. However, those gangs didn't last long as soon as the government got wind of them, but there were still a few who were going strong and one mention of her name got Eclipse in to see the "leader" of one. The top dogs just found it so interesting to see the representative's niece with one foot in hell. Given, her uncle—Representative Homura—was the top authority in Orb, but most people still listened to the former representative, Uzumi Nara Attha. Ever since his betrayal with the Heliopolis incident, he had stepped down, but he still—by far—had the most authority in the government.

In other words, her uncle was a mere figurehead.

Eclipse didn't care either way. Her name was still connected to all that political business and no matter how many times her mother could remarry and change her last name, people would still know she was Homura's wife's sister and Lexi—in an odd sort of way—was related to the powerhouse of Orb. It was an interesting family tree. Leaving her own emotions aside, she bit her lip and met with the Zala team's best bet at getting into the country unnoticed.

The meeting went well, even if the laughs and smartass remarks about her family and apparent switch to the "dark side" had gotten old after the first joke. It had taken her a day to get in contact with them—and almost three days to actually see the leader—and the best thing they could come up with was, "Attha's bitch"? Given, it brought out some connotations she would rather not think about, but creativity was really going down the shit hole if that was as far as their brain cells would take them. At any rate, she got the approval she needed and the only thing she had to do was contact Athrun to see how the political pressure business was going.

"So, you can get us in?" Athrun asked on the other end of the phone line.

"Yeah, if you still need them to. However, I'd have to give them a little something for the trouble."

"Yeah, I expected as much," the commander sighed. "I'll have to send a line to Commander Le Creuset and get official authorization, but we should have their money within a couple of days."

"Good, they're really going out of their way to do all of this."

"I wouldn't expect anything less," he stated, shuffling uncomfortably in his seat. Even the redhead could hear it. "But having such an organization in Orb is kind of surprising," he said a second later.

"This country isn't perfect, y'know," Eclipse admitted, getting up to walk to the kitchen and pour herself a cup of coffee. Perhaps his restlessness was making her the same way. "They can have just as many problems as everyone else."

"Yeah, I guess you have a point," the boy replied, but there was a twinge of disappointment in his voice. The redhead was going to ask him about it when she walked back to her seat, but it sounded as if Nicol had come up behind him and started asking him something. He muttered a few words to the musician before returning to their conversation. "I have to take care of some things over here. I'll keep you updated."

"Rog—" Eclipse started, but the boy had already hung up the phone. Sighing, she set the device down on the counter and slunk down into the couch of her borrowed apartment room. The one good thing about promising such a substantial amount of money was the prestige hospitality given in return. They had let her stay in one of the apartment buildings they owned until the final deal could be made, and if everything went well, the rest of her team would join her as soon as they were smuggled into the country. If Athrun _did _end up backing out in the end, she could still pool some of her own money to pay them off, but really didn't want to delve into her bank account and especially in her home country. The last thing she needed was some private investigator on her tail. _Yeah right, Mom and Dad wouldn't send anyone after me, _she decided after a while, stretching before kicking her feet out on the other armrest. _They aren't that worried about me. _For a moment, the revelation made her a bit sad. Her parents didn't care. The emotional second passed and she closed her eyes, saving the drama for a different time. Right then she had to worry about whether or not she had to plan some smuggling mission, not dwell on old relationships. _Athrun better call back soon._

Soon, actually, wasn't that far off, but then again, the redhead had fallen asleep without even realizing it. Probably not the best idea when she was in such a strange apartment owned by some very dangerous people, but she felt vaguely safe. She must've had that foot in hell a bit too long. "Hello?" her voice cracked into the receiver, making the boy hesitate on the other end.

"Uh—yeah—just calling you back. Carpentaria's been coming up blank so we're gonna go for it. Got any idea how this is all going to work?" the young commander asked.

"I'll let them know right now and try to get you in within the next few hours. Sound good on your end? Nightfall would be a lot better than broad daylight."

"That's what I was thinking too. I'll get the other guys ready and you worry about getting us in."

"Roger that."

"Oh, and Eclipse? This isn't going to put you in some deep shit or something, is it? I mean, all they want is money and that's it, right? I'd hate to see this backfire on you."

The redhead smiled, she couldn't help it. She had debated the same thing a while back, but thought herself foolish. They might have been shady-looking—and even shady-smelling—folk, but they didn't seem like the kind of people to have hidden agendas. Well, at least ones where they'd go back on their deal. "I think we'll be fine, sir. You just get ready and I'll contact you as soon as I can."

As planned, things went smoothly and in about six hours Eclipse was standing on the shore waiting for the rest of her team to swim up. It seemed so brainless of an idea she wished she would've just thought of it and saved them the trouble of getting some inside help, but when she saw the fake driver's licenses and Morgenroete IDs, the redhead was glad she had made the right decision.

Athrun came up first, the leader standing next to Eclipse offering him a hand as soon as he cleared the final, rocky outcrop. Shaking his hand, the commander pulled off his goggles and offered a stern stare. "Athrun Zala of the Le Creuset team." The other three stood behind him, looking a bit on edge to say the least, but that wouldn't stop the cocky smiles on both Yzak's and Dearka's faces.

The leader stuck out his hand and grasped the young commander's, smirking his own egotistical grin. "Welcome to the land of peace."

* * *

Watching the boys busy themselves about the apartment, Eclipse was vaguely reminded of Heliopolis and the two, foolish teammates she had been working with. While she didn't think these four guys would make such rash decisions—well, she'd have to keep a close eye on Yzak—the idea of working with other people again just made her insides cringe. All they had to do was locate the ship, but fake IDs didn't necessarily mean they were free to move about without a care. In fact, they had to be extra cautious, but Eclipse wasn't going to bring that up just then.

Dearka and Yzak were arguing about something in the back room, and—thankfully—as soon as Nicol walked in to sort it out, they both quieted down. Athrun had been in a meeting with the leader for the past half hour, but remembering the small hints that organization had dropped her about the _Archangel_, they no doubt had a lot to mention to the commander. Possible areas to start looking would be a huge help, but the redhead was thinking their best bet would be Morgenroete. If the organization had some kind of informant in the facility, things were about to get easy, but if they just gave Athrun a map and said "go at it," they were in for a long couple of days. She could take them to the Morgenroete compound, but that place was huge and without official IDs—they could only get into Area One thanks to some high-tech security—the best thing they could do was go by word of mouth. Not the greatest circumstances to be sure.

Nicol came out of the bedroom a few minutes later, shaking his head while running an impatient hand through his hair.

"Do I want to know?" Eclipse asked, leaning back on the couch and taking a sip of her glass of water sitting on the coffee table to her left.

"They were arguing over beds."

"Somehow, I'm not surprised."

Sighing, he sat down next to the redhead. "They're just a bit uptight is all. This isn't a very comfortable position to be in."

"We don't have anything to worry about."

"So you say. We're not as used to working with vagabonds as you are."

"'Vagabonds'? What, rich boys don't get outside help from people?"

The remark was quick and rude, but Nicol was the only one who seemed to notice. Apparently, Eclipse was just as upset, but most likely about things other than their current partnership. "Ouch, where the hell did that comment come from? I'm just saying we're not used to this is all. We're mobile suit pilots, not special ops."

"Sorry," Eclipse responded, offering a small smile as an apology. "It's been a frustrating couple of days."

"How so?" the boy prodded, looking genuinely interested. The curiosity actually surprised the redhead. Not because she didn't think he cared—she had stopped thinking that a while ago—but because she didn't know how to respond. Telling the truth would open up a huge can of worms along with all the mud that goes with them. But then again, she couldn't keep it hidden for much longer.

Sighing, she took another drink of water—wishing it was something stronger—and straightened up. Why couldn't he have just understood she was frustrated and leave it at that? "I went to go visit my house the other day."

"Really?" Nicol asked, for a second forgetting she was from Orb. "I bet your parents were happy to see you."

Eclipse started laughing immediately, but after seeing the look on the musician's face, she forced herself to stop. "I didn't go inside, just walked by."

"Why not?"

"We didn't really leave things on a good note."

"All the more reason to step inside and say hello, right?"

The redhead couldn't tell if he was joking or actually serious. Knowing he had a close relationship with his parents, she could see why her actions were probably confusing, but she didn't think he was dumb enough to believe every family was like his. "You're too optimistic," she said after a long pause.

"Or maybe you're just being immature."

That comment startled her. Out of all her teammates, Nicol was the last one she thought would make such a statement. Perhaps she underestimated him, thinking him too kind to not tell her the truth, or maybe he was still mad over her remark before. "Nicol, I—"

"Sorry, that must've sounded a bit harsh. I really don't know what happened and making assumptions probably isn't the best thing I should be doing right now," the boy apologized. "I guess just hearing that you and your parents had such a falling out surprises me," he continued. "For the most part, you don't seem like a hard person to get along with."

"You're kidding, right?" Nicol shrugged a response and Eclipse could only sigh. "Perhaps it's _you _who is easy to get along with. If it wasn't for you, I'm sure this team would've fallen apart by now."

"Nah, I'm sure you guys would've been fine. Yzak and Dearka can be good friends—when they want to be—and Athrun might get a bit moody at times, but he's definitely reliable. I'm sure as soon as—" The redhead started laughing before he could finish, startling the musician. There he was making a serious comment and she found it hilarious. If he didn't like hearing her laugh so much, he may have been offended. Instead of making a rude remark, he waited for her to calm down and explain.

"You have a _lot _more influence than you think," Eclipse said, wiping a small tear from her eye. "So much so, I might have to take you with me to go see my parents."

Nicol smiled at that, but had a devilish twinkle in his eye. It seemed so out of character for him, the redhead's smile twisted upside down. "Meeting the family already? Oh my, Eclipse, I had no idea you admired me _that _much."

It took her a bit to realize he was joking and started a tentative laugh once his smirk turned back into his warm smile. "Ah, but you have to be careful," she said with a wink and got up. "My parents can be real stiffs at times. Not even such admiration can save you if they decide to spear your ass to the front gate."

"Ouch," he said as he cringed, watching her grab a coffee tin from the cupboard and start pouring it into the machine next to the refrigerator. "And you wouldn't bother helping me?"

"I can only talk to them for so long and as soon as our 'pleasant' conversation turns into a shouting match and breaking windows, I have a tendency to bail. After that, you're on your own."

"Glad to see I can count on you."

"You can any time, just not when it concerns the in-laws." That received a smile, and not one Eclipse missed. It was a cute look and as soon as she realized she had matched that grin and their eyes locked a bit too long, she turned away in embarrassment. _What the hell? _she thought as she felt her cheeks getting warmer, but didn't have much time to dwell on the matter. Dearka and Yzak came out of their room a few seconds later, yapping about television shows and female actresses. The redhead cut everything out after the blonde started talking about body figures, wondering how she was going to survive their stay in Orb. There were potential, family problems waiting outside the apartment door and hearing the calm conversation switching into an argument, she knew her newest "family" was about to have some problems of its own.

It was going to be a long stay indeed.

* * *

"So, you're _the _Lexi Rymyr?"

"Excuse me?" Eclipse yawned, wondering where Athrun had learned his manners, or lack thereof. She had fled the conversation in the living room to take a nap in her room when the commander busted in. She probably hadn't been sleeping for that long, but he didn't knock, no "please"—he didn't even make sure she was decent—just opened the door and started babbling. One hand actually twitched under her pillow, feeling the hilt of her pocket knife, petting it even as if merely touching it would calm her down. She had grabbed it as soon as she heard the door open, but managed to stop herself when she recognized who it was.

Lucky for him.

"I can't believe I never made the connection before. Hell, why didn't anyone else?"

"What are you—"

Rushing across the room, he sat on the edge of the bed and grasped her shoulders. "You're Lexi Rymyr," he stated again, shaking her slightly with each word.

"Yes, you've said that already and I'm pretty sure I was there when they signed my birth certificate."

"What is a relation to the Representative of Orb—to the people most promoting peace—doing in the _ZAFT_ _military_?"

"Ah—well—it's a bit complicated—"

"I mean, back in the day—"

"Back in the day?"

"—you were just as important as the princess herself."

"Well, you see—" Athrun almost interrupted her again, but she put her hand over his mouth. "Just shut up and listen, damnit. I don't have either the time or the patience to explain it all, so I'll give you the short version until you catch me in a friendlier mood, capiche?" The commander blinked a few times, but seemed to get her point, pulling his hands off her shoulders and sitting back. Eclipse noticed he didn't leave the bed and grab a more comfortable chair, but she saved that argument for another time.

Sighing, she wondered where she could begin. As soon as she had stepped onto Orb soil, she knew her past was going to catch up to her, but this was the second time that day she had to think about it. She had spent the past three years trying to forget it all and now her efforts were futile. "Okay, so you said you knew I was close to Princess Cagalli, right?" she started, figuring her childhood was as good of a place to begin than anything. The boy nodded. "Well, that's true, but we weren't really thrown together voluntarily. More like she didn't have any friends and we were sort of related, around the same age, and our parents worked together a lot so they literally put us next to each other and said, 'look, your new favorite playmate!'"

"Makes sense, but why make it sound like a bad thing?"

"At first, it was. Sorry, we'll save those stories for another time," she added when Athrun opened his mouth to ask more questions. "It's not exactly an age I want to go back and revisit at the moment."

"Because you two were such good friends?"

"No, because we weren't at first. Never mind—later," she added when he continued to press the matter. Sighing again, she wondered why she had even started the conversation. Her past had bothered her for so long and telling another person seemed like it would just make her whole life even more difficult, but Athrun looked interested. And he was her commander, so didn't he deserve some kind of explanation? "The reason I left Orb wasn't because of some childhood relationship, but because I was used as some advertisement piece. The princess of Orb and her cousin dressed in cute, pink dresses—"

"You wore pink?"

"—while playing happily together in the sandbox—it was an image on every billboard with the words, 'Peace is possible', under our feet," the redhead continued, ignoring his comment. "Too bad I wasn't ridiculously independent back then or I'd have thrown some sand at the camera men. After that picture was taken, we were always on TV, in the papers, or just anything to promote peace and to help Uzumi Nara Attha get elected. There were always ulterior motives and no matter how right they may have seemed at the time, I hated all the attention—or at least I would have if I knew any better."

"Too young, I take it," the commander added, trying to figure out how old she would've been then. "Around four-ish?"

"Three or four—something like that. Just small enough for me to have no will of my own and yet be the cutest little image of peace. It makes me sick thinking about it."

"Why? Peace—obviously—isn't a bad thing."

"No, but my parents thought about it in the extreme sense; no quarreling at all—not even between my brother and I—and that meant no weapons. They wanted every firearm and potential weapon to be done away with. No country was to have arms and the only kinds of war that were allowed were verbal ones, but even those were in the grey area. But think about it. Sure, people may not be able to injure anyone with a bullet, but they still have fists and anger, jealousy, pride—those are emotions that won't merely disappear. As I grew older, I began to realize that, accepting Lord Uzumi's mindset more than my parents. If you wanted to protect someone, sometimes you had to fight. It was as simple as that. I started refusing to go to their political speeches and be the perfect image. I stopped wearing dresses and got involved in sports, realizing I was more cut out for cleats than high heels. Cagalli did the same and slowly we became people my parents hated. I started talking back to them; arguing about their values and trying to stress my own. I took self-defense lessons from one of Orb's military officers, learned how to use a gun, and was taught battle tactics with Cagalli. My parents said it was merely a teenage phase and I was just rebelling—maybe in some instances I was—but I believed in what I was talking about. I didn't think the fighting would stop by simply tossing away weapons. All that did was make people helpless."

"Your parents probably weren't too happy with you," Athrun remarked.

"They were furious and practically imprisoned me in my own home. If it wasn't for my brother, I'd probably still be there surrounded by bodyguards. We ran away about the same time as Junius Seven was attacked and I joined the ZAFT military. I'm assuming the huge rush of volunteers was what kept my identity secret. Either that or because my spotlight role in Orb had ended soon after Lord Uzumi was elected. Even my early years in high school weren't bad because few people knew who I really was. Some recognized my last name, but most just assumed I was some rich aristocrat."

"But what about that facility they took you to? Surely they had to do background checks then in order to make sure no one would interfere."

Eclipse shrugged. "I put down that I was a runaway from Orb. Most likely, they _did _do a background check on me, but I had said I left voluntarily. Besides, my parents didn't send out a search party, so I was fair game, so to speak. As long as there was no high official in the PLANTs to say I couldn't go, they were allowed to do as they pleased."

Athrun took a second to digest it all. She had had a more complicated past than he had anticipated and she had talked about it so nonchalant; as if it really didn't matter. He knew it must've been hard to get the conversation started—and she was quite vague in some parts—but there she was, sitting snugly under her blankets and staring at him, waiting for him to answer. But what was he supposed to say? He had asked a question, and she answered. It was as simple as that. "Oh."

"Oh? All you have to say is, 'oh'?"

"I asked you what you were doing in the ZAFT military and all you told me were hard facts. _Why_, Eclipse. Why did you join the _ZAFT_ military even though Orb had its own and you knew a war was starting?"

The redhead was caught a little off-guard with that question. She remembered asking Nicol much the same thing not too long ago, but even though she waited anxiously for his answer, she never had one herself. Why did she do it? Did she really hate Orb that much? _No, _she realized, _but I did hate my parents. _"Maybe I was trying to make my parents mad," she finally answered, "or felt some strong obligation to try and keep what happened to Junius Seven from happening to some other colony. I—honestly—don't remember my true motives, just that I knew I _had _to. My mind just wouldn't have peace if I had stayed here in Orb. I _had _to be out there; _had _to be fighting." She paused, slipping back into the memory. There was no real reason to why she had signed up. Not even Lathan had wanted to join and his mindset was the same as hers. She just _needed _to. Her mind wouldn't let her have it any other way. "Maybe I wanted to feel useful."

"I think everyone wanted to back then," the commander admitted, falling backwards across the bed and staring at the ceiling. "We were all so helpless then, but now we have the power to do something. Now we have the strength to keep such tragedies from happening."

"I guess you're right, but now that we have that kind of power, what do we can we do with it? We've been stuck on this futile goose chase for the past two months."

Athrun didn't answer right away, still staring at the ceiling as if hoping it would tell him the answers. Power was a sketchy thing. A person could have it, but if misused, it could prove fatal. But if a person didn't have it, matters could've been just as fatal. "Hopefully, that'll all change as soon as we find that ship. C'mon," he said, patting her knee under the blankets as he sat up. "Let the search begin."

* * *

After the long stroll down the memory lane from hell, the five redcoats split up into two groups: Athrun and Nicol and then Yzak, Dearka, and Eclipse. Athrun and Nicol were going to inspect Area One while the other three roamed the outer complex. Since Eclipse knew her way around, it only seemed practical to stick her with Yzak and Dearka. Besides, they got along for the most part.

Athrun had handed out Morgenroete uniforms that looked like nothing more than mechanic outfits. Light blue, cotton pants and a matching shirt made them all look like blue crayon vomit, but they really weren't in the position to argue. At least Eclipse didn't have to complain. She opted to wearing street clothes, sitting comfortably in jeans and a low-cut, green, long-sleeved shirt with a black tank top to show a little modesty. It was probably the closest she would go to looking "trendy" and feeling comfortable at the same time. She just laughed when she saw the boys' outfits and even though they kept bugging her as to why she wasn't wearing the same thing they were, she just shook her head and didn't answer.

Everyone but Athrun wore a cap, even the redhead wore a bandanna. Eclipse's excuse was more for recognition purposes, but the others probably wanted to "blend in" as well as she did. Athrun just couldn't handle a cap. Eclipse and Nicol asked him about it but he said nothing more than it wasn't comfortable. Deciding it wasn't an appropriate time for an argument over headgear, neither of them pressed the matter.

"Any idea?" Dearka asked as soon as they left, glancing at the small, printed map in his hand. "Man, this is hard to read."

"There's a research lab to the north that I think we should check out first," Eclipse explained, thanking the blonde when he gave her the map.

"And how do you know about this?" Yzak asked.

"Resources."

"Those are some pretty good ones then," Dearka mumbled, giving Yzak a suspicious look. "But how guarded is this lab?"

"Its security is pretty top notch, but there are other ways to see what had been going on around there over the past few days."

"Information gathering?" the Duel pilot asked, looking doubtful. While it seemed like a good idea—for the most part—it could take a long time. The more people, the quicker it would go, but Dearka and Yzak stood out too much in their uniforms. Besides, if Orb's official statement was that the _Archangel _wasn't in the country, then the general public probably didn't know much about what had happened. They might have heard about a battleship in their waters, but nothing more.

If the city wasn't directly involved, no need to cause public panic, right?

"I take it that's why you dressed so informally?" the blonde asked.

Eclipse nodded, but didn't like the look on the last member's face. Yzak was still suspicious and without delving into her past again, he was going to be suspicious for a while. Sighing, she patted him on the shoulder. "Hey, since you guys stand out so much, why don't you let me handle the social stuff and you head over to the complex. Give Nicol and Athrun backup if anything."

"_You _handle the 'social stuff'?" the pilot joked, cocking an eyebrow at the idea. "What happened to the days when you wouldn't talk to anyone? I think I liked you better back then."

"You say that now, but just wait until I digress so far I only talk with my hands."

"You'd get the middle finger a lot," Dearka finished for her. They all shared a smile at that, but they couldn't mess around for long.

"Fine, you do the talking shit and we'll handle the scouting shit," Yzak said. "We'll let Athrun know and _you _give us regular updates."

"Worried?"

"Maybe a little," the Duel pilot admitted, turning away soon after and starting off. Dearka blinked and then shrugged, throwing her a wink and a wave before catching up.

So, just like that she was on her own again; comforting in some ways, but still lonely in others. That was sad.

After all, wasn't she supposed to be in her home town?

Eclipse actually had a fair amount of luck with the locals. The first person she had asked said there were some loud noises around eleven o'clock at night about three days ago. "Sounded like footsteps," the lady had said, offering a slight smile. "That probably sounds ridiculous though, doesn't it?" The redhead had laughed it off, comforting her in the fact that there was a chance a huge mobile suit was nearby. Of course, she left out the mobile suit part and said something like an experiment. She didn't hear much more than that and called it a day after a few more hours of wandering.

Walking back to the apartment, she ended up stopping by the grocery store and buying some food as well as some other essentials. She doubted the guys would think of that and stuffed everything into the fridge and cupboards before they got back.

They all walked in about an hour later, having not seen anything of interest from where they were. The redhead relayed what she found out, but overall, they didn't have enough to go on. Sighing, Eclipse was going to call it a night when Nicol tapped her shoulder and handed her a bag. "Huh?" was the redhead's initial reaction and when he smiled and urged her to look inside, her confusion turned more into curiosity. "What is it?"

"Just open it."

Pulling aside the two flaps, she looked inside. Two books were lying at the bottom, one brown and bound in leather, while the other was more of a mahogany color. On top of those books was an envelope and when Eclipse looked up to comment, she noticed Dearka was holding a bag as well. He had already reached in and was opening the card by the time the redhead had gotten hers out of the envelope. "Happy Birthday" it read on the front and inside everyone but Dearka had signed his name. Most likely because they had gotten his present at the same time.

Eclipse didn't know how to react at first. That was the last thing she expected not only because they were supposed to be on some stealth mission, but also because she didn't think anyone knew it had been her birthday a few days ago. Just staring at the card and the names printed there, she opted to keeping quiet and waiting for someone else to react first. Seeing as she was the center of attention, that moment wasn't going to happen until she moved, but—luckily—Dearka was the first to break the silence. Just as surprised about the gifts as Eclipse, the blonde let out a "Hah!" when he pulled three crossword puzzle books out of the bag. Instantly, he started flipping through them, ignoring the others and shouting out the answers he knew.

They all looked to her next and by pure embarrassment, she pulled out the two books. The older, brown one she recognized immediately. Looking up at Nicol, she wanted to ask where he had found her journal—she vaguely remembered falling down through the atmosphere and forgetting it on the _Vesalius_—but decided to save it for another time seeing as they had gotten her a newer one. It was leather-bound like her first journal, but looked to have more pages. "Thanks," she said quietly, opening the front flap. Inside, her name was printed along with her birth date, making the redhead smile with how sophisticated the handwriting looked. Not in the sense that it looked too grandeur, but more like the person normally wrote in cursive and tried really hard to print the words.

Elegant.

"Sorry, I know it's not authentic, but—well—we thought it was appropriate," Nicol said, blushing a little when he saw her reading the name and date.

Blinking, Eclipse realized he was most likely the one to write it and couldn't withhold her smile any more. "Thanks," she said again and started flipping through the pages out of pure, new book habit. "I love it."

"Well, good because we lost the receipt," Yzak joked to her left and made his way into the kitchen. "Now, who's up for cake?"

"We have to bake it first," Athrun said, joining him near the fridge and set yet another bag down on the counter.

"I know that, but who's gonna do it?"

He immediately turned to Eclipse, but she threw her hands up and shook her head. "I'm domestically challenged."

"I'll do it," Dearka said, setting his bag down on the coffee table and rolling up his sleeves. "Just put everything next to me."

* * *

The cat and mouse game was getting rather old. First there were rumors at the research facility, then they were back at Morgenroete's main complex, back at the facility, and then back at the complex again. The Zala team was always a few days behind so they could never officially _say _the _Archangel_ was still docked there. _Hell, it could already be halfway to Alaska by now_, Eclipse thought with a sigh, weaving through the people on the sidewalk. She had left the guys back at the apartment earlier that morning and knowing what had happened the day before, her leaving looked more like escaping. _A birthday party? _she thought again, stopping at a crosswalk. _They threw me and Dearka a damn birthday party? _ If they had given such a celebration for someone else—say, Commander Le Creuset for example—she may not have been so condescending, but it was for her.

_And _they got her a gift.

That was probably the most embarrassing thing of all. Sure, she didn't mind getting presents, but they were in the military and her team was so awkward with one another they were probably all bribed into being there and looking somewhat happy. _Besides, _she continued, _they were seven days off and threw it on April Fool's Day. Boy, don't I feel like an idiot. _ In fact, she didn't. She was touched with the whole ordeal and Dearka's cake turned out stupendous. Who knew he could do all of that from scratch?

The light changed and she crossed the street with the other pedestrians, staring at her feet as she stepped up on the curb. She didn't think anyone would recognize her, but just in case, she wore a baggy sweatshirt and bandanna to cover her red hair. Ridiculous, maybe, but it got the job done. She did manage to look up as soon as she passed an electronics store, staring at the television on display when she heard a familiar voice. Thanks to all the "excitement" from the birthday party, the lot of them forgot about the election. Well, Athrun probably didn't forget, but he didn't feel the need to bring it up either. Staring at the screen, Eclipse muffled out the chairman's words and read the announcement at the bottom instead. "Patrick Zala gets elected Chairman." Frankly, it was obvious. Over the past few months things had gotten rather edgy up in the PLANTs. The redhead hadn't heard any specifics—being stuck on earth for so long—but she knew everyone was getting nervous and, hopefully, a new leader would help.

The war was just lasting too long.

Looking around at the people walking near her, she had to laugh. It seemed like such an absurd statement standing in Orb because the war never touched there. In fact, it was a little oasis in the desert. One surrounded by barbed wire, mines, and guard towers just in case any unwanted visitors came begging for a drink, but peaceful nonetheless. It was so ridiculous and yet inspiring at the same time. If the whole world looked at the war like that country, there wouldn't be any fighting.

Chairman Zala said something else on the screen, but Eclipse just turned and walked away. She was never good with the political end of things and, frankly, that kind of stuff gave her a headache. The rest of her team had been watching that program all last night and into the early morning, waiting for updates. Since they were all cut off from the military—for the most part—they weren't getting many scoops on what was happening in the PLANTs. The redhead had called it a mild case of homesickness, but they all rebuked her and sent her to bed. She hadn't complained after that and actually thanked them for letting her get a few more restful hours of sleep. Or at least she would have if any of them were up.

Athrun had been amazingly silent about the whole thing; going about stoically as if none of it matter to him. And perhaps it didn't. He was getting harder and harder to understand and now that they were all in Orb, he had become even tenser. Was he afraid they wouldn't find the _Archangel_? Or was he, in fact, scared that they _would_? His attitude towards that ship had been touchy to say the least, so what was he going to do if they really did find it? _I'm going to kill the Strike pilot, _Eclipse decided as she rounded the corner leading to the apartment. _I'll have to get there before Yzak, but that boy has lived way too long. _ She knew what he looked like because of his little escapade with Commander Waltfeld, but the problem was finding him. And since they weren't allowed access into most of the Morgenroete complex, it was going to be even harder.

Opening the door, the redhead stepped inside and ascended the stairs, fiddling around with the keys in her hand before finding the right one. Slipping it into the lock, she pushed the door aside.

Dearka was up and cooking in the kitchen, wearing simple jeans and a baggy, green t-shirt. His feet were bare and looked as if they should be cold on the tiled floor, but he didn't seem to notice. Sizzling what looked like bacon in a frying pan and pancakes on the other burner, he raised the spatula in greeting when she walked in. "Did you get those eggs I asked for?"

"Yeah, I saw your note," Eclipse replied, setting her bag of groceries on the table. "I hope three dozen is enough."

"It may only last us a couple of days, but I'm hoping that's as long as we'll be here for anyway. Find anything new while you were out?"

She shook her head, pulling out the egg carton and setting it next to him on the counter. Shaking out the plastic bag, she emptied the trash can into it and tied the top shut. Setting it next to the door for someone to grab on their way out, she walked back over to the counter and jumped up, sitting comfortably on the edge near the blonde. "Just a lot of stuff with the new Chairman."

"Figured as much."

"Is anyone else up?"

"Nicol stepped out for some reason about an hour ago, Yzak's in the shower, and Athrun's been on the phone all morning. He's been trying to convince the Morgenroete technicians we're some electronic know-it-alls from Scandinavia or something. We're hoping that will get us a tour at least."

"At this point, I'm willing to try anything. I can't help but feel as if we're wasting time."

"I think we all feel the same. Being cooped up here and playing house is definitely becoming old."

"Playing house? Is that what you call this?" Eclipse asked, cocking an eyebrow as she kicked her feet childishly against the lower cupboards.

"Yes, and as the little delinquent daughter, I'm telling you to get off the counter and set the table," the blonde joked, pointing the spatula at her once more and placing his hands on his hips.

"Yes…mother?" she added, taking her sweet time rolling off the tabletop. "And do I want to know who the fath—"

"Dearka! Where are my damn socks? I had them a minute—" Yzak stopped in the doorway, blinking when he saw Eclipse turn his way. Wearing a pair of jeans and nothing more, the redhead figured losing a pair of socks was the least of his worries. Still drying his hair, the pilot floundered for something else to say, but could only shout, "What?" when Eclipse broke down in laughter and the blonde turned away in disgust.

"N-nothing," the redhead managed, waving a hand at him as she walked over to the dining table and starting arranging the plates and silverware left there. "Just make sure I'm safely tucked in bed before you try anything with Mom, okay _Dad_?"

"Eclipse!" Dearka shouted.

"What the fuc—" Yzak started at the same time, but just gave up. She was obviously in her own little world—well, the blonde knew where she had gotten the idea—and any more mindless babble would probably get both of them into more trouble. Sighing, he turned around and went back into his room.

"They're on the bed," Dearka said before he disappeared, throwing Eclipse into an even greater fit of laughter.

If only they knew.

* * *

Six days had passed before the group decided to venture out to Morgenroete together for the last time. They hadn't gotten their tour and there had been no new updates from the citizens, so—as Dearka had so comically put—they were really getting tired of "playing house." Athrun had suggested the idea at breakfast and everyone agreed. While it was possible the _Archangel _was still being repaired, sitting around in Orb and cooking pancakes was not the best way to spend their time. They were going to take one last look at the complex and if there was still nothing to be found, they were just going to leave and call the whole thing a failure. That in itself was interesting. Eclipse had suggested trying to infiltrate the facility a couple of days in—much like she had done on Heliopolis—but Athrun outright disagreed. The redhead knew he had been touchy since the satellite went down, but it was clearly the best course of action. He mentioned something about her identity and the possibility of too many people recognizing her, however, it seemed like a cop out more than anything. She had even offered to try and get one of the other boys into the place, but he didn't like that idea either.

It was as if he was trying to _not _find the ship.

The redhead had brought it up to Nicol, but he just laughed it off and told her she was being silly. At one point she almost disobeyed orders and snuck out to do her own thing, but when she was on her way to Morgenroete, her parents had stepped out of the limo parked at the main gate. Eclipse knew it was just mandatory inspection, but she was so afraid they had spotted her on the sidewalk and were coming to apprehend her that she ran all the way back to the apartment. No, it wasn't time to talk to them just yet. She had stayed inside and waited for her teammates to tell her what to do after that.

Athrun led the way down the main street, making a path through the people for the rest of the Zala team to follow. He didn't seem to be rushing, but his face made it look as if he was attempting to run a marathon. He looked worried and in a panic almost. Knowing he had been on the phone for a few hours the night before, Eclipse figured he had a very unpleasant run-in with their "allies" in Orb—probably wondering why they were sticking around for so long. She couldn't blame the organization for getting restless, but they had been paid well beyond their initial asking price. One might think that was enough.

"We'll start here," Athrun began, pointing to the southern area of the complex on the map, "and then work our way around to here. If we see or hear anything about the ship, we'll head back to the carrier and prepare for battle. Hopefully, we'll be able to attack them just as they leave the country."

"But if we don't find anything?" Dearka asked as he leaned against their borrowed car.

"We're going to leave anyway and swallow our embarrassment," the commander replied immediately, looking at Yzak as if he was waiting for him to say something. The Duel pilot, however, remained quiet and turned away.

Even he didn't have a smartass remark for that kind of statement.

Eclipse and Nicol silently agreed, nodding their heads solemnly as they exchanged nervous looks. If they really didn't find anything and the _Archangel _was practically in Alaska, things were going to get ugly for them.

"Good, then let's get moving."

The south side came up blank once more and even the west side showed no signs of suspicious movement. "Security's tighter here than at the naval base," Yzak commented, standing next to Dearka with his arms crossed over his chest. Sighing, he leaned back against the far railing and took a sidelong glance at the water behind them. "Any luck hacking into their system, Athrun?"

"The system's multi-layered and I haven't really made any progress. Y'know," he began, turning to Eclipse, "You were probably right. It might've been easier to capture someone and use them to infiltrate the place."

The redhead shrugged and shook her head. "Maybe, but you can't be totally sure. Yzak's right, the security here is strict, maybe even more so than Heliopolis. The last thing we needed was to get caught."

They were all about to give up hope as they rounded the eastern end until a loud, mechanical bird flew over the fence. It was green and about the size of a cardinal with yellow feathers on the wings and two, thin legs that could probably be snapped by someone's fingers. It said something—sounded vaguely like the word "birdy"—and spun in a circle above the tree near the redcoats. Athrun was the first one to notice it and for the first time that day, he showed a bit of emotion. His lower lip trembled as a small gasp escaped his mouth. Walking towards the tree, he held out his hand and watched as the bird perched down comfortably. The four of them gathered around, eager to know when their commander had become such a Dr. Doolittle as well as see if the thing really was mechanical. "Birdy?" it said again, sounding more like a question than its calls before.

"What is that thing?" Yzak asked.

"Wow, it's a robotic bird," Nicol remarked next, in awe of the thing. He looked impressed and judging by how lifelike the machine looked, no one could blame him. Its feathers even twitched when he moved its head.

"Birdy!" a voice shouted from the other side of the fence a few seconds later, footsteps accenting the call as they thudded on the pavement. Looking up, Eclipse could see it was a male teenager running towards them, but she couldn't make out anything other than his orange mechanics' uniform. Figuring him to be the owner of the unique animal, she turned back to Athrun to see what he was going to do. There was a slim chance that boy could recognize them for ZAFT soldiers and just giving back a toy wasn't going to get them caught, but looking at her commander's face, the redhead could've sworn the Devil just appeared. His eyes trembled as he stared at the boy and his muscles tensed, making him look more like an ice sculpture than the calm soldier she knew him to be.

Interesting.

It took one more call for Athrun to finally take a step towards the fence. The rest of his team watched him go, having noticed the peculiar reaction, but not knowing what it meant. Something was going on, but none of them knew what and it was driving them crazy. Or at least it was Eclipse. She had been trying to figure out what was ticking in Athrun's head for a while and each time she had come up dry. Now, another mysterious thing was going on and all she could do was stand back and watch it all unfold. Ridiculous. Curling her hands into fists, the redhead looked back at the boy behind the fence. It was indeed a teenager that had been calling for the bird, and after a bit of inspection, he began to look familiar. The clothing had thrown her off, but having seen that hair before and those strange, purple eyes, there was no mistaking it.

That was the Strike pilot.

Her hand darted around her body immediately, reaching for the holster concealed just above her waistband at the small of her back. If she could pull out her gun fast enough and fire, no one would be able to react and she would have one less weight on her conscious. Actually, they'd _all_ be better off in the end. That boy was proof the _Archangel _was still docked, but nothing mattered in that split second of pure instinct.

Her hand was wrapped around the handle and she had already aimed the gun at the teen before Nicol grabbed her wrist. "Are you insane?" he hissed, trying to push her arm down, but failing. "Someone's going to see you!"

Eclipse didn't respond; hell, she had no response. The boy who had killed Commander Waltfeld and Aisha was yards away. Athrun was only slightly in the line of fire, but with such a threat standing behind that fence, she was willing to make such a risky shot if it meant a bullet through that kid's forehead. The commander would understand.

After all, she was doing it to save him.

"Eclipse, put it away!" Nicol begged, trying to sidestep in front of the weapon, but the redhead forced him back. No, she was going to do it.

He was right there.

He was practically bleeding in her hands already.

"Enough," Yzak ordered, stepping up and pushing down the gun as if it were air. In fact, his initial strength startled her. She had never known how powerful he really was and even if it was impressive, he picked the wrong moment to become authoritative. "He's just a kid."

Eclipse could just see the irony dripping off his tongue as he spoke. If only he knew what he had just stopped her from doing. "But he's—" she began, but was silenced once more with a firm shake of Yzak's head. No one was going to listen to her. It was the only time she had anything worthwhile to say, and they were going to ignore her as if she were a child trying to explain some adult concept.

They didn't want to hear.

And their greatest enemy was going to live.

_ No, he's not, _the redhead decided, bringing up the gun as soon as Yzak let her go. _I won't— _Her finger went to pull the trigger, but the Duel pilot proved to be the quicker one and tore the weapon from her hands. "Stop, you don't—" she began, but Yzak wouldn't hear it. Grabbing her wrist firmly, he twisted hard, causing a small yelp to escape. She was at a lost for words by that point. That damn pilot was right there and he chose _then _to try and stop her? Eclipse matched his glare as he twisted harder, silently wishing the painful tears from her eyes. He had to know what was going on. Why wouldn't he just listen? No matter how much she inwardly pleaded, the pilot wouldn't back down and she finally gave in, falling to her knees in defeat. She wanted to scream; wanted to explain. _That's the Strike pilot! _her mind shouted, but her mouth never spoke the words. _The Strike pilot!_

Amazingly, neither Athrun nor the Earth Forces soldier heard the commotion, but the look on the commander's face when he walked over proved he was surprised he missed it all. Blinking a few times, he looked from Eclipse to Yzak and then over to Nicol, but no one gave him any kind of explanation. Not even the Duel pilot said anything after he let her go. "What happened?" Athrun asked.

The redhead blocked it all out again, hearing Dearka saying something in the background. That boy was still in sight. He was just walking away. _Walking_; she still had a chance. There was no way she had been the only one to come armed.

Athrun.

Reaching up, she grabbed his waist, padding his sides for some kind of weapon. But there was nothing. Not even the commander thought he would need a weapon. It had to have been a pitiful sight, seeing as she was still on her knees. A beggar; it was the only way to describe her desperation. "W-what the—" Athrun started and snatched her wrists before she could feel around anymore. At first, she struggled, still not wanting to waste the opportunity, but it was no use, her commander's grip was too strong.

And the boy was gone.

She had failed again.

"Eclipse, what—" Athrun stopped and slowly dropped her hands, taking a few, trembling steps backwards. It hit him then that she knew who that person was. The others may have been oblivious, but his secret was thrown wide open and he had stopped her from getting the revenge she so longed for. That boy killed the man she had admired, and he had stopped her from doing anything. Athrun knew all that just by looking into her eyes.

The Berserker had come out.

And she was pissed.

* * *

_**A/N: **_Alright, chapter 35! Amazing! O.o And I still have inspiration for this story? That really is amazing. I've never made it this far in a story before and I'm only half way through. Wow. At any rate, I mentioned I wanted to finish this story by the end of the year and--well--as you can tell, that's didn't happen. O.o 2010 already and I'm on disk six. I never thought I'd make it that far so yay! But then, boo, because I have so much more to go... A huge thank you goes out to all of you who are sticking with me. The input it _much _appreciated!

So, NaNoWriMo took a lot of my time last month and--if you haven't noticed my avatar--I did it! I hit over 50k for the month and finished a story to boot! Woot! I _can _do it! So, I've been working on that while I've been writing this so that is another reason this chapter came out two months after my last one instead of two. Sorry guys. That may be okay for many of your because school finals are a pain in the ass and all those papers teachers force us to write get a bit old and long after a while. Let's just say I can't wait for school to end. Speaking of that dreaded place though, it's going to be starting up here in a week which means tons of homework. Four English classes... And I'm majoring and minoring in English why? Hm, maybe I should've thought this through a little bit more... At any rate, I'm gonna have lots of writing/reading/papers on my end, but I'll try my best to get the next chapter out quickly. I'm thinking it's the one you are all excited for anyway. :)

I hope this chapter answered a lot of your questions. It was kinda straight exposition in some parts, but I hope it wasn't stated too bluntly. It needed to be in there and I figured that was the best way to say it. *shrugs*

As for the mechanics of late, yeah, I like innuendos and just plain sarcasm. Bickering is a huge fave and--I have to admit--Gojyo and Goku from Saiyuki are my inspiration sometimes. Their writers were amazing... If anything, those mechanics are good for some comic relief. SEED can get very deep at some points and to add in a bit of awkwardness between characters or sexual references to Gundams can be a fun time.

Again, a huge thank you goes out to all the readers/reviewers as well as my Betas. They all had really busy holidays and am happy they took the time to look over my not-so-important chapter. I owe them a lot this time. Thanks guys!

* * *

_**Questions/Gripes:**_

_OrangeP47: _You probably figured out where we were in the storyline by now, but I'll let you guys know anyway since some other people may be confused too:

The last chapter was when the Zala teams was trying to track down the _Archangel _after it defeated Commander Waltfeld in the desert. The _Archangel _was in the Indian Ocean and going up into the Atlantic Ocean towards Alaska. The Zala team attacks them near Orb and the ship escapes into that country. (Episode 25)

The _Archangel _is in Orb and the Zala Team sneaks in to try and locate it. They can't just attack the country because it's neutral and that would cause some major problems for the ZAFT army. The end of this chapter is when Athrun and Kira see each other through the fence of the Morgenroete complex. Birdy flies out and what not; it's a memorable episode. (Episode 28ish)

I hope this helps.

* * *

Well, thanks again for all the support and I'll try to get the next chapter out soon. I'm moving pretty slow on my original story revision, but I have a lot of time to do that one.

Until the next chapter!

_Strata _


	36. More Demons Than Angels

More Demons Than Angels

The Berserker didn't fade away for some time, but unlike the other instances Eclipse's other half decided to appear, she didn't feel overly active—or at least have the need take out her wrath on the nearest victim. The Berserker seethed quietly in her mobile suit while her other teammates made the appropriate preparations. Nicol was kind enough to check up on her an hour earlier, but Eclipse just kept her head down and hands clenched on the helmet in her lap. He left after a few moments, offering some healthy advice; however, the Berserker didn't catch any of it. Instead of trying to extinguish the anger, Eclipse embraced it. No, when she met that boy in battle, she was determined to stay pissed.

And Namarra's note didn't help matters.

At first, Eclipse felt a bit relieved to hear from her fellow genetic reject—skipping down to the name first let her know—until she actually read the contents. "Pride killed Gluttony," was all it said, the words screaming inside the Berserker's head each time she read it. She was definitely too angry to feel anything but pure hatred, and remembering her experience in Orb only made the bulk of everything so much worse.

In the next battle she wasn't going to play nice.

Athrun had conveniently been in meetings ever since they got back to the submarine carrier. As the team's commander, he was expected to check up on his comrades—especially since everyone was so worried about Eclipse's behavior—but apparently nothing could pull him away. That was suspicious. At one point, Yzak mocked him for being scared, but, then again, _he_ had never bothered to check up on her either. Dearka had tried calling her down from the hanger floor, but Nicol had been the only one to confront her directly.

"Athrun, please," the musician pleaded, catching the young commander as he stepped out for a break. "She hasn't said anything since we came back and you so unprofessionally refused to question her on her conduct back in Orb. _Obviously_, there's something going on neither of you are telling us."

"You think I didn't question her because I'm hiding something?" the boy snapped, exhaustion in his voice outweighing the abrupt anger. Perhaps Athrun was just getting tired. After all, he knew Eclipse had caught on and it was only a matter of time before the others did too.

Nicol sighed. "I can't say I'm not accusing you, but something's wrong. I don't have to remind you of the coming battle, so why the hell are we all arguing like this?"

"There's a lot involved."

"And you know I'm a very patient person."

Defeated, Athrun sighed a started walking to the hanger. "I-it's just that I've been in something for so long, I never realized what it did to other people."

"But…" the musician egged, feeling as if there was some kind of catch. He hadn't expected the commander to go into a lot of detail on the matter—he never opened up _that _much—but he knew he'd get information of _some _kind.

"I'm beginning to think it's not worth it that much anymore. After seeing Eclipse—realizing how far she was willing to go, I don't think I have the right anymore."

"Right for what?" Nicol asked, but never got an answer. By that time, they had reached the hanger and the loud bickering echoing from the inside. So loud, in fact, it was easy to determine who they were.

"Just ask Athrun to talk to her!" Dearka yelled, swinging his right arm out wide. "She won't listen to us so—"

"We don't need to bring that rule-based, Aegis-finger-up-the-ass _commander_ into this. Damn it, Dearka, every time something goes wrong, you whine to him. Try wagging your tail at someone else for a change!" Yzak countered as he braced his hands on his hips. Such a defiant little couple. "What does he got that I—"

"Why does everything have to come down to dick size with you?" the blonde cut in. "Something is bothering Eclipse and all you want to do is bring out the yard stick!"

"What was that?"

Nicol and Athrun just stood in awe, knowing Dearka just breeched the "no trespassing" zone when it came down to Yzak's pride. Everyone thought it, but no one ever said it.

It seemed the blonde would be the one winning the sizing contest.

"Stop sounding like you're some pussyfooted baby who just had his bottle taken away. Man up and ask him for—" Dearka stopped, swinging his left arm towards the hanger entrance and seeing the other two redcoats standing there. "Uh—shit," he cursed.

"What?" Yzak—still furious—turned to the door as well, offering up a string of his own profanities once he saw the last two members of his contest standing there. After all of that he could never show his—uh—face in the locker room showers again.

A short, awkward silence passed between them until Nicol cleared his throat and smiled. "Does this mean I win the pot?"

As if to answer his question, a wrench flew out of the Stealth's open cockpit, landing just behind Yzak. If he hadn't have stepped forward to try and retaliate, that tool would have been wedged in his skull. Given the past conversation, it probably would've done him some good.

"Hey!" the Duel pilot yelled.

"Stop talking about me as if I'm going to judge your damn contest. Haven't you ever learned to leave a girl alone when she's pissed?" Eclipse responded, her voice echoing from the cockpit. "You're lucky that wasn't a nine millimeter, jackass."

There was a bit more shouting and bickering as Athrun walked over to the machine, glad the others kept her occupied. Perhaps she wouldn't hear him coming, then again she was always terribly observant. Oh well, maybe his optimism would actually keep him safe this time.

"Calm down already!" Dearka yelled from the floor just as the lift reached the cockpit. There was no response from the Berserker inside and Athrun peered in.

Gun.

Cursing, the commander dropped flat onto the lift before the bullet could catch him in the chest. That would've been one for the record books: young redcoat killed by PMS comrade. However, nothing happened. Perhaps she finally realized her actions were going to have severe consequences. That was a good sign at least. "Y'know, everyone's worried about you," Athrun began, slowly getting to his feet. Straightening his uniform, he lifted his head to peer inside. "They're not really sure why you're acting like… this." The last few words dribbled out of his mouth as he looked up and down the end of the barrel. He followed the line of the gun to her face, resting on the pupiless eyes and withholding a shiver. _ She's still that way, I see._

"But you know why I'm mad right?"

He sighed. "Eclipse—"

"He was _right there_, Athrun. Right there!"

"We were in neutral territory. Killing him would've—"

"So, you admit to knowing him? _Knowing _he was the Strike pilot?" The commander didn't answer, and said a silent thank you for having the rest of his teammates out of hearing range. "Is that your so-called friend? The one who castrates you every battle?"

"Hey—"

"He killed Waltfeld, Aisha—"

"And how many people have you killed? Being a murderer in a war shouldn't condemn a man to death."

"Listen to yourself!" Eclipse screamed, swinging her gun arm out wide. It luckily missed everything in the cockpit. The last thing they needed was an accidental firing, especially with her bridging on the edge corporal punishment. "I should be burned alive for what I've done!"

"I'm willing to—"

"Just wait," she cut in. "Wait until he kills someone close to you and then tell me how forgiving you'll feel! Do you think he cares? Do you think he'll stop just because that person he's about to kill is your friend?"

Athrun had no response, hell, the redhead didn't even have enough energy to continue her argument. Namarra's message had made it very clear how miniscule the feeling of "friendship" was in a war. FS and Stray were on the same side and still FS felt the need to kill off his friend. How then could a relationship between opposing armies hope to survive? "I-I want to believe it can happen," Eclipse began, tears thickening her voice. She wasn't sure when the Berserker left, but she knew it was gone then, filling that void with anguish instead of rage. It should've been a comforting transition, but the redhead actually cursed it, liking the numb feeling she had had for the past few hours. Perhaps Namarra had been right and the Berserker _was _like a drug. If that was the case, she was losing the battle already. "B-but the world isn't that kind," she finished.

"I know it's not," Athrun admitted after a few moments, turning to sit on the edge of the cockpit opening. "But can't we try to believe in it?"

"Pride killed Gluttony."

"What?"

"One of my friends just killed the other one." The words caught in her throat, but she just swallowed. This guy had gotten way too many tears from her already. "I just need you to understand things don't always turn out—"

"Hey," he stopped her, reaching under her downed head to put a finger on her lips. "Enough of this; go get some rest."

She didn't say anything, didn't even nod. Her face bolted up at his little gesture, exposing her moistened eyes and very apparent shock.

Hopefully, he didn't see her blush too.

Athrun caught a glimpse of the screen as she climbed out, reading the message and the name "Bob" typed below. _So, she hadn't found the information herself. Is this a trusted associate perhaps? _His first reaction was a sense of betrayal. Why didn't he know about this person? However, he felt guilty when he saw her stumble onto the lift. The news had to have hit her hard if she was that uncoordinated.

He would just bring it up later.

* * *

"I'm glad to see you look a bit better," Nicol commented, plopping down next to Eclipse. They were sitting on the outside deck, waiting for the submarine carrier to be refueled and supplied. It was one of the precautions Athrun had made and, frankly, it was a good idea. They had no idea when the _Archangel _was going to leave port and if they were unprepared when it _did _decide to leave—well—everything they had done before would've been pointless. After all the things that had happened in Orb, Eclipse really didn't want to lose her chance at the Strike.

Damn, she was starting to sound like Yzak.

"Or, aren't you feeling any better?" Nicol pressed, hearing no immediate response. She looked fine to him, but no matter how observant he was around the others, girls were just harder to understand. He knew it was just a cliché excuse to give up, but something had happened at Morgenroete two days earlier that had really upset her. Outright asking her about it may put her in a defensive mood and he'd never get through to her at all, so he figured he'd let her talk in her own time. "I guess it's okay if you ignore me," he said after a few more moments of awkward silence. "Do you mind if I sit here though?" At least he got something out of her that time. The redhead shook her head and rested her chin back on her knees, tightening her arms around her shins as she stared out at the water.

Nicol smiled lightly and followed her gaze, sinking into his own thoughts as the waves splashed up against the side of the ship. It seemed like such a long time ago since this damn war had started and yet they had gotten nowhere. Their team was assigned one thing, bring down the 'Legged Ship' and they hadn't even accomplished that. Hell, they hadn't even come close. Given their number of mobile suits and the ones on that ship, their amount of notches in the losing column should've been down to at least one. It was all so pathetic. "What are we doing wrong?" he asked himself.

"Nothing," Eclipse replied, hearing the quiet muttering, "there's just more demons than angels in this world."

"That's a funny thing to say," Nicol responded. "Are you implying that we're the demons? Or the angels?"

"Perhaps we're both, drifting back and forth from heaven and hell depending on the situation," the redhead explained, sounding exhausted as she talked. "I must be in the middle right now because I feel very human at the moment." She buried her face in the nook between her knees after the statement. The musician would've said she was crying, but that didn't seem to be the case. She was stronger than that, he knew, and her stance alone proved that. Human, yes, she was human. Sitting in a fetal position only proved her point, but it wasn't necessarily a bad thing.

"Every once and a while, I think it's okay to feel mortal. It means you can look forward to being an angel, and you know you have the power to overcome your demonic side. Besides," he added, feeling a bit foolish in his train of thought, but seeming to have some point behind it, "I think being human gives you more choices and the chance to learn from the bad decisions, right?"

_Bad decisions? _Eclipse asked herself. _Huh, like not having friends on the opposite—_ She stopped, for the first time realizing something she should've noticed a _long _time ago, but thanks to her "high and mighty" act, she had blinded herself to it.

Athrun and herself were in the exact same predicament.

It was so ironic and absurd that she started laughing, startling Nicol next to her and putting a confused look on his fair face. It was all so ridiculous. Eclipse had been yelling at Athrun to just kill his friend and stop messing around, when she should've been doing the exact same thing. She should've killed FS when she had the chance and then Stray would've been alive. After all, wasn't one just following the other? If FS was out of the picture, Stray may've been alive, but since she was so convinced she could save them both, one of them died.

And FS was the one who was insane.

"Ridiculous!" she laughed, falling backwards onto the deck and placing an arm over her eyes. "It's all so stupid!"

Nicol said nothing, just watched her escapade and smiled. He didn't know what was going on, but he had believed the laughter was genuine. As long as she was back to her old self, he really didn't care. He was so oblivious it was frightening, but still comforting at the same time. The musician only pried when he needed to and just accepted everything else. Now there was a friend. "H-hey, look!" he shouted, pulling her own of her laughing fit to look out at the water. Jumping from the surface was a school of flying fish, their blue fins and scales reflecting the sunlight for a few seconds before they dove back into the water. More jumped from the water a second later, looking like a circus trying to entertain its audience. "I'll get Athrun," he announced, jumping to his feet and heading over to the other side of the ship. Eclipse hadn't even known the young commander was so close. Perhaps she should go apologize, but stopped herself. Yes, she might've been able to save Stray if she had killed FS sooner, but none of that mattered anymore. She just wanted FS dead and just as much as that Strike pilot. No, she'd keep pushing Athrun. If his friend was anything like FS—if only in circumstance—he could kill someone close to them. Better to get him before that happened.

Right?

Shaking her head, she just let the matter go, deciding to watch the fish herself when neither of the guys came back. It had been a while since the Berserker was seething in the cockpit. She was sure the next battle was going to be a bloody one, but now she was just exhausted and waiting for the _Archangel _to come out of Orb wasn't helping matters. Her anger was gone. Not completely, but was definitely depleted enough to make her more melancholy than pissed. Eventually, when the battle would come up, she was sure she'd be able to get that anger back, but she couldn't help thinking, was it all worth it? "Don't do that right now," she hissed. "The second you give up, is the second someone dies."

"Eclipse—hey!" Nicol called. "Come join us!" Eclipse rolled over and sighed, not having the heart to deny the request. She had to get her head back on straight and the best way to do that, was to remind herself who she was trying to protect. Losing Stray had opened her eyes to one thing: she didn't want to lose anyone else.

* * *

"A ship is separating from the enemy fleet!" the intercom blared. They were all waiting in their mobile suits, for this kind of report, but there was still no guarantee it was the _Archangel. _ Both Athrun and Eclipse _knew _that ship was in Orb, but only Nicol seemed to believe them. Dearka and Yzak had their doubts, but no matter what those hesitations were, as soon as they heard the announcement, they were just as anxious. "Identifying…the 'Legged Ship!'"

Eclipse smirked, Yzak said something unintelligent, and Dearka whistled. "Hah! I knew you were right, Athrun," Nicol remarked, proud of his young friend. In fact, he was silently laughing at the other two who had their doubts.

"We're taking off! That ship goes down today!" Athrun announced, heaving a sigh of relief. While he wasn't necessarily worried, he was still a bit uneasy. If something had gone wrong—even if he was sure it wouldn't—not only would neither Yzak nor Dearka let him live it down, but Commander Creuset would have a few things to say as well.

And those wouldn't have been comforting either.

The Aegis launched first, followed immediately by the remaining four suits. They had discussed a plan of attack, but it didn't involve more than take out the Strike first, and then go for the remaining pests and the _Archangel_. It was a simple plan, but given their past battles, it _had _to work. The real pain in the ass was the Strike and as soon as that was destroyed, the others should be pretty easy to pick off.

Well, ideally.

They had barely gotten into the air and had view of the _Archangel_ when the ship let loose a smoke screen, covering the ship and the Strike upon the deck in a matter of seconds. The redhead cursed when she saw the display while her teammates did the same. "A smoke screen?" Dearka muttered, shaking his head.

"They're getting' cute with us," Yzak commented a second later. The others could only agree. While it may have seemed like a good tactic from the Earth Forces point of view, it just looked cowardly from ZAFT's side. Given the victory column, the _Archangel _shouldn't have had to worry about such tactics, seeing as they had been winning most of their battles. If anything, the redcoats should've been given a handicap. Not like they would've taken it in the first place, but common courtesy should've kicked in by that point.

The enemy ship launched two Skygraspers soon after, their movement showing up on the sensors. "I thought there was only one of those things. Now there's two of them?" Yzak said, but no one had a good come back. Hell, they didn't even have time to speak. The second the planes launched, a large plasma blast shot through the fog and nearly hit the clumped ZAFT soldiers.

"Everyone scatter!" Athrun shouted once the shot dissipated, knowing they'd be at a great disadvantage if they remained so tightly together. Given their state as friends, the closeness was a bit unusual, especially with the Duel hovering next to the Aegis. Battles were amazing on all spectrums apparently.

Yzak and Dearka hooked off to the left, hoping to have a shot at the ship from that angle. Athrun and Nicol did the same to the right while Eclipse ascended, figuring she'd get the small flies buzzing about the air. As she anticipated, the Strike attacked the Duel and Buster first and when one of the Skygraspers went to help, she cut it off with a downwards chop from the blade mounted to her left arm. The plane dodged at the last second and soared upward, narrowly missing the second attack from her right arm when she pulled it across her body. "Not bad for an insect," she remarked, folding the blades back under her arms. It looked as if she had to use other methods to take that bug down. The redhead figured the maneuver had more to do with luck than actual skill, but she was willing to give the pilot a break. Besides, underestimating her enemy would put her at a huge disadvantage.

The plane swung back around and fired a few rounds of bullets. The attack merely glanced off her left buckler, the bullets and their shells ricocheting down into the water to land harmlessly on the ocean floor. It was more of a nuisance than anything and when the Skygrasper flew past, she swung the Stealth around to issue her own spew of gunfire. The bullets spat out of the Stealth's mouth with an embarrassing display of fervor. Eclipse could just hear the mechanics words echoing through her head and hated herself for being so susceptible to such mockery. The attack clipped the plane's outer armor near the tail, but—like the Stealth—the bullets did no major damage. Smirking, the redhead just shook her head. What good was excellent aim if the weaponry wasn't powerful enough to harm the enemy?

The Skygrasper flew off then, leaving the Stealth and the buzzing of her rear sensors behind. The _Archangel _had appeared through the smoke screen and started its attack, firing its rear missiles at the seemingly defenseless redhead. Cursing, Eclipse cut her boosters and fell below the attack, reaching behind her back to grab the beam rifle and shoot down as many of the pesky missiles as she could. She managed to get four of the eight fired before the Skygrasper swung in low for another attack. Aiming its beam cannon, the plane calculated her descent and shot, hoping to destroy the Stealth before it even hit the water.

"You're all just too damn optimistic," Eclipse muttered and ignited her boosters, stopping her machine just above the beam. It scrapped across two of her HiMat feathers, but—for the most part—didn't harm her suit.

At least the beam didn't.

The missiles were still a major problem and even though the redhead avoided one potentially fatal attack, it was going to be tough to evade two. She didn't have Phase Shift like her teammates did and a couple of well-placed explosions from those things would take her out of the battle for sure. Perhaps even for good. Cursing, she pulled hard on the controls and pressed the petal to the ground, flying the Stealth a little bit upwards and to the right. Two missiles went between the suit's legs, landing harmlessly in the water while the other two went out wide. She had been lucky that time and almost sighed until she felt a large shadow cross over her. Looking up, she stared at the underside of the _Archangel _and the Valliant gun aimed directly at her.

Eclipse's instincts took over at that point. Bringing up her left hand, she fired the cannon in her left palm, watching as the thread of electricity shot out and wrapped around the barrel of the gun. She could just imagine the words to fire leaving the captain's mouth, and watching the end of that gun glow yellow, the redhead felt a sweat drop trickle down her cheekbone.

The electric shock damaged the Valliant, but not before it fired off part of its blast. Pulling hard on the controls once more, Eclipse tried to turn the Stealth away, but the shot seared off her left arm at the elbow in the attempt. The gun exploded within the next second, the force of the blast sending the redhead spiraling down towards the water.

The impact jostled her in the cockpit, making her, for the first time, happy the mechanics decided to give her a bit more personal space than the typical mobile suit. She definitely had a headache when everything calmed down, but that was more from the whiplash than from any kind of concussion. Her right forearm had snagged on something—but what she had no idea—creating a nice gash from the elbow down to the wrist. It wasn't anything serious, and was just going to be more annoying than life threatening. _That was close. _

The buzzers blared inside the cockpit and from the earpiece in her ear, reminding Eclipse of the current situation. If she didn't get to the surface soon, things were going to get rather ugly. The first thing she checked was her battery and staring at the screen in front of her, she felt her face go pale. Her battery was drained and—as she found out a second later—thanks to an accurate piece of shrapnel, there was no way she could initiate HFC-EPR. The piece of metal had cut deep into her own suit, severing the connection to the fuel cells and if it wasn't for the sudden drop into the water, her personal body parts would've been floating among the debris as well. The water coming in from her damaged arm and the hole made by the stray shrapnel flooded her suit enough to squelch any potential fire hazards.

Now that was lucky.

"Coffee Addict, status," she said into her head piece, bringing up an assortment of screens as the Stealth continued to sink. Another fortunate break was her place of decent, slowly floating to a rock outcrop some kilometers below her. At least she had a bit of time to think things over instead of drastically trying to call for help—or in worse case scenario, eject—if she couldn't get herself moving.

"Power at 0%, left arm immobile, propulsion limited," the Stealth reported into her ear.

_In other words, I'm fucked, _Eclipse thought gravely, switching a few buttons on her consol to grab someone's attention. After everything that had happened, she couldn't believe she was losing _again. _ She had vowed to get revenge a many number of times, but each battle she participated in, she lost. How was that possible? She was revered as some monster and yet she hadn't won a fight yet against this damn ship. Cursing, she could hear the Berserker laughing in the back of her mind. Yes, perhaps if she had given into her other half on a regular basis, she'd be winning more, but was that _really _something she wanted to do? Namarra had called it a drug, but if it helped, wouldn't it be worth the addiction?

"Aegis, do you copy." Nothing. "Athrun, can you hear me?" Still nothing. _Damn it. _Fiddling with the controls once more, she figured she should be able to move the limbs at least; try for some kind of swim technique in order to reach the surface. The legs kicked a few times, but stopped soon after with a sickening cry.

"Mobility zero," the Stealth stated in her ear.

"The shrapnel must've moved and cut another line. Damnit! Athrun, open your goddamn ears and answer me!" It was all so ridiculous. If he didn't reply, it was either because he was fighting, or losing. Desperately, she tried the others, but it was the same outcome. _What the hell is going on up there? _

As if in answer, Eclipse saw another mobile suit hit the surface. At first, it was hard to make out the features, but when the current turned it, she nearly laughed out of pure joy. "Blitz, this is Stealth. Do you copy?" There was no immediate response, and when the current spun the machine again, she saw the severed right arm and cursed. Him too? "Nicol, are you okay? Nicol, answer me!"

"Eclipse, I'm fine. What's your status? I don't have a very good visual at the moment."

The redhead smiled. "I'm sinking a bit faster than you are, I'm afraid. Mind lending me a hand? Just look down." She chuckled a little—despite the circumstance—when the Blitz looked in her direction. She must've looked pitiful and the grin on his face probably held more surprise and grief than actual happiness, but it was all way too damn ironic to not seem funny.

"Give me a sec." Using his good arm, he fired one of his darts, having the metallic chord wrap around the suit's waste. "Let me find some land then I'll reel you in."

"Roger that," Eclipse responded, jerking along with the Stealth as the Blitz propelled them towards the nearest batch of land. Getting out of the water first, he made sure everything was decently clear before pulling the Stealth up onto the shore.

"Now that—"

"—was ridiculous," the redhead finished for him, enjoying that few seconds of bliss before the battle slapped them back to reality. The Duel and the Buster were no where in sight, but judging by the shots by the _Archangel,_ they had to be somewhere in the water as well. Unlike Eclipse, however, they could still move. "What'd I miss?"

"The Strike's kicking our ass and those damn planes are annoying mosquitoes but rather persistent," he explained. "Ugh, how can we keep losing to them? Are they that lucky or are we just that _un_lucky?"

"Your guess is as good as mine. Are you still able to fight?"

"I'm beat up, but the Phase Shift is getting low."

"I suggest finding the Aegis. No doubt he's in the same condition and I hate the thought of anyone left alone—" Eclipse stopped, seeing that same red suit land about a mile away. The _Archangel _attacked almost as soon as he hit the ground, apparently done with the Duel and the Buster. Athrun dodged the bullets, but when he pulled out his beam rifle, the Strike advanced and sliced it in half. It looked like a losing battle and with the state the Aegis was probably in, the redhead wasn't too optimistic about the outcome. Flicking his wrist, the commander ignited his beam saber and tried to overtake the enemy that way, but everything was in the Earth Forces' favor. The Strike merely evaded the attack and punched the Aegis away. It landed with a loud crunch on the ground, Phase Shift dissipating immediately. "Athrun! Nicol—" Stopping, she looked up to where the Blitz was, but saw nothing.

Nicol was gone and time stopped; there was no other cliché way to put it.

The musician had disappeared and run to Athrun's suit before Eclipse could push the communication button. He did it on instinct, that she knew, but since when did instinct revolve around self-sacrifice? Wasn't the mind supposed to preserve the body?

Eclipse could feel the Berserker laughing that time, her laughter tickling her conscious as the blood drained from her cheeks. _Nicol, stop,_ she mouthed, locking the words inside of her head instead of shouting them. But what good could it have done? Nicol was already a few steps away from the Strike and her machine was still halfway out of the water, sensors buzzing like a radio station moving in and out of clarity. The signals snickered and hissed at her in sporadic spurts, reminding her of her helplessness and weaknesses at the same time. _If only I had—it's just like before._

"Athrun, get out!" the musician yelled, disengaging the Mirage Colloid just as he neared the enemy machine. Eclipse heard the words pour from his mouth and tried to hoist her unit back on land before he made the first attack.

The Strike moved first.

The dodge was textbook. So pretty, she would've congratulated the pilot after the fight if he wouldn't have killed a comrade with that small movement. In fact, she was sure the Berserker was laughing at the display, finding the whole experience exhilarating. But Eclipse could never be so heartless, so she just stared, mouth agape and hands shaking on the controls.

The Strike ducked under Nicol's frontal attack, its mechanical legs groaning at the awkward angle. Bracing himself, the pilot instinctively pulled his sword upwards and out to the side, making an angled cut from the Blitz's right hip into the cockpit.

Yes, the cockpit.

The Strike left the blade there as if to display his victory. It was such a merciless thing to do and watching the heat from the beam searing at the metal—melting it away from the skeleton of the machine—the redhead could only imagine the pilot's suffering. The blade eating away at his flesh all thanks to one moment of heroism. Only because he was a loyal friend.

Eclipse screamed.

"A-Athrun, r-run," Nicol barely managed, the Aegis pilot being the only one able to hear the words over the redhead's agonizing cry. He didn't dare believe what was happening. Could such an individual die? Could someone like Nicol deserve death? Catching his breath in his throat, he raised a hand up as if to snatch the musician from the cockpit himself. _Nicol can't—_

The Blitz exploded.

"Nicol!" he cried, but Eclipse's scream tore through the frequency louder, making Athrun throw off his helmet in a panic. There was more behind that scream than anger and he didn't feel as if he had the right to hear something so painful. In fact, the commander didn't even think there was any anger in that sound at all.

Agony; pure agony.

The Strike remained motionless on the ground, staring at the empty space where the Blitz once stood. Was he shocked? Or just mocking them with silent laughter? Whatever the cause for such hesitation, the battle was over and the Earth Alliance had gained the upper hand. _But not for long, _Athrun swore, debating whether or not to attack the stunned machine in front of him. His suit didn't have enough energy to do any major damage, but he was pissed enough to have his anger do more damage than any kind of weapon. Pulling on one lever, he felt his unit rise, but he hadn't gotten very far before the _Archangel _came into view. Cursing softly, he stopped. Dearka and Yzak had resurfaced from the water by that time, sending a barrage at the Strike no matter how close the _Archangel _was. They were just as pissed and could do a little more damage.

Futile.

The _Archangel _wasn't about to abandon its prized pilot, shooting an array of weaponry down at the ZAFT units. While the bullets could've damaged the suits, it didn't seem as if the Earth Alliance ship was trying to do such a thing, merely scare them into retreating. Unfortunately, it had worked. The Strike had already jumped out of harm's way and ignited its boosters, flying to the safety of the battleship's hangar. Athrun thought of speaking to Kira before he disappeared but stopped himself. What could he say? Thanks for killing a friend? He was beyond words, so the commander just let him go.

Another time they could talk.

Or just fight.

"We're retreating," Athrun ordered over the frequency. "Head back to the carrier. I'll grab the Stealth."

"Yes, sir," Dearka had responded, but Yzak remained silent. However, the Duel obeyed a second later, following the Buster away from the battle zone. Not even he was reckless enough to chase after the _Archangel_ then. The team had no other choice than to regroup. No matter how frustrating that was.

The communication cut off, leaving Athrun alone in his cockpit once more. Staring down at the helmet near his feet, he bit his bottom lip. The echo of Eclipse's scream still resonated off his eardrums, sending a lonely shiver down his spine. He couldn't blame her—hell, he felt like screaming himself—but they had to keep a level head. That was the best course of action.

Right?

"Stealth, status," he called over the line, taking a step in her direction. Glancing sideways at the _Archangel,_ the pilot made sure it wasn't trying to capture either his suit or the Stealth. He doubted they would risk everything for the one chance to grab the enemy, but he had to make sure. After everything that had happened, there was no way in hell he was going to give anyone else up. "Eclipse, respond."

"Left arm missing," she began after another pause, "power to main battery severed, back thrusters and legs unresponsive. Mobility zero." She sounded sassy—or even bitchy was a good description—and reluctant to answer. Her voice was a bit scratchy and the sound alone made Athrun swallow. Apparently, that scream had affected her mentally _and _physically.

"Roger that, Stealth. I'm coming to pick you up."

"Yes, sir."

Sir. Everyone was being so damned formal and he wanted to correct them, but he couldn't find the strength to. That's right, he was supposed to be the strong one.

Question was, could he be?

* * *

Eclipse waited in the hanger while the boys switched outfits in the locker room. She decided to let them go first for no other reason than because she didn't want to change yet. Changing meant she really was helpless to do anything and it wasn't a feeling she wanted to experience just then. When in doubt, bury the conscience in work. "What d'ya think?"

"I think you need to stop being so reckless," the mechanic grumbled, eyeing the Stealth angrily. He looked to be a guy in his mid-thirties, but with his eyebrows furled, he seemed about fifty. Perhaps it wasn't something the redhead should bring up.

"There's no such thing as a non-reckless battle. Removing the shrapnel and fixing the battery connection should be basic enough—"

"If not time consuming."

"—but the left arm is what I'm worried about," Eclipse continued. "I could fight without it, if need be. Just have to stabilize it."

"We do have an extra arm we can put in its place, but given the situation, I'm thinking you're all gonna fly out here again soon. Looking at the Aegis, we might not be able to get both suits done in time."

"As soon as I get my orders, I'll come in and help—"

"No," the mechanic interrupted, pointing a firm finger at her. "Get cleaned up and rested first. What's the point of fixing a machine if the pilot is too exhausted to use it properly? You do your job and we'll do ours."

Eclipse was going to argue, but the man had walked away, leaving her behind to just let her anger boil. She had wanted to keep working in order to keep her mind off of Nicol's death, but now she had just been ordered to take a nap and dream about it.

Ridiculous.

Subconsciously, she had been staring at the Blitz's empty dock, and snapping to, she just cursed and turned towards the locker room. What good was resting going to do? She'd just end up lying on the bed, staring at the ceiling, and thinking. No, she wasn't going to give into her grief just yet. Time to get her orders.

"Why did he have to die like that? And why out here? Well?" Yzak's shouting startled the redhead. For some reason, she thought no one would even bring up the subject, choosing to mourn in his own way. The team had never been so vocal with each other and Nicol was really the only one holding them all together. What was going to happen now that he was gone? Was someone supposed to fill in that spot?

Eclipse hesitated before grabbing the handle. After the outburst, she really didn't want to go in anymore. Was she scared? Perhaps, and even her anger wasn't doing anything. A part of her had hoped the Berserker would just take over and numb her to it all, but instead her mind could only replay his death mercilessly. _Damn it all._

She almost left altogether, fleeing to her Stealth and the small comfort that mechanical voice gave, but a louder sound from inside gave her enough incentive to turn the handle. Athrun had Yzak pinned against the locker, hands gripping his collar. It looked like any other argument until Eclipse saw a glimpse of tears in his eyes—well, both of their eyes actually. Dearka stood opposite her, looking just as helpless as the redhead felt. _It's all so ridiculous and yet—can—can I blame them?_

"Why don't you say it, Yzak? It was my fault! He only died because he was trying to save _me_!" Athrun shouted, tightening his grip. His hands trembled with the effort, but judging by the look on the commander's face, it looked to be out of restraint. Athrun didn't want to hit his comrade, but things were moving so fast his psyche just couldn't handle it anymore. So, he broke.

Yzak said nothing, just grabbed the commander's hands and tried to dislodge them. The Duel pilot seemed to be his angry self, but slammed up against the lockers like he was, the boy just looked defeated. Even his struggling held little strength, so did he want Athrun to hit him? Perhaps it would've made him feel a little better. Hell, it probably would've made both of them feel better.

"A-Athrun! You too Yzak," Dearka began, taking a step forward. "Fighting each other isn't gonna help us one bit. Remember the Strike is our real enemy!" That seemed to snap them out of it. Yzak shook his commander off and pushed him out of the way, stomping past his blonde comrade and out the door without even changing. "Y-Yzak!" Dearka shouted, running after him.

Eclipse and Athrun were left alone. The redhead hadn't even stepped fully into the locker room, standing in the doorway and debating whether or not to talk her commander. She could try and comfort him, but what good would that do? She wanted her Berserker to take all the pain, so it wasn't as if she was able to do any emotional consoling. Sighing, she gave in and stepped inside, shutting the door behind her.

Athrun heard her come in, but couldn't turn around to face her. After everything she had said only a few hours earlier, how could he even think his words would have any volume; mean anything? Surprisingly, she didn't snap. He half expected her to be at his throat, shoving him against the locker—much like he had just done to Yzak—however, unlike the commander's little outburst, she would've done more to him than just scream in his face. But then, he wasn't scared of her. In fact, he probably would've retaliated, if only because he was just as upset. Anything she would've said would've set him off in an instant.

After all, Nicol died protecting _him_.

"What are you going to do?" Eclipse asked softly and took a step forward. It was a small gesture, but one that made Athrun tense. Was he expecting more than just talk? The commander still said nothing and she pressed again, "Ath—" The redhead barely got his name out before he snapped to her side and pinned her against the same locker as he had Yzak. Pushing his forearm up under her chin and grabbing her lower arm with the other, he braced himself against the bench behind him. He couldn't underestimate her abilities, but looking into her eyes, he knew she wouldn't do anything to change her situation. Why? He wanted she scream then, but leaned forward instead, his face inches away from hers, and straddled her lower body, making her escape even more impossible.

"You want to say it, don't you?" he snapped, the words coming out in a breathless threat. "Why don't you? Bask in your little victory?"

Eclipse did nothing, matching his glare with a blank one of her own. The breath on her face was hot and moist, matching the eyes she was staring into, however—unlike that breath—they flickered with a deeper anger. She watched those green eyes carefully, seeing them break in and out of that lifeless expression she had seen on her own face countless times. Was he like her? Just not awakened yet?

"Well?" he pressed, tightening his grip on her pinned forearm, feeling the clamminess in his fingers and palms thanks to the open wound and tear in her pilot suit. Apparently, he wasn't as angry as she thought. No, he was more scared than anything and—most likely—feeling terribly guilty. But was guilt enough to make him snap? Anger was what always triggered her. Was it different for each person?

"Why won't you say anything?"

"What did you want me to say?"

"What you're supposed to say!"

"And what's that, huh? Where's my script, let me look it up."

"Stop being such an ass!" Athrun yelled, pressing his face near hers. Eclipse got a good look at his eyes then, still flickering back and forth between lifeless and warmth. However, there was still something different about them; a difference that actually made the redhead sad. While his eyes may've begun clouding over, his pupils remained, giving even the heartless look a sense of humanity.

Maybe he wasn't like her.

He stared at her a bit longer before Eclipse just sighed, placing the free hand on his shoulder and pushing him away. He resisted at first, but slowly he backed up. "And why would I take pleasure in this?" The boy didn't respond. "You have to calm down _commander _and think of what we're going to do next. Do we pursue them right away? The Aegis was pretty damaged, but we can quicken the repairs if we just give the other suits more ammo. The Stealth's in an ugly position right now, but as soon as I'm patched up, I'll help quicken the repairs." Still, Athrun said nothing, plopping down on the nearest bench and staring at the clenched fists in his lap. At any other time, the redhead probably would've left him with his thoughts, but they were losing valuable time. He had to make a decision.

Smack.

The boy shook off his surprise as his hand instantly went to the stinging skin on his face. A slap seemed liked cheating after everything that had happened, but when he looked up at Eclipse, he realized no foul play had taken place. A couple of tears welded up in the corners of her eyes, making him want to slap himself again for not even considering what she might've been going through. "Do you want revenge or not?" she asked, her own eyes starting their flickering to her Berserker half. Not even Eclipse could hide her emotions for an extended period of time.

"Is that really the answer?"

"Do we have a choice?"

Did they have a choice? Her words had wounded a part of him, but replaying Nicol's death in his mind, he _knew _they had to retaliate. Kira had gone too far and it was his own fault Nicol had died. "Get cleaned up," he ordered, "and try to get as much rest as you can. We'll send out another attack as soon as the mobile suits are running and before our anger subsides."

"Roger that," Eclipse responded, and left the room. She'd leave Athrun to his thoughts and let him grieve. No doubt he had more conflicting emotions than she did.

The Berserker just wanted the Strike destroyed.

* * *

"So, do you think she'll take the bait?" Phoebe asked, leaning her chin on the back of the chair as she sat in it backwards. She always felt it was more comfortable sitting that way, but found it hard convincing the others. Even though there was no back rest, she at least could fall asleep if need be.

FS didn't respond right away, watching his companion silently from his seat near the computer. They had gone over this scenario plenty of times before, but still she kept asking him to repeat himself. Frankly, it was getting annoying—and them being so suspicious wasn't exactly comforting—but he had to keep indulging her or he'd lose his position.

"I'm with Phoebe on this one, I don't think she's gonna bite," Melanie added to her sister's right. She was lying comfortably on the floor, pulling on the shaggy carpet like some monkey would flees. Unfortunately, FS was used to those two always hanging out in his room, but—for once—he wished they'd let him do _some _work. As it stood, they had more "playtime" than actual work time. Depending on his mood, that could've been a good thing or a bad thing.

Right then, it was bad.

"Finding that other assassin wasn't easy, girls, and even if the info we sent isn't necessarily true, it's enough to get Eclipse sweating at least."

"And what's the point of that? Why do we care so much about her anyway?" Phoebe asked.

"To be honest, Gluttony was the only one to give a shit, but since he's stuck up in space for now, I'm hoping to get a little time with her myself. Either she comes to our side or she's dead. It's as simple as that."

"Wow," Melanie began, "why the change of heart?"

"I'm just exhausted," FS explained, rubbing his temples at the thought. "I'm not about to go out of my way to talk some sense into her if she doesn't want to do it. I'm neither persistent nor patient."

"But what about that other girl?" Melanie asked. "I have a feeling they'll come together."

"That's where you two come in. Leave Eclipse to me, and you two do as you please. I really don't care about her."

The girls smiled at that and gave each other a high five, laughing afterward like some children at recess. FS merely sighed, looking away from the immature display to stare at the black screen. If Eclipse came running after that message he sent, she had grown soft. Sure, her and Stray had some kind of connection that the brunette never seemed to be in on, but she was leaving herself vulnerable if she wanted to play some superhero. Then again, she'd be attacking more for revenge, but it was all the same to him. Those two Berserkers were the main obstacles in his way. He didn't like the prospect of challenging them, but now he really had no choice. _I can't wait to see you again, _FS thought, waving the girls out of his room. _Let's see where this story of ours will take us, shall we?_

_

* * *

_

_**A/N: **_Alright, that break was a bit longer than anticipated. Sorry about that. Two workshop classes are a pain in the ass. Ironically, I wrote most—if not all—of this over spring break. So, basically, if I had had the time before, this would've been out a long time ago. Gotta love school.

On to the chapter… Nicol no!!! *sobs* I was always heartbroken when I saw that part, but I almost _cried _when I had to do research for this chapter. Talk about putting myself in Eclipse's shoes. I mean, can you _imagine _her scream? Eclipse _scream_? She's done it out of pure frustration, but out of sadness/agony? *Shivers* This is probably one of her moments in pure emotion. Scary.

So, did I do it justice? I changed some things, I admit. Rather minor things to fit my narrative, but changes nonetheless. Worked? Yes or No? Let me know because this chapter made me a bit nervous…

And, y'know what? I'm getting sick of Eclipse having to lose all the time. ZAFT really get its ass handed to them in these beginning episodes. I never really understood _how _that was possible with four mobile weapons verses on ship, a plane, and one mobile suit, but it's slowly making more sense. The _Archangel _crew is rather good. Even the volunteers deserve a round of applause. Score one for the Naturals.

Anyway, Namarra will be back in the next chapter and an "epic" battle against the Lust girls will begin. This, my friends, will give an all new meaning to "bitch fight," and "battle royale." No one's really safe when Berserkers and drug addicts clash, not even teammates.

And, for the sake of the fans, there will be some Eclipse and Yzak cuteness-ish. ("-ish" because I don't do the cuteness stuff very well…)

Thanks again to all of you out there who give me the inspiration to keep writing. I'd be just some wannabe fan without your support. Special thanks to my Betas who are overly anal—for good reason—but have great suggestions overall. I do wonder, however, what would happen if Murdoch was drunk and put the wrong food coloring into the _Archangel's _weaponry. Pink Gottfried blasts anyone?

On that note, see you all next chapter!

* * *

_**Questions/Gripes:**_

I realize I just skipped the whole conflict in Orb after Athrun stopped Eclipse from killing Kira, but I had to move on with the story. I think I had been dawdling around for long enough and need to get moving with the storyline. Besides, it would've just been a bit of hand-to-hand fighting that would've caused a huge uproar given their proximity to Morgenroete, Cagalli may've recognized Eclipse, and it could've been a huge disaster. Basically, it was a road I didn't feel like strolling down, so sorry if it's a huge let down that nothing immediately happened. Eclipse stewing seems like it would've worked a bit more to me and the fact that Namarra suddenly sent that message and messed with her mind a bit more, only made it more fun.


	37. More Than Comrades Part I

More Than Comrades

The repairs on the Aegis and Stealth were done in record time. Surprisingly, Eclipse was never involved. As soon as she had left the locker room—deciding not to change right away—she went straight for the infirmary, looking for some sort of bandage to put on her arm. The cut wasn't deep—in fact, it was a little thing that probably wouldn't even bleed—but was at a high enough annoyance level to receive a bandage. Once that was done, she had walked back to her room and crashed on her bed, refusing to get up for anything other than to use the bathroom.

And she did that often.

Nicol's death had done more to her psychologically and physically than she had thought possible. The Berserker subsided as soon as she got back to her room, leaving the redhead with bruises she didn't remember getting and an ache in her chest she thought would go away after a nap. Optimistic thinking was never her forte and after lying down for only a couple of minutes, she was sitting at the rim of the toilet vomiting what little food she had in her stomach.

Her head pounded with the effort and only when round two was over did she completely give up and collapse onto the floor, tears streaming down sweaty cheeks out of grief more than pain.

Nicol was gone.

Stray was gone.

A part of her wanted to call Namarra a liar, saying there was no way FS could do such a thing, but after all of her training—and her friends' as well—the probability was still rather high. FS was good at masking his feelings, or lack thereof in that instance. Putting a gun to Stray's head was probably fun to him by now and thinking about that made the nausea return. Curling up into a ball, she hugged her stomach as it threatened to come up through her esophagus. There was nothing left to throw up, yet it was masochistically convincing. Rolling onto her knees, she heaved into the toilet once more.

Out of all the team members, why did it have to be Nicol? Not like she wanted one person to die over another, but what had Nicol done to deserve that? Who was he? Just a loyal friend and because of that he was killed. The damn Strike destroyed him and after all the times they had lost to him, wasn't about time they won? Wasn't it about time _they _humiliated the Earth Forces? Were they not strong enough? Not skilled enough? What?

Done, Eclipse fell back onto the floor, curling into the fetal position as she cried onto the tiles. _I'm supposed to be some powerful, all-important being and all I'm doing is losing. _ She had been the "top" of the trainees on Januarias 4 but she had yet to prove anything other than her ability to destroy some renegade ZAFT soldiers. But what good was that? SIN-ED had little involvement in the overall war and yet she could kill them and not the people threatening her team? Why couldn't she destroy the _Archangel_? What cruel demon would be sadistic enough to stop her from killing her enemies, but give her the power to destroy the people in an organization set up by her only friends?

She had no answers and her grief-filled mind wasn't going to tell her anything logical. The only thing she could do was blame herself and hope guilt was a big enough barrel of fuel to help her in the next battle. If it wasn't, she was sure the guilt would grow and lead her—most likely—back to a state of mind she was finally drifting away from. Her cold mindset from before may have saved her a couple toilet visits and tears, but was it worth going back to? After all of this, could she even regress that far?

_I dunno, _she admitted, rolling onto her back when she figured her vomiting escapade had subsided. _But these attachments might be making me soft. If I want to do anything productive, I have to stop this pity fest and do what I was trained to do. _Sighing, she wiped her hands across her face, smearing the tears. _So, it's about time I took things seriously._

Pulling her hands away, the Berserker flickered anxiously behind her eyes.

* * *

"Maintain trim. Twenty to ocean's surface," the intercom blared, causing Eclipse to tap the levers impatiently. She hadn't been in the control room when the _Archangel _had been spotted, but she didn't need the visual contact to get a rush of adrenaline. In her mind, the Stealth was more important than sitting around staring at radars. Besides, finding a suitable back-up arm was more of a pain than she anticipated. All the ship had in storage were spare GINN parts and given the short amount of time—plus lack of equipment—they weren't able to wire any sort of cannon into the palm. Understandable but a bit unnerving as well. She had come to rely on that weapon as of late.

"Anti-air defense, stand by."

"Bring fire control online!"

The rest of the Stealth was relatively easy to manage. The HiMat system and battery damage were repaired quickly thanks to Eclipse's help, and—because of the extra person—the other suits were done in time as well. The only downside was, none of them had gotten a proper rest.

"Sound alarm!"

"Surfacing!"

_No sense in worrying about that now, _Eclipse thought, having way too much adrenaline pumping to even think about sleep. Besides, the Berserker was way too excited. She had let her other half take over as soon as she climbed into the cockpit. At first, she was weary about the decision, but the Berserker's enthusiasm calmed her a bit.

Yes, it was time to get serious.

The sun was rising when the four of them launched, but no one seemed to be bothered by the sudden brightness. If anything, it might help. Perhaps they would catch their enemies off guard and use the sunlight as some kind of distraction. Or, maybe, the crew would be too sluggish to respond right away.

Well, it was a hopeful proposition, but not entirely realistic.

The three others landed on their Guuls, taking a second to adjust before heading off towards the coming shadow in the distance. The Stealth followed closely behind, Eclipse having to make some last second adjustments to the HiMat system before it was able to fly smoothly. Athrun made some worried comment about it, but the Berserker cut him off, telling him—in not so many words—to butt out and concentrate on destroying the enemy. He didn't say much after that.

The two armies immediately began their shooting fest as soon as they came in range of each other. The Strike was positioned on the rear deck, firing at the Guuls as they flew by. So far, the Zala team's large amount of luck was holding fast, nothing hitting anything vital on either the mobile suits or their transportation. Actually, that was a good thing on many levels. It meant they had a chance in taking down the ship if the Strike wasn't at his full potential and the ZAFT redcoats were taking the fight seriously enough to evade anything coming at either direction.

Perhaps there _was_ hope after all.

Dearka let loose a barrage from his rifle, showering the outside of the _Archangel _just below the bridge. The armor, unfortunately, sustained little damage, causing a scowl to appear on the blonde's face. After all the hard work they had been doing, he figured one of them would be able to penetrate the ship's superb defenses, but so far the battle was turning out like any other one. And, much like the other fights, the annoying Skygrasper came to fire at him first.

Eclipse was thinking about their losing predicament as well when she was forced to the left to avoid the _Archangel's _Gottfrieds. No matter how serious her team had gotten, their enemies were still very good. The beams shot harmlessly by, dissipating in the air as the Stealth made a straight path towards the giant cannon. Those things were dangerous and while disabling them may not turn the battle directly in their favor, it would help. Well, by this point anything would help.

The Igelstellungs aimed and fired at the Berserker as she neared, forcing her suit to veer to the left in order to avoid the attack. The movement took her a little off course, but stopping and spinning in the air put her right next to the port side Gottfried. Already aimed in her direction, the cannon glowed green as it prepared to fire. Eclipse smirked and reached around her back for a beam rifle, sending two shots down into the barrels. Cutting her thrusters, she dropped towards the water before the Igelstellungs could start another deadly barrage. Smiling to herself, she saw the cannon explode and sped off to a safe distance when her sensors picked up the port side Valiant locking onto her position.

Looking for the others, the Berserker let out a quick laugh when she saw them adding similar damage to the ship. Perhaps her worrying had been foolish after all.

Taking another second to assess the situation, Eclipse saw the Duel attacking the Strike near the rear deck. It looked like a fairly even match and, laughing again, she saw Yzak gain the upper hand and force the Strike out of the air and back onto the ship. As much as she wanted to join in on that fight, she figured it was Yzak's time to have his go. After all, the Berserker had had her fun a few times before and no matter how bruised her ego was, taking down the _Archangel _was a perfectly good consolation prize.

Dearka had the Skygrasper occupied and since the Strike was battling the Duel, it was a perfect opportunity for Athrun and Eclipse to sink the ship. "Stealth, I'm gonna take out the levitator and perhaps a rear engine. Mind keeping them distracted?"

"Roger that," the Berserker responded, speeding back towards the ship. She rounded over to the defenseless port side once more, managing to damage two of the Igellstellungs on the deck before the _Archangel _launched its side missiles. Pulling backwards on the controls, the Stealth did a flip to avoid the first two missiles aiming for her legs. They scooted harmlessly under the suit, crashing against the water and skipping wildly to hit some rocks on a nearby island. Three more she shot from the sky and the others she evaded easily enough. Done with that waltz, she sped back towards the ship just as Athrun's attacks damaged its levitator and sent it plummeting to the water's surface.

Smiling again, Eclipse landed on the small island nearby, catching her breath and evaluating the situation. The _Archangel _was down for now, meaning limited use of its weaponry and an easy target for the ZAFT redcoats. Dearka was still preoccupied with the Skygrasper, managing a few hits here and there on the damaged ship, but nothing serious. Athrun was assessing the battle like she was, hovering a safe distance from the _Archangel _as he tried to come up with a new plan of action. The Berserker smirked at that, wondering what he was going to order her to do. Destroy an engine? Attempt to break into the ship's hanger—since most of the front weaponry was damaged—and have some fun? Or maybe he'd send her directly to the bridge and just finish it quickly.

Each plan was better than the last.

Feeling a fit of laughter build up in her stomach, she gripped the controls tighter, trying to calm herself back down. She couldn't go insane from relief just yet because neither the Strike nor the _Archangel _were destroyed. No one was avenged just yet. _Speaking of the Strike, _Eclipse thought, scanning the air for the fight between the Duel and that dreaded suit. She didn't think she could've lost sight of them so easily, but seeing nothing show up on her screen and hearing no victory call form Yzak made her a bit nervous about the situation. The Duel wasn't destroyed—she _wouldn't_ have missed something like that—so, where were they? "Athrun, do you have a visual of—" The Berserker stopped, seeing the Strike out of the corner of her eye as it jumped at her from the right.

Pulling the beam rifle—still in her hand—up to block, she jumped backwards just as the Strike cut through the weapon and landed. Panicking for a moment, she wondered what had happened to the Duel. It wasn't in the air, there was a lot of debris in the water—"No," she spat, shaking the thought out of her head.

The Strike had started his attack while she was arguing with herself, running at her with his beam saber in his right hand. Flicking a switch on the console, the Stealth's red beam saber dropped into her right hand, allowing her to bring it up in time to parry the attack. Pushing the blades out wide, she let loose a barrage of CIWS bullets, spitting the little annoyances at her enemy's cameras, hoping to blind him. Some of the bullets hit around the area, but the Strike had brought his shield up to block the rest of the attack before it could do any more damage. Cursing, Eclipse tried to bring her blade back around, but her enemy blocked that one too, forcing her suit off balance and tumbling to the ground. She ignited her boosters at the last second to try and avoid serious damage, but the Strike was falling with her, slamming its left leg down onto the Berserker's right arm and pinning her to the ground.

Throwing the shield to the side, the Strike grabbed his saber in both hands, brought the blade over his head, and then pulled it down towards the Stealth. Eclipse reached across her body to pull out the blue beam saber, blocking the Strike's downward chop before it could do any serious damage to the Stealth. If the weapon had been spring-loaded like the one in her other arm—and if the Strike hadn't have been standing on her right hand—she may have been quick enough to block and counterattack. But since the only spare left arm that could be quickly connected to her machine had been found in a pile of GINN parts, the saber was placed at the Stealth's hip. Perhaps the Strike's lunge at her right side had been planned after all.

Her suit whined as the pressure built, making the Berserker inside sweat as her enemy's blade came dangerously close to the cockpit. If she could push the blade up and away, she'd be free, but given the circumstance, it was going to be a tricky move. The Strike had all of its weight on her right arm and shoulder, leaving her with no leverage and practically no mobility. However, his positioning had also thrown him a little off balance. While that was hard to tell from the power in his attack, Eclipse spared a glance at his right leg. Bent awkwardly to the side, it was stabilized in between the Stealth's legs and one quick swipe could send him toppling over. The only problem was, what about the blade? Knowing it was a risk she had to take, the Berserker curled her right foot up, unsheathed the knife in the toes and kicked inward. The attacked hit the Strike right behind the kneecap, grazing the metal.

The kick didn't do much damage—it was too hard of an angle to get a perfect shot—but it caused enough of a distraction to shove her enemy's attack out and to the left. Despite all of that, however, she was still in a very defensive position. If the Strike pilot was smart, he wouldn't panic and jump back. All he had to do was bring his saber back up and attack again.

But the Berserker understood humanity too well.

The Strike pilot _did _panic and jumped into the air, firing an array of bullets at her as he ascended. Bringing up her buckler, she deflected most of the attack and let her suit handle the rest as she rolled out of the way. Knowing her armor wasn't as powerful as the Phase Shift kind her comrades had, she guessed another attack like that would get her killed.

Such a pleasant thought.

"Right arm 78 percent functional. Outer armor still in tact, but you're lucky to be alive, dumbass."

The last comment the Stealth made caused Eclipse to hesitate for moment. When the hell did that thing get so sassy? Deciding to contemplate her machines obnoxious personality another time, she watched the Strike land about fifty meters from her current position. As soon as its feet touched the ground, it leapt towards her, apparently ready for more sword play. "78 percent is still a good number," the Berserker muttered. Blocking his forward thrust upward with her left hand, she ducked low and pulled the red blade upward. The attack should have been fool proof, but the Strike's reflexes were quicker than she anticipated. At the last second, her enemy ignited his boosters and sped off to her left. The red blade seared through some straggling fingers, but seeing as the rest of the suit was in good shape, the Strike wasn't about to miss the tip of his left middle finger. Cursing, she spun around to face him. He stopped quite a ways away, almost collapsing on his damaged leg when he set back down.

Perfect.

The Berserker smirked, dropped her left blade to the ground and drew out an EARP Dagger at her hip. Going more for the effect then for the damage, she threw it in the Strike's direction. As planned, her enemy threw up his shield, stumbling backwards when the dagger exploded and sent the pathetic defense falling to the ground in a mangled heap. Eclipse had lunged at the Strike as soon as she let loose the dagger, swerving to the right to fly in at the defenseless side. Being so preoccupied with the shield, the Strike didn't have time to evade the attack like he had all the others. Bringing his right arm up in defense, he attempted to block the Berserk's slash, but could only watch helplessly as the beam cut through the armor and graze past the cockpit during its decent.

She had him.

Eclipse was going to pull the blade back across her body and cut the Strike in two when she realized he wasn't as helplessly watching the show as she had first thought. The Strike pivoted with the blow, having pulled a combat dagger from its left leg and aimed the blade directly at the Stealth's head. Cursing, the Berserker tried ducking under the attack, but she had seen it too late. The blade cut into the Stealth's temple, but didn't go as far as Eclipse thought it would. Sure, the blow would have crippled her suit, but she still had the upper hand so she was willing to give him that one attack. Besides, she had a good counter, but the Aegis decided to step in. Or at least that's what she deduced from the red hand stopping the attack.

The Stealth's cameras flickered sporadically as Athrun pulled out the dagger and shoved the Strike aside. However, her radio was working just fine. "You've done enough, Eclipse. It's my turn."

"Your turn?" the Berserker asked, sounding quite amused with the order. "What, we have a time limit now or something?"

"My friend, my kill. It's only fair, right? After all, I'm not about to go and kill off the friend who betrayed you now am I?"

Eclipse hated it when he was trying to be reasonable.

The Strike stood motionless across from them, most likely trying to deduce what their plan was as well as figure out how much damage his suit had sustained. Knowing the Aegis was practically unscathed, the Strike pilot couldn't have felt too optimistic.

The Berserker watched her enemy carefully going back and forth from him to Athrun as if deciding between duty and revenge. It was a very tough decision, but seeing as the flickering cameras were already making her sick, she didn't think she could hold out much longer anyway. As long as the Strike was destroyed, it didn't really matter who did it, right? "Fine, but I'm stepping back in if you're screwing things up."

Eclipse could hear the smile on his lips when he responded, "Yes, ma'am." Shaking out of his grip, she retreated to different—but still close—island to get a damage report before going to help out Dearka with the _Archangel_. As soon as she landed in a relatively safe position she shut off the cameras and—no matter how risky it was—opened the cockpit in order to watch the battle. "Coffee Addict, damage report."

"Right arm still 78 percent functional, thruster output at 54 percent, and battery at 25 percent. Cameras at 30 percent visibility," it responded obediently, almost making the Berserker forget about the attitude problem it was having earlier. That was definitely something she would have to check up on later. A lightning bolt streaked across the sky as the evaluations continued, causing Eclipse to glance away from the swordplay and upwards to the clouds. She couldn't believe she had missed such and obvious display of an angry Mother Nature. This storm might hurt their team more than anything. And if they were forced to retreat…. "Stealth, what's your position?" Dearka asked, bringing the Berserker back to the battle.

"I'm right next to the Aegis and Strike battle. Currently my cameras are damaged, but might be of _some _help to you. There's just a few adjustments needed to be made to my OS and then I'm headed your way. How're you faring?"

"I'm doing all right, but don't know how much assistance you're gonna be without good visual."

A curse followed the statement and Eclipse wished she could see his battle. As it was, she was afraid to try the cameras again until she could finish her adjustments. "The Duel?"

"Fell into the ocean and picked up. The ship's helping me as much as it can, but…" He trailed off and the Berserker nodded to herself.

"I'll be there as quickly as I can." Even damaged she knew how formidable the _Archangel _crew was. She had to get over there fast.

Glancing up from her work, she watched the battle between Athrun and the Strike. They were exchanging blow for blow and neither of them looked to be gaining the upper hand. That could be both a good thing and a bad one. She knew the Aegis's battery had to be running low—from using his beam rifle so much—and if the fight went on any longer, he may not last. That thought made her freeze. Should she stay and keep an eye on Athrun then? Didn't she say she'd jump in if anything happened? After all, one flick of a switch and her battery would be fully charged again. But what about Dearka and the rest of her team? She couldn't just leave them either, no matter how little of help she would be with her remaining beam rifle. _Damn it, _she cursed, glancing quickly through the OS and making some changes.

"Cameras only functioning at 52 percent," the mechanical voice said. "You would still be of little help to anyone."

"Shut the hell up!" Eclipse yelled, not even grasping the concept that she was arguing with a computer. "I can see more than I could before, can't I?" Suddenly, an explosion outside sent a strong wind, some small debris, and heavy raindrops racing through the cockpit's open doorway. The Berserker cowered away from the blast and ran out onto the cockpit door as soon as it subsided. The Aegis and Strike were still battling, so where had the explosion come from? Cursing, Eclipse wished she hadn't been arguing with her machine and not being able to hear the transmission between the two pilots only made things worse. The mobile suits stood on the ground motionless for a few seconds until, suddenly, they started attacking each other recklessly. The Strike had gained the upper hand right away and looking at his movements, the Berserker whistled quietly. They were different; very different. She had seen these moves before in the desert when Commander Waltfeld had thought him a Berserker. Eclipse had decided then the boy wasn't but judging by the frantic—but still deliberate—movements, she knew he was pretty damn close.

And then the Aegis started doing the same thing.

"What the hell—" she started, but never finished, hearing another call from Dearka.

"Stealth, where—" The transmission cut off and before Eclipse could step inside to respond, a more powerful explosion rattled her suit and sent her flying back into her seat.

* * *

Eclipse wasn't entirely sure what had happened. One minute she was admiring the battle between the Aegis and the Strike and the next minute she had a huge bump on the back of her head; a throbbing, migraine-making bump that caused her to let out a string of curses in frustration. The Stealth hadn't moved from its position, still kneeling across from the island where the two mobile suits had been fighting. Rubbing the back of her head once more, she shifted into a sitting position and closed the cockpit. How long had she been out? Should she retreat? But where could she go? Back to a ship she wasn't sure was still there? Should she just run away? When had the battle ended?

Did it end?

The HiMat wings were out of commission again, frustrating the Berserker more than anything when she realized the explosion may have forced the suit back against the rocks. Yes, it was a new program, but shouldn't the kinks be out of it by now? There went optimism down the hole again. The battery was dead, but the simple flick of a switch activated the HFC-EPR, restoring the power with a moaning noise edging on a scream.

"St..th, do…copy?"

The transmission barely came through, almost causing Eclipse to miss it entirely. However, she caught the end and responded. "Stealth here, what's the situation?"

"You sh…ow more…us," it responded.

Frustrated, the Berserker made a few adjustments. "The Stealth's all right, just can't fly. Give me your coordinates and I can meet you under water." They muttered off the sequence as Eclipse relayed them to her earpiece.

"We have the Duel, but lost contact with the Buster and the Aegis. Do you have a visual?"

Hearing the Buster was gone made her curse and the bit about the Aegis didn't help either. She had just been watching that fight and Athrun had had the upper—

Hand.

Not a human one, thankfully, but definitely one from a mobile suit. It sat roughly one kilometer from her position, looking like a decomposed skeleton as it lay there stripped of its metal and half of it dangling in the water. Scrambling over to the island where the fight had taken place, she cringed when her screen hissed as it moved to get a better picture. Apparently, her adjustments hadn't done much good. As she moved the cameras, she saw more debris, but too much to be from a single unit. Had both suits gone down? Panicking, she zoomed in on one piece in particular and felt herself go faint.

The Aegis's head.

There was no mistaking it—Eclipse had seen that mobile suit enough to recognize any deformed part of it—but how she wanted it to be something different. A large hunk of metal lay reclining on the beach, looking to be the torso and legs of a mobile suit. Unlike the head, this part could've been from either prototype, making the redhead sweat with the idea. The paint and outer frame was burning from the skeleton, making it a melting prison to anyone trapped inside; _if _someone was still inside. Moving to a better position, she peered down into the open cockpit.

She couldn't even scream.

The seat was melted away, the fabric looking like skin residue stretching across the jagged pieces of metal. Or _was_ it skin? The color made her sick—although, the lack of blood helped her keep a positive outlook on the situation—and the smell emitted from the hole made her go pale. There was no confirmation it was the Aegis, but the parts littering the scene proved that suit was involved.

And probably destroyed.

"Stealth, we're getting reports of movement detected in Orb. They seem to be heading in your direction. Return to the ship." There was a pause on the other end when she didn't respond. "Stealth!"

Eclipse just stared at the open cockpit, her panicking mind imagining Athrun's form sizzling there like some abandoned piece of meat. _This can't be happening. _ Had her rampage and anger led to this? Had she pushed him so hard he'd even risk his life to destroy the Strike?

"Stealth!"

Now, she screamed.

* * *

Yzak was waiting for her in the hangar when the Stealth docked. He had a bandage wrapped around his forehead, but other than that, looked to be okay physically. The same could be said about Eclipse. For the most part, there was nothing wrong with her. She could walk, move her arms, and even play a concerto if she knew how to, but there was a dead look in her eyes. The same kind of look that was mirrored in Yzak's. "What did you see?" he asked.

"The Aegis is destroyed and possibly the Strike," she replied immediately, stepping down from the lift and holding her helmet under her arm.

"And Athrun?" The redhead shook her head and Yzak cursed softly. The tone surprised Eclipse at first, but remembering the Buster's predicament, she just felt miserable. No doubt, he had no more energy to be either angry _or _sad. There was just too much going on for them to even wrap their minds around let alone attempt to explain.

"Any news about Dearka?"

Yzak didn't respond, answering the question with silence and this time allowing the redhead a moment for cursing. Although, hers was a bit more frantic. "Damn it all! Are you fucking kidding me? All of them? All of them gone?" Yelling, she punched her helmet on the hangar floor, collapsing to a sitting position as she focused all of her energy on that act alone. "_What _had gone wrong? We finally destroy the Strike just to lose everyone? Is this supposed to be some damn victory?"

"To some people it may seem that way," Yzak muttered, sitting down beside the redhead. Despite the dangerous pounding of the helmet, he sat close to her, almost as if he was going to comfort his comrade, but just not knowing how to. Then again, perhaps he was the one who needed comforting. Either way, it was a sad sight. Not even the mechanics knew what to do, so they just left them alone. Commander Le Creuset had ordered them back to Carpentaria and they'd have plenty of time to work on the mobile suits then.

The two sat in silence, neither wanting to bring up any kind of painful memory. Actually, Eclipse was surprised she wasn't crying. Pounding her helmet into the floor hadn't made her feel any better, but—she realized—there wasn't anything there to feel better about. Out of all the pilots, she was _sure _Athrun's death was going to cause her the most pain. Adding Dearka's disappearance to the mix didn't help matters, but she felt nothing. She couldn't even be sad about feeling nothing. Perhaps it was just another twist of her psyche. All these deaths at once had just been too much for her. That had to be it. Or had her mind simply gotten used to it? Back at the facility, she had cried at her first kill; she had been hysterical actually. But after a while, she had gotten used to it. No longer had it churned her stomach and she could even do horrific things without feeling any kind of remorse. Was this the same? Had her mind gotten used to the idea of not only killing people, but of those she loved getting killed? Could someone evolve like that?

Was it even fair for that to happen?

In mere hours, mostly everyone she had relied on had left in some shape or form. Was that enough of a shock to push her psyche towards stoic remission? Had she really stopped believing or caring?

"I have a feeling we're going to be in the way here pretty quick," Yzak remarked, leaning back against the foot of the Stealth.

"Yeah," Eclipse replied softly.

"I really don't want to move though."

"Me neither," she admitted, leaning back next to him and watching the various mechanics running around. Even with so many people, they both felt strangely lonely.

* * *

They had yet to make it to Carpentaria. In fact, there was at least another twenty-four hours until they even came in sight of the base. The mechanics often stared at the two sitting at the Stealth's feet, debating whether or not to force them to move or just leave them be. It must have been quite the sight though, two high-ranking pilots sitting down in a hangar against a damaged machine, seeming to ignore the various remarks from the soldiers walking by. Yzak had changed out of his pilot's suit a while ago, but Eclipse was still wearing hers, the broken helmet lying some yards away from her sitting position. She had a good softball arm.

"Uh, excuse me sir and ma'am, but we need—"

"Perhaps we've wasted enough time," the Duel pilot remarked, not even paying attention to the young mechanic addressing them.

"I think you have a point," she sighed. "Besides, there might be some news about Dearka and/or Athrun." Nodding, they helped each other up and left the hangar, Eclipse heading towards the locker room to change and Yzak going to the infirmary for fresh bandages.

They met each other a half hour later in the same spot. Both the Stealth and the Duel were being worked on as soon as the two left, the workers moving rather furiously as if expecting the redcoats to come back and keep them from making the repairs. A few groaned as Eclipse approached, debating whether or not to put down the tools in their hands. To their relief, the two pilots just ignored them.

"Ready?" Yzak asked.

"Sure; let's get some answers, shall we?"

The Duel pilot had just taken a step out of the hangar when a message from the Stealth buzzed in the redhead's ear. Involuntarily cringing—perhaps she could change the alert noise to something a little less like an ice pick to the ear drum—she reached up and pressed the button on the devise. "Coffee Addict, report."

"Repairs commencing smoothly. Personal appearance required post repairs for internal adjustments," the mechanical voice responded.

"Figured as much. Anything else?"

"One message received."

"Message?" Eclipse muttered aloud, causing Yzak to pause.

"Anything on Dearka or Athrun?" he asked.

"Give me a second," the redhead responded, returning to her conversation with the Stealth. "Coffee Addict, who sent the message?"

"A Revelin. Message sent roughly five seconds ago."

Eclipse really didn't care about when it was processed—leave it to a computer to be too literal—but who it was from was definitely interesting. Getting a message from FS made her a bit nervous, but still angry at the same time. He had the nerve to want to talk to her? Did he want to explain? Would she even listen if he did? Either way, something _had _to be happening. "Roger that. For now, ban access from anyone but me. I'll read it later."

"Yes, ma'am."

"Anything?" Yzak asked again.

Eclipse shook her head. "A personal message, unfortunately."

The boy sighed and started walking once more. "I still can't believe you talk to your machine," he muttered. "Maybe if we didn't only hear your side of the conversation you wouldn't look like a complete idiot."

"Where's the sense of secrecy in that? Besides, as long as _you_ know I'm not an idiot, that works for me."

"_Just _me?"

"Well, I was going to say my team, but that's down to us two. Only seemed appropriate to specify."

Yzak sighed again, walking a bit fast than he had a moment ago. "Let's hope that's not the case."

"Agreed."

* * *

They found out nothing.

Both asked any and every kind of question they could think of, but received only bits and pieces of information since intelligence was still gathering it. ZAFT was attempting to do aerial surveillance of the area, waiting for Orb to leave before diving into a full investigation. Orb, staying true to its neutral state, was offering bits and pieces of information, but basically everything they were confirming, Eclipse had verified before leaving the scene. The Bozman team had been sent out with three DINNs to track down the _Archangel, _but was forced to turn back when they had come too close to Alaska's territory. There was no way they were going to try anything reckless in that airspace no matter how damaged their enemy was.

It was all so damn frustrating.

"I'm heading over to check on the Duel. I can't stand just sitting around doing nothing," Yzak said, ducking through another doorway. He tossed a growl and a glare at two, younger soldiers coming through the other way. The walkways were a bit cramped on that side of the ship and one had accidentally bumped into the hotheaded redcoat. Apologies were exchanged, but nothing could change his foul mood.

Eclipse just sighed as they passed by her, debating whether or not to save their hurt feelings, but ended up not caring. She was starting to approve of Yzak's methods in preserving his mental stability. Just take it out on everyone else. "I'll join you. They may need my help on the Stealth."

"Most likely," Yzak agreed, slowing when they passed another hallway. Some crewmen were laughing as they walked by, one stuffing a roll into his mouth as they all saluted each other. "Hm, I wonder if we should grab some food first," he added when they disappeared again. "We haven't eaten in a while and we should really keep—."

"Aw, worried about me?" Eclipse asked, laughing lightly when a small scowl crossed his face.

"Not worried, just thinking ahead. Jeez, do you always—"

"Calm down. I should be asking you why you always—"

"Oh just shut up. Food or no food?"

It was quite the interesting conversation and seeing as they were cutting each other off so easily, one might think they were comfortable together. Even if the words sounded rather harsh, they really weren't angry, just annoyed at the situation. Mutual irritation usually called for some harmless bickering. "No food," the redhead responded. "Not really in the mood."

"Alright then, I'll meet you in the hangar. For some reason, I'm starved. Can't really understand it though because my stomach is churning like none other."

"Mind over matter. Your survival outweighs your nausea, apparently." Yzak shrugged and turned the corner as Eclipse continued forward.

The Stealth was standing idle next to the Duel as anticipated, a couple mechanics fiddling around with some equipment at its feet. Taking a quick glance at her suit, she half expected more people to be standing around trying to fix it, but she found that wasn't the case. Most of the mechanics weren't even present and there were only two others working on the Duel. Apparently, they were going to save most of the repairs for when they got back to Carpentaria. Deciding it was a good decision, she walked over to her machine, hopped onto a lift and rode it to the open cockpit. "Coffee Addict, message unlocked," she commanded, sitting down in the seat. "Open folder."

"Affirmative."

Pulling the keyboard onto her lap, she stared calmly at the screen. Ironically, she didn't feel the least bit nervous about opening the message. Perhaps, she didn't expect there to be of any good news, so there was no use to get worked up over nothing. Sighing, she read the address and caught her breath. "Lexi." Usually, her real name never bothered her—why should it?—but staring at it so blatantly on the page made her cringe. Maybe she would never get used to seeing it. Taking an extra moment to check on the mechanics below, she looked back at the screen and began reading.

_Lexi,_

_I want to speak to you, alone, one last time. You're stationed at Carpentaria so I'll set up a meeting spot near there. There's a movie theater about a half hour from the base called the Peacemillion Cinemas. Meet me there at sundown on the 18th._

_Revelin_

A cinema near base was rather convenient for her, seeing as that was where they were headed. Only problem was, the ship would be arriving _after_ the scheduled rendezvous and she planned on doing some surveillance work before she and FS talked. There was no reason she was going to go there without knowing the terrain just in case she had to make some kind of getaway. Being in a public place meant there would be an assortment of cars she could easily steal if she needed to get away fast and with so many witnesses hanging around, her old friend may not try to kill her. Well, maybe. She had no idea what to think when it came to that guy anymore.

Reading the note again, she glanced around the hangar and nodded when she saw a personal chopper she could take. She had to get back to base quicker than the ship, but couldn't just cruise around the continent in a military aircraft. It would just cause some unwanted attention to herself and how would she explain she just happened to leave it behind if she had to make a quick getaway? No, she'd drop it off at the base and then take a taxi from there.

Eclipse read the note one last time before having the Stealth pull up Namarra's IP address. He wanted her alone? Well, only to a certain extent.

* * *

**_A/N:_** Alright everyone, this is one half of the chapter. Just what you wanted to here, huh? See, I took the "epic' thing seriously and just kept writing. I'll be posting the second half here pretty quick—in maybe about a week—and give people time to read and respond. So, yes, it ends on a semi-cliffhanger, sorry.

Oh, and I was surprised to see how long I made the battle. Yes, yes, not as long as most of my awesome friends reading this, but—hey—I tried. I think it's…3,500… O.o Alright, so it's not _that _much, but I had fun beating up the Strike. If Athrun hadn't have stepped in, Kira Yamato would be dead, hands down. _But _because he had to pull a moral decision, Athrun ended up self-destructing and sending everyone else into emotional turmoil. Way to go; plus one for stupidity.

*Types away* *Backspace* *Types* *Backspace* Gah! There's so much I want to talk about, but a lot of it's in the second half! I can't spoil it for you guys!

Yes, I promised some Yzak and Eclipse cuteness. There's some semi-cute stuff here, but there's a little bit more in the second half. Like I mentioned in my last note, I'm not very good at it. Sorry. I'll try harder next time alright?

I also promised some epic-ness with Namarra and the Lust girls. That's in the second half as well. Woot!

Name that Gundam Reference! **Peacemillion **Theaters is from:

a) _Gundam 00_

b) _Zeta Gundam_

c) _G-Gundam_

d) _Gundam Wing_

e) _Gundam 8th MS Team_

Heh, Betas don't count because I know you all know! :P

Oh! _Death-Scimitar_ and I started a forum. I'm not sure how many of you have checked out my user profile, but there are a bunch of "Anime Awards." We name voice actors, characters, Anime and Manga as well, but we're running out of ideas. Feel free to join in and vote for a favorite—well—anything Anime-related. We'd love anyone's input and even though we've seen/read a lot, we haven't seen/read everything. Check it out!

And I can't forget the shout out to my Betas, _Death-Scimitar, CSSStravag, _and _Maderfole_. They're some of the few people who have put up with my insanity and actually encouraged it. I'm not sure if it's a wise thing to do, but so far none of them have been severely injured in the process of writing this story.

* * *

**_Questions/Gripes:_**

_Asmus: _I was a bit on the edge how I wanted to start the chapter. I _did _want a huge squabble in Orb, but there would have been so many other complications. Cagalli would've recognized Eclipse, their cover would've been blown, getting out of orb may've been a pain—there were just way too many things that could've gone wrong. I probably should've made the transition a bit clearer. And, yes, I realized I messed up on that one part with the Skygrasper and thank you for pointing it out. I can always count on you for stuff like that, so thank you so much!

_OrangeP47_: What I meant by the "finding" of Namarra was he gave her the false information. Seeing as SIN-ED has close ties with the Earth Forces, he could get her the info easily.

_Rickrolled_: I can always count on you to see the grammatical errors. I try to get as many as I can and my Betas do an awesome job, but sometimes the mind fills in the blank spots in sentences. I'm getting away from using the word "that" because it is the number one clutter word in the English language, but—after reading the chapter again—I noticed I did miss some. Thanks again!

* * *

A huge thank you to all who read and reviewed! You guys keep me opening this document and typing words in it every day. Without you guys, I'd still be on chapter one and debating whether or not to make this a story.

_Strata_


	38. More Than Comrades Part II

"Y'know, I was rather surprised to get your e-mail," Namarra said, sitting down on the curb outside of the Peacemillion Cinemas. They were back in the parking lot, staring at the glass doors and looking for FS and the other flunkies that most likely accompanied him. If there was anything they knew about the heads of associations, it was that they never traveled alone. Seeing as FS was extremely capable by himself, his friends were getting rather annoying, but protocol always seemed to come first. Cover the bases, never go alone. Hence the back-up, but the bitching and ego fights were getting out of hand. They had met up an hour prior, scouting the place individually before ending up surrounded by sports cars and pick-up trucks. To put things bluntly, the place was packed and more people were driving up as they watched the sun sink below the horizon. It was going to be an interesting night.

Eclipse didn't respond to her partner's quip, leaning back against the tree about ten feet from the parking lot. She wore jeans, tennis shoes, and a t-shirt with an oval-shaped hole near her right side and belly button. Most of the people she came across thought it was the designer's creativity, but really it was just a soldier who hadn't had the chance to go shopping or do some laundry. As long as it fit, was comfortable in a fight, and could be considered "decent" for movie theater policies she wasn't about to change.

"So, what did you want me to do? Being back-up can usually incorporate more than what one person is able," Namarra asked after a few more moments.

"You know SIN-ED just as well as I do. Pride isn't coming alone and being in such a crowded area bothers me."

"You want me to go into _that _building," the Natural pointed at the theater, "and look for SIN-ED operatives?"

"You know the floor plan pretty well now, and they're going to stick out."

"You _do_ know two of the biggest movies came out tonight, right? A 3D animation flick and a horror movie. Both will call in the childish, hormonal, and terribly annoying younger generation."

"And here I thought you were good at babysitting."

"Where the hell did you get that idea?" Namarra asked, looking back and up at her supposed partner. "That building is two stories high, has twenty-six separate theaters, four food counters, eight bathrooms for each sex, and—"

"I'm just here to talk to Pride," Eclipse interrupted. "Keep an eye on the cronies, that's all I ask."

"Fine," the Natural grumbled, rocking to her feet. No, she wasn't happy with the situation, but she wasn't about to complain anymore either. After all, now she had something interesting to do for the night and if anything went _seriously _wrong, there were three people ready to jump in and back _her _up. It was such a comforting feeling. Stretching, she fixed the strap of her black tank top and wiped off her jeans. "You'll call me when it's all over?"

"You're rather observant and have good instincts. I'm sure you'll know when I know."

"So glad to see we can read each other's minds now."

"That's a scary thought."

"Very." Cracking her neck, she reached around the tree the redhead was leaning against and pulled out a long, black case. Producing a key, she unlocked the small pad lock and unlatched the front.

Eclipse didn't even have to see what was inside to know there was—most likely—a shiny, new sniper rifle resting there. "No."

"But why not?" Namarra whined, only opening it part way. "You called me for back-up."

"And you don't think that looks just a _little _conspicuous?"

"No," she replied curtly. She even looked serious.

"You promised, no innocents."

"I'd only hit SIN-ED members." They had a stare down then, but they really had no more time to argue. The sun wasn't about to pause and let them fight over some sadistic form of entertainment, and Eclipse was getting restless by the second.

But that wasn't enough to make her back down.

Finally, the Natural sighed. "Fine, I won't take it. I just really wanted to try it out."

"There'll be other times. Just make sure I'm there because I want a round or two."

"It'll cost ya." Eclipse matched the smirk on Namarra's lips, and nodded her off, basically saying, "It's a plan," without so many words. That was definitely going to be an interesting day off.

Watching the Natural lock up the case and walk towards the building, the redhead sighed. FS wanted to meet her alone, but not even she knew what the hell that meant. Most likely there was some talking involved, but Eclipse was too itchy to just stand there and flap her lips. She was supposed to be unarmed—at least to a certain degree—but that didn't meant her back-up couldn't have a little something. Namarra—not including the sniper rifle—had a few tricks of her own. Knowing better than to ask, she just let her have her fun. Hopefully, she would keep her promise, but that wasn't really her concern at the moment either. Eclipse was pissed. People she knew and trusted were killed. There might be some information on one victim, but there was no guarantee.

Maybe she'd get some peace of mind at least.

"I'm rather surprised you came alone. Somehow I figured you'd be a little more suspicious than that. You've grown soft, my dear."

The sight of FS should have surprised a part of her, or even stirred some kind of emotion, but she felt nothing. Turning her attention to the man standing off to her left, Eclipse pushed off the tree and took a few steps forward. The brunette wore jeans, a t-shirt—with some abstract color sequence on the front—and a zip-up sweatshirt. Leave it to him to be trendy and weird at the same time. "And, as usual, looking so stunning."

"You have a lot of nerve talking to me like that."

"Nerve?" FS wondered, batting his eyes innocently. "My, my, in a bad mood are we?"

Eclipse couldn't remember when he had turned into such an ass. Perhaps the utter infatuation had run off—or she was so pissed everything was annoying—but that smug smile on his lips had to go. This guy had been nothing but trouble since he got his own free will and all the redhead wanted to do was strip it away again. Death was a good way to ruin anyone's enthusiasm.

"Stop provoking me, what do you want?"

The brunette smiled and leaned back onto one of the random cars at the very end of the parking lot. The little devil in Eclipse's mind had hoped an alarm would go off as soon as he touched, but looking down to where the tires met the concrete, the redhead noticed they were all flat. The car was dumped there, it seemed. How fitting.

"I guess you could say I came here for a final confirmation. Jaeger's in outer space right now waiting for me to come back. Will you be accompanying me?"

"You _killed_ Stray," the redhead spat. "Stop lying to me." She wanted to jump him; put her hands to his throat and demand information, but she wasn't about to be that foolish. FS was different and, to be honest, she was rather weary of him. Before, she may have tackled him out of friendship, but now she would never lay a finger on him unless it was to kill him. As of right then, that wasn't an option.

"Wow, you _have_ gone soft," FS remarked, a chuckle rising in his throat. "I hoped you'd at least be curious about the news, but I don't think you'd actually fall for it."

Eclipse refused to respond, seeing her folly immediately and feeling embarrassed. Yes, maybe she was too quick to believe the words, but perhaps, in the back of her mind, she was anticipating something like that. Stray had done some risky things—at least from what she could tell—and FS had changed so drastically. Knowing that, her friends trying to kill each other didn't seem like an impossible notion. But the brunette was right, she had let her emotions get too involved.

"What, nothing to say?"

"Why did you call me out here, FS? Surely it wasn't merely to mock me."

"You're right, I came to enlighten you." Smiling, he shifted his weight on the car, crossing his arms over his chest as he watched her face. She was curious; good. "We're building a weapon—well, a cannon more like. Its power is horrendous and very unique. So unique, in fact, we've sold the basic system and blueprints to both armies." He paused, gauging her reaction and silently laughing when he saw how furious she was. It was sad how predictable she had become. "The system is called Cyclops and the cannon we're building, Genesis. Fitting, wouldn't you say?"

"_Fitting_?"

"Yes. The armies will blast each other to oblivion as we sit back and watch, ready to make our peaceful world afterwards. Genesis is the book of the Bible where everything started, right? It's only natural to name it Genesis seeing as we plan on recreating a peaceful world."

* * *

Namarra really wanted her sniper rifle. Staring at a crowded lobby of over-hormonal teenagers—laughing at the random jokes involving hands and fingers in various positions—screaming toddlers, and frustrated parents, she wanted nothing more than to stand on the balcony and pick off the various annoyances. However, the only weaponry she had was the one handgun tucked into her waistband—a small caliber gun tiny enough to be concealed in her palm if need be—and two daggers at her belt, hidden at her hips inside her jeans. The sheaths scraped against her legs as she walked, but the pain was better than the panic of having someone see them.

"Hey, honey," one of those hormonal boys teased in Namarra's direction, confident because three of his friends were standing behind him snickering. The Natural was pretty sure he wouldn't have been so bold if there were a couple less sperm banks back there, but she was willing to give him the benefit of the doubt.

After all, stupidity was contagious.

They all wore t-shirts with some form of sports team on it and jeans, both looking like avid fan boys and a group of kids who suspiciously dressed alike all the time. In some ways it was unnerving, especially when they all shifted their weight at the same moment to end up in the same pose: arms crossed at the chest and leaning to the right side. Well, at least they had different colored hair. Two blondes, a light brunette and—the one so brave to speak—a dark brunette.

"Hey yourself," she said and walked towards them. "I have the feeling you guys are bored because there's no way you're all feminine enough to watch a chick flick by yourselves." When in doubt, stroke the ego. She was bored too and just standing and staring was making her look suspicious. Chatting with the locals helped her blend in a little bit better.

"Bored? Heh, something like." The boy was hesitant before replying, not even expecting Namarra to pay any attention to them. Usually, if they were smart, girls didn't respond to such verbal harassment. But what they didn't know, that particular Natural was not the typical damsel. Hell, just look at her killing count the day before.

"Well, how about we stop being bored?"

That question even froze the three cronies behind the speaker. Namarra smirked, gave a light chuckle and a short wave, telling them she was just kidding. To their luck, she decided not to do anything too reckless when an interesting pair of girls walked through the front doors. The Natural had rather terrifying ways of quenching her thirst for excitement. "Actually, I found something else fun to do." Another wave and she turned, walking towards the female twins. The boys remained silent behind her, as if trying to figure out what had just happened. They had only been talking to her for a minute or so and she had gone from sounding interested to brushing them off.

Must have been one hell of a mood swing.

Seeing the girls at first glance, Namarra wouldn't even have called them sisters, but she knew them well. Or at least knew their photos rather well. "Lust," she greeted when they met near one of the concession stands.

"Berserker whore," the pale one, Phoebe, said with a smile. For some reason, the Natural didn't take offense.

At least for the moment.

Phoebe wore a jean skirt and flip-flops with a white, sleeveless halter top. The collar laced around her neck, making the front of the shirt look like a lampshade more than a piece of clothing, but it fit surprisingly well on her pale form. Her skirt was a bit short for Namarra's tastes, but if the girl wanted to show off, she wasn't going to stop her. There were four boys looking for company in the opposite corner of the room.

Melanie wore the same top, just red, with black leggings that stopped mid-thigh. She was smart enough to have on some sort of "active" footwear, but they still looked too much like sandals to be of any real use. There was a pink, veil-like fabric tied around her waist. It hung lopsided on her body, one end brushing her ankles while the other stopped mid-thigh. The fabric was thick enough to look like a skirt and not make the leggings look so scandalous, but it looked more annoying than fashionable. Then again, Namarra was usually a pants kind of girl.

"Aren't you two looking fabulous?" the Natural mocked, bringing her hands up to rest on her hips. While neither Lust girl looked like she was going to pull out an Uzi and start shooting, Namarra wasn't going to give them a chance. Sometimes the comforting feeling of a knife hilt is all one needs in stressful situations.

"Aren't you not," Phoebe commented. The Natural just shrugged.

"Shall we take this somewhere else?" Melanie asked.

"Sure. And I see you're not dumb enough to bring backup. How nice."

The girls shrugged and started leading her away, but Namarra took a quick step around to stand in front of them. "No, I lead."

"Fair enough," Melanie replied, holding up her hands.

Those same, four boys called out to the three of them when they started walking, hoping to catch their attention before they left the lobby altogether. Melanie winked—causing some smiles—Phoebe blew a kiss—some whistling—and Namarra flipped them off.

They shut up that time.

* * *

"Sit back and watch, huh?" Eclipse wondered. "You're just going to sit in the stands as humanity destroys itself?"

FS thought about the question carefully, rubbing his chin with a propped hand. "Actually, we're more like the second string. Once the starters are dead, we take their positions."

The redhead hated the cocky way he stood there, leaning against the car and pulling at his bottom lip as if he was bored. She didn't expect him to be scared of her, but didn't he feel as nervous around her as she felt around him? And all of this insane talk was making her sick. Were they, honestly, at one point friends?

Did she used to think like that too?

Sighing, the redhead looked away. _They're building a weapon. _ It sounded plausible yet ridiculous to her at the same time. Out of all the things they could do, why did it have to be that? Did their madness have to go in the scientific direction as well? Couldn't they have just stuck with the mercenary route?

"What are you thinking about?" FS asked, pulling her attention back to him for a second. His voice was kind at that moment, sounding like he genuinely wanted to know.

_I guess it's not impossible for him to still care, _she thought briefly, but remained silent nonetheless. The brunette had done too much recently for her to absently respond.

FS didn't ask again when she didn't reply, shrugging off being ignored. Staring at her, he guessed what was going through her brain anyway, starting with his own position. She didn't trust him anymore. Suddenly, he felt sad, having to bite his bottom lip when he almost gave into the grief and blurted something foolish. He had anticipated their "break up," as it were, but never expected to care about it. Harsh? Probably. Realistic? Yes, but still, surprisingly, painful. Why couldn't she have just come with them in the first place? "Last chance."

"For what?" Finally, she spoke.

"To come back with me."

Eclipse sighed, shaking her head. "No."

"Is it too much for me to ask why?"

"Because you enjoy this too much and—"

"Enjoy what, exactly?"

The redhead hesitated, debating whether or not to be blunt. Then again, he probably already guessed at his insanity and was proud of it. She sighed. "You like your bloodlust too much."

"You used to, too, y'know. Why the change?"

Why the change, indeed? At that moment, she didn't know either, but for what ever reason, she was exhausted. "So, you're building a weapon—cannon—thing," she stuttered.

FS smiled then, exposing his teeth in a grin she had come to hate. Maybe that was why she was so tired. She had been trying too hard to find the old FS that she never saw his smile for what it really was.

That damn grin said it all.

* * *

In actuality, they never talked. Namarra led them to one of the second floor theaters, slipping through the door just as the people were leaving and one of the workers was finishing up his cleaning rounds. He may have begun saying something intelligent, but they all glared at him, making him hurry and shrink out of the room as soon as he threw the last empty bottle into the trash bin.

Namarra had been debating what to talk to them about when Phoebe drew out two pocket knives and started charging the Natural. The attacks were easily evaded, but when Namarra attempted to counter attack with her small caliber pistol, Melanie was right there to cut it out of her hand.

Literally.

The blood had been flowing freely enough to reach back and wipe the excess across Melanie's eyes, blinding her, but sending her into a frenzied attack at the same time. Namarra had avoided the flailing arms, fended off Phoebe, tripped the pale twin into a row of seats, and then ran out of the theater to seek a safer hiding spot to regain her bearings.

One of the sixteen bathrooms seemed like just the place.

"Fuck," Namarra cursed, flipping the lock on the stall door like it would make a difference. She headed towards one of the bathrooms near the back of the theater on the second floor, hoping to not get any innocents involved. She probably should have left the place altogether, but going through an emergency exit would sound an alarm and get police on the scene. That would just make things worse for both parties. So, she was stuck in the bathroom trying to bandage her right hand with toilet paper, glad the place had enough hard surfaces to serve as a weapon themselves. It might end up being a trap but there were six stalls to hide behind if need be, three sinks, two pocket knives, and one Natural with the Berserker just under the surface.

What could go wrong?

_Hadn't those two ever heard of playing fair?_ Namarra thought, throwing another bandage into the toilet before grabbing more paper._ Two against one? Where had they learned their math? And where the hell is Eclipse?_ Cursing again, the Natural spun around to sit on the toilet, putting pressure on the wound. Luckily, her subconscious led her to the right room. Accidentally walking through the door to a bathroom full of males may have been a problem and besides, they had less cover. But women weren't the only ones to come to the bathroom. Screaming kids with little bladder control normally accompanied those women.

Like the two walking in now.

Namarra's inner sensors blared. All of that noise had deafened her to the new people walking in. If Lust knew where she was, she was going to be trapped in a lot of shit. Maybe even literally. When another screaming kid came in, the Natural opened the stall.

Bad choice.

The barrel of a 9mm handgun was aimed at her about chest high, Phoebe—the handler—smiling and waving at her from the other end. "Shit_—_" Namarra started and slammed the door just as the girl fired. The bullet ingrained itself through the metal, grazing the Natural's side and giving her something to curse about. The door swung back open quickly and just as a new gap formed, the gun fired again. That bullet split the tiles above and behind the toilet. Finally—after another careless shot—the pedestrians in the room seemed to pick up on what was happening. What was the common response? More screaming. Maybe Namarra should have picked the men's bathroom after all.

Less panic.

With a handgun awaiting her escape through the stall—and going up was too risky—the Natural crouched down just as the door started swinging closed again. Bracing herself on the tiled floor, she stuck a leg out and hooked the top of her foot around Phoebe's ankle, pulling her to the ground. Hearing the crash on the other side, Namarra got up and hurried out of the stall.

The Sin had caught herself awkwardly on the sink behind her, her left hand cramped over the drain with her elbow against the faucet. Her right leg was bent with her left splayed out wide, her back leaning against the wall. The right hand still held the gun, but she seemed a bit dazed—probably from her head hitting the mirror. After being the one to start coming in shooting, Namarra figured she would have anticipated such a trip. Perhaps she was just cocky.

The Natural—now berserk—stepped forward and reached for the gun, but Phoebe had recovered faster than she thought. The gun arm was smacked out wide and to the right, but Lust had used the momentum to swing her left leg across her body. It caught Namarra at the knees, but didn't have enough power to do any damage. The Berserker pushed Phoebe's arm into the wall to catch herself, grabbing the gun and stepping out of reach. The Sin spun in the same direction and stopped to face Namarra.

The advantage had switched, it seemed.

The same lady and the two kids were—for some ungodly reason—still in the room. They were crouched down under the paper towel dispenser, her hugging the two youngsters to her breast as they watched the fiasco. "Why the hell are you still here?" the Berserker shouted at them, feeling the furthest wall of the bathroom brush against her back. At least she had the gun pointed at Phoebe because being trapped in a corner was not a comforting scenario. The woman didn't answer—not like Namarra expected her to—and that made the Berserker even angrier. No, she didn't want some damn security guards walking in, but she didn't want those pedestrians to get killed either. And with all the racket they were making, someone was bound to bust in sooner or later.

"Aw, just shoot 'em," Lust suggested, reaching behind her head to check the bloody gash the mirror made. Cocky bitch. "They'll get us both caught and I don't think either of us can afford a trip to the police station."

"We're in the back of the theater surrounded by horror flicks. I doubt screaming and shooting is unnatural." Phoebe just shrugged and checked her head again. Namarra may have switched over by that time, but her promise to Eclipse was still resonating in her head. It may have seemed like a stupid reason to jeopardize the situation so, but it was an interesting restriction that gave the whole fight an element of fun. No, the Berserker would let them live for now.

Or not.

The restroom door opened once more, introducing another female into the chaotic mess. The two fighting adversaries feared it was a security guard at first, having heard the racket and was sent to investigate, but as soon as her face lightened in a smile, Namarra cursed and Phoebe cheered. "Hiya, sis!"

Melanie didn't respond. Slipping a hand into her front pocket, she drew out a pen, clicked the end, took a step into the room, reached around the wall, and jabbed the utensil into the stunned woman's eye socket. Now that was good aim. "You guys were having fun without me?"

"Sorry, got a little excited," Phoebe said, seeming to ignore Namarra and the gun behind her. Not that it would have mattered anyway. The Berserker was the one momentarily stunned now, watching the woman's head bow down in death and seeing the children's eyes gaze up in utter horror. One even reached up to try and pull the pen out, thinking he could save her. The drop of blood on his cheek stopped that movement.

"Damn you," Namarra hissed.

"Well, now, there's a unique phrase," Melanie mocked, absently rubbing off more of the dried blood from her cheek. "Now she won't make any noise and half the clean-up. You should be thanking me."

"Well, thank you for not making me break a promise," the Berserker said, flipping her eyes from side to side. Damn, she had gotten into quite the predicament. There she was in the back corner of the room, _maybe _the only one with a weapon, with two psychopaths between her and the exit. _Shit. _ Her only option would be to shoot Melanie—probably not be able to kill her given Lust's skill—fend off Phoebe's attack, and hopefully get out alive.

Or just rely on some little kid's heroics.

Namarra could never tell the ages of children—let alone their gender—when they were buried against some woman, but now she had a clear view and the five-year-old boy was going to get a surprise Christmas gift from the Berserker that year. It could have been some random spur of adrenaline, or even the "knight in shining armor" image was rubbing off, but, either way, he got to his feet and ran screaming at Melanie. She said a few choice words and tried to kick him to the side, but either he was an annoying little pest or the Lust girl decided to have a bit of fun. Still too cocky for her own good.

Phoebe leapt at Namarra during the heroics, aiming for the gun. The Berserker let her grab the weapon, swinging her left elbow around to hit the Sin across the cheek. Phoebe stumbled into the open stall at the end, falling on top of the toilet in a crumpled heap. Her forehead hit the plumbing hard and the gun slid into the next stall, the end sticking out into the open. Hopefully, she would be down for a while and not a threat.

The kid was surprisingly resilient, but he was definitely losing to Melanie's strength. The Lust girl must have decided to have a bit of fun because when Namarra turned around, she was tossing his body roughly against the stall. The Berserker had had enough. She just wanted to get the hell out of the movie theater. Their little game had gotten disturbingly annoying and since there wasn't much more she could do without getting more innocents killed, heading outdoors for round two was the best option.

Rushing forward, Namarra grabbed the gun, dodged Melanie's frantic punch, and brought the barrel up to her right shoulder, firing a bullet into her skin. The Sin screamed before crumpling to the floor in agony, but seeing the look in her eye, Lust was not out just yet. Taking a moment to acknowledge the boy, Namarra said a silent thank you before rushing out the door.

The entrance hall was crowded with more people than the Berserker was comfortable with and all of them eyeing her suspiciously. Perhaps it was the gash on her hand—now bleeding onto the carpet—but she wasn't entirely sure. Maybe the people were just being rude.

Melanie, she figured, was going to be down for a bit, but the exact amount of time Namarra couldn't be sure. Those Sins were rather resilient and as reckless as the Berserker was, she had to find Eclipse and get away. They were greatly outmatched if Pride was still alive and—frankly—she wasn't in the best shape to face them all. Given, she wasn't that injured, but she didn't have the right weaponry either.

Fists and knives vs. guns was never a contest.

It involved too much fun on one side and a lot of screaming on the other.

Nearly tripping over a wandering kid in the lobby, Namarra slammed into the glass double doors and stumbled outside. The brisk air hit her face and cooled her skin, making her—for the first time—realize she had been sweating. Not that she was surprised, but it wasn't a happy revelation. The SIN-ED people were tough, sure, but she had never been this worried she'd come out alive. Two on one could make anyone nervous. _Now, Eclipse, where the hell are you? _She thought of the possibilities and laughed when she figured out her exact location. Still at the far end of the parking lot stood her redheaded partner and Pride, talking and getting into quite the heated conversation based on Eclipse's body language. Flailing hands never looked good in any sort of exchange.

Turning to her left, Namarra caught sight of a line of motorcycles, making her inner child both squeal and laugh with excitement. Yes, it was the perfect getaway machine as well as the most fun to choose. Offering up a silent "thank you" for the good weather, she ran towards them.

* * *

"You're insane"

"So glad you noticed," FS replied, smiling brightly as he uncrossed his arms to prop them on the car. Looking at his watch, he was surprised at the time. He had hoped Lust would have come back by then, having killed the other little cockroach—he figured Eclipse wouldn't come alone—and whisked him away as if the whole thing had never happened. He had told Eclipse what he had planned to, and that was all. There was no need to involve her in anything more if he was just going to kill her later on. She was of no use.

"What, got bored with being the Earth Force's special ops? Wanted to kill more than twenty at a time?"

"What do you mean? The war will end soon and afterwards we'll happily take on the role of grave digging. I don't see why you're so upset."

The redhead merely glared after the statement, but she couldn't help finding it curious as well. FS seemed to be making quite the profit out of the whole thing and even if his motives were revenge, she knew he couldn't avoid the large amount of money he was making by sending out his troops to work for each army. Did he really not care about that? Did he really just want each side destroyed, all of the soldiers annihilated and then build his "peaceful world" on the grief left over?

She debated going into it further, but stopped. She wouldn't get anywhere. FS had definitely changed since they had left the facility, but she hated the direction. Then again, had she been the one to change? If she had left with them, would she be the one assassinating those officers and building this weapon?

"You always look so cute when you think."

"Shut up."

"No, really. It's a new look for you. I don't think I'm quite used to it yet, but I can't say I don't like it."

"You haven't seen me in a long time, FS. You have no right to judge me."

"Judge you on what? Forehead wrinkles?" He smiled after that, throwing his hands up in front of his body as if anticipating some kind of retaliation. Eclipse, however, held off. Maybe before she would've given him the pleasure of seeing her so befuddled, but now, she debated pulling out her pocket knife. She tried planning a counterattack, going as far as to look on the ground for something as miniscule as a stone to force him off guard. It was amazing how quickly her infatuation with FS had turned to utter hatred. Perhaps those two emotions weren't as far off as she originally believed.

There was a pen lying broken on the ground about three feet from her position. She stared at it for a good twenty seconds, coming up with something creative, but—thanks to some shouting and a trigger-happy Lust member—Eclipse's attention was pulled elsewhere. Namarra had hijacked a motorcycle and was speeding in her direction, avoiding the random pedestrians and trying to swerve away from Melanie's insistent shooting. The evasive maneuvering was quite impressive, but the bullets were still ricocheting off the cars and her stolen bike to land mercilessly into the moviegoers. One child got hit in the arm and another gentleman got a graze across his forehead.

Cursing, Eclipse turned towards FS as if waiting for him to explain. He just smiled. "Bastard."

"Thank you."

Namarra was gradually getting closer. She had kept the speed slow because of all the people, but as she neared the end of the parking lot, the customers had figured out how to remain safe in their cars. Melanie continued her shooting, but soon stopped and focused on running instead. "What would your brother think? What would _Kai _think, Namarra!" she shouted, making no sense to Eclipse. She kept shouting, however, repeating the name "Kai" over and over as if the word itself had become her ammo.

The Berserker veered off to the redhead's left, holding out her hand to catch her and swing her up onto the back of the seat. It sounded foolhardy in Eclipse's mind, but she looked across at FS, glared, and then held out her hand to catch her new comrade's. How times had changed.

"What about _Kai_?" Melanie shouted behind them, falling behind once Namarra revved the machine faster. FS didn't even try to stop them, blowing at kiss to the redhead when she was flipped up onto the back of the motorcycle. That was rewarded with the middle finger and the Sin just laughed.

They hadn't gotten too far from the theater when Eclipse felt the motorcycle wobble. It wouldn't have been a concern if the battle before hadn't taken place. When the redhead had grabbed her comrade's hand, she noticed panic on her face as one eye was normal and the other was still berserk. She must have been between transitions, but Eclipse rarely felt any pain when she was snapped, so it had to be something else. Why was she so rattled? "Namarra—hey—you all right?"

No response.

"Namarra—"

"I'm fine," she spat, swerving sharply into the other lane to go down a side road and out of town. And out of town was no understatement. Apparently, they hadn't been in a big city and judging by the scenery, they had officially ridden into the countryside. Either the Natural was speeding _that _badly or Eclipse had miscalculated their position. However, the road was still busy enough to make anyone nervous, especially when the bike swerved dangerously close to oncoming traffic. Something wasn't right.

"Namarra—"

"I said shut up, damn it!"

Eclipse was going to leave it at that, but she had her own life to think about right then. Her fellow Berserker wasn't about to jeopardize her future as much as she already had. "Damn your pride. Pull over and let me drive."

Namarra didn't respond. The redhead growled and started reaching over her shoulders to grab the handles anyway, but the bike swerved again, nearly causing them both to fall off. There were a series of snake curves up ahead, so Eclipse reluctantly decided to wait a bit longer. Since there was a guardrail, she felt reasonably safe.

Namarra was turning around the last curve when Eclipse dared to strike up a conversation again. "What was that Lust girl shouting at you before? Who the hell is Ka—"

"Don't say his name!"

The reply startled the redhead, but not as much as when the Natural lost total control of the bike, sending them both skidding to the ground. Helmets probably would have been a good thing in that kind of situation, but when a person was trying to escape sudden death, she didn't usually think that far into the future. So, they both hit the ground pretty hard, but because the bike skidded downward and to the side instead of going end over end, they were saved from too critical of injuries. Both girls had large scrapes in their pants, but the quick thinking on both their parts—coming unarmed had forced them to take more defensive measures—the thick under armor stopped most of the damage. The skid burns still bled pretty well, but they weren't as bad as they could have been. Just as the bike fell, they both ducked into side rolls, going with the impact and avoiding as much damage to their body as possible.

Eclipse groaned as her body stopped, shifting onto her back and discerning her health based on what hurt the most. To her luck, everything hurt and her head spinning wasn't allowing her a concrete enough report. Well, she was alive.

Namarra didn't even seem fazed by the impact. In fact, she started rolling around on the grass hysterically after everything had stopped. Eclipse propped herself up in order to see if there was anything seriously wrong with the Natural, but she couldn't see anything other than the skid marks on her arms and legs. No doubt her head was spinning as much as the redhead's, so why did she feel the need to throw such a fit? "N-Namarra—hey!"

The Natural was trying to get to her feet now, falling each time, but slowly making her way towards the street. Eclipse's sense of loyalty kicked in then, forcing her to her feet and run in Namarra's general direction. "Narmar—damn, calm down! I said stop! Ugh!" Eclipse had her arms looped under her armpits, but the legs were getting to be a huge problem. It was getting harder and harder for them to stand upright, but she couldn't exactly let the Natural run into the street. Sure, it'd solve so many problems, but Eclipse's conscience would bother her afterward.

Damn guilt complex.

Namarra's head thrashed backwards, hitting Eclipse square on the right cheekbone. "Kai, Kai! Damn it, don't go! I said don't say his name!" She was making no sense; it was as simple as that. But _why _was she so disoriented? What had happened inside that movie theater than screwed her up so much? Did it even happen in the movie theater? Would she even answer a question if she asked? "Kai, save me, please!"

A cell phone fell out of her pocket, causing the redhead to look down momentarily. She needed some help, that was obvious, but would calling Yzak over to pick them up make matters any easier? No doubt Namarra would be forced to go with them and as a member of the Earth Forces—well—it wouldn't turn out so good. But what choice did she have? She _might _be able to calm her down by the time he arrived, and if that happened, she could hide. But if she didn't calm down… _Ah, screw it, _Eclipse thought and grabbed the phone, shifting her hold to one arm locked around her comrade's waist. She'd bandage the nail scratches later. "Yzak," she spat breathlessly when his voice sounded on the other end. Who knew he'd so eagerly pick up his phone?

"Eclipse?"

"I need you to pick me up. I'll send the coordinates to the Stealth—ow, damn it—and meet me here as soon as—" Namarra knocked the phone from her grip then, her elbows jabbing back into the redhead's sides as she tried to break loose. It was just getting ridiculous. "Namarra, I said—" No use; the girl didn't seem to hear her anymore. In fact, it didn't even seem as if she was in the same reality. Her arms flailed as if trying to grasp something, or perhaps someone. Whoever that Kai was, was close to her. Eclipse could've realized that without hearing his name shouted every other second, but whoever he was, had to have messed her up pretty good. Or something like that. The Stealth's mechanical voice resonated in Eclipse's head, but she was too occupied to respond. She could only hope the CA system understood what she wanted and told Yzak. It was a risky move, but she_ had_ to try and calm Namarra down.

Somehow.

"Alright, alright, I won't say his name. I'm sorry, okay? Hey—I said I was sorry!"

"Kai, don't let them take me!" Her head thrashed back again and hit the same spot as before, causing a few curses to leave the redhead's mouth. Leave it to a teammate to get her more beat up in the aftermath than in the actual fight. That hit loosened Eclipse's grip, sending the Natural stumbling forward after the lack of restraint.

And directly towards the road.

Shaking off the pain, the redhead took a few steps and lunged forward. She caught her a few feet from the concrete, tackling her to the ground. They both hit hard, Namarra's head striking the gravel with a force that would've knocked anyone out; however, she didn't even look affected. That was suspicious. "Stop! Stop! Let me go!"

"I can't just let you run into the street. What the hell is wrong with you?" A car passed extremely close by, the horn blaring as it swerved. The smell of the burning rubber as the car slammed on its breaks made Eclipse nauseous, but Namarra's fit hadn't subsided. It was getting extremely annoying and even scarier given her unusually calm demeanor prior to the escapade. It was a huge switch and not a comforting one. Was this a side of the Berserker she hadn't experienced yet?

The Natural's hands flailed in a frantic offense, like a toddler throwing a tantrum. Eclipse sat on Namarra's stomach and grabbed at her hands, snatching one, but failed at getting the other. Sharp fingernails raked across her face as teeth sunk down on her exposed hand. "Ow—damn it!" The feet started going next, knees jamming into the redhead's back. There were just too many things to keep track of.

The Natural twisted beneath her, throwing the redhead off balance and tumbling off to the side. _Now what? _Eclipse thought, but when she rolled over to look for her comrade, she had already stepped out onto the concrete. "Namarra!"

Another car slammed on its brakes when she hit the middle line, swerving to the side and barely missing her. Some curses sounded from the seats, but it sped off without stopping. "Damn it—Namarra!" Two more cars sped by before she made it to the other side of the road, one coming so close to hitting her the two people actually stopped and attempted to help. Eclipse ran over to them, gave a brief explanation and hurried them back into the car. Luckily, they went without a fuss.

That was when another car stopped.

"Dear God—Nam, what the—" A redhead jumped out first, brushing past Eclipse to grab the Natural around the waist and drag her towards the car. The struggling threw him off balance, sending him down on his butt with her in his lap. Cursing, his head banged against the car bumper when she flailed some more. "Damn it!"

Eclipse started panicking when she saw the redhead pulling them both to the car. She had no idea who these people were and they were just going to grab her comrade and run off? "No! Stop!"

"Clotho, keep her still," a deeper voice ordered and Eclipse froze when she felt a firm hand on her shoulder. Spinning around, she instinctively brought her right arm up to punch his face. The attack was blocked and before she could grasp the pocket knife near her waist, the man had grabbed her other wrist. Struggling a bit at first, she stopped when the lights from the car shown on his face. This was the green-blond boy, Orga—presumably the leader of the group—who had picked up Namarra last time. "Stop this; we aren't enemies." Seeing the calm look on his face and the worried expression in his eyes as they flicked over towards his screaming teammate, Eclipse nodded. Returning the acknowledgement, he let her go.

Namarra's fit hadn't subsided, but Clotho had her under control. He hugged her elbows to her sides, his arms folded over her stomach in a tight hold as his legs crossed over hers in his own version of a strangle hold that looked strangely loving. The look on Clotho's face said enough. He was worried. Her head was the only thing he had to be concerned with, but other than that, she wasn't going anywhere.

Orga walked back to his comrades without saying anything more to the ZAFT soldier. Kneeling down, he grasped Namarra's shoulders and shook her hard to get her attention. "Nam—Namarra, stop. It's all right—" Nothing happened.

"Hey, dumbass—" Clotho started, but a head butt to the chin shut him up quick.

"Nam—" Orga tried again, but she just started her screaming once more, lashing out at him with teeth instead of the limbs she so wanted to use. Now it was the leader's turn to look worried. Perhaps she had never been that bad for that long before.

Shani—the last one to arrive on the scene—walked over and pushed Orga aside. Taking his spot, he slipped out his earphones, carefully put them into her ears then stopped her thrashing head in his hands. Her eyes stared into his, blinking rapidly as more tears tickled her cheeks. She looked panicked, pupils wide and frightened like a four-year-old separated from her family. She was terrified, but of what? "Nam, calm down. Everything's fine. I'm here; your brother's here." Her eyes softened at his words, body loosening in Clotho's arms. She sniffed a couple more times, eyes turning away from him in either grief or humility. Given the scene before, Eclipse was betting on the grief, but Shani kept his hands cradling her face, whispering, "I'm not going anywhere," a couple more times. Her shaking had stopped by that time, Clotho untangling his legs from hers to make her feel a little more comfortable; less trapped, in a way.

While her body language showed she was calming down, her eyes shared a different story. Shani—apparently the observant one—didn't miss that, leaning in and resting his forehead against hers. "Everything's fine," he whispered. Clotho, seeing the phrase as some sort of sign, let go of her completely and sighed lightly when she lunged at Shani and wrapped her arms around his neck. Finally, she just cried and Eclipse could feel everyone release the breath they were holding. But one thing was bothering her.

What the hell had happened?

"Clotho, sit with her in the back seat," Orga ordered, watching the redhead try and peel Namarra away from Shani. She had calmed down enough to be separated from him, they all figured, and no matter how well Shani slipped into the older brother role, he was never one to cuddle and comfort. That seemed to be Clotho's forte and Namarra didn't argue. She just needed to feel safe again. "Shani, get in too, we're leaving."

Eclipse was going to let them go, but the bruise on her cheekbone was slowly becoming a throbbing nuisance. After all, she went through most of that shit too and they were just going to drive off without any kind of explanation? Damn, she was beginning to wish she was anti-social again; fewer medical bills.

"And what about me?"

Orga turned to her after that statement, shrugged and walked over. Eclipse tensed and took a step backwards. If he tried to capture her, she could put up a decent fight, but seeing how easily Namarra was apprehended—and remembering how easily she was snuck up on before—the redhead knew she wouldn't last long.

Great.

He slowed as he approached, stopping a few steps away with an amused look on his face. Crossing his arms over his chest, he shifted his weight to one foot and cocked an eyebrow. "I told you, we're no enemies, so there's no reason to take you with us."

"Thank you, I'm grateful, but what _was _that?" she asked, referring to Namarra's outburst. "Even in Berserker—"

"She wasn't berserk, that was something else."

"What then?"

The boy sighed and scratched his head. Taking a moment, he looked her over, as if debating whether or not to share any information. Given the circumstances, Eclipse would have expected him to make up some excuse and leave, but instead he gave a wry chuckle, muttered something about someone being mad at him and continued. "I'm not totally sure how it all works, but it has something to do with her brother's name, Kai. We may be on the same team, but we're in different medical programs. I can't even guess at what they did."

"So, that guy—your teammate—is her brother?"

"No, her brother's been dead for years. Saying he's still around seems to calm her down and Shani's the only one who can pretend to be that brother. I'm surprised actually, most of the time he's anti-social, but he takes on the role voluntarily."

Eclipse thought about that for a second, gazing over at the three in the convertible. He had said they were in different medical programs. _That _was an interesting piece of information and the fact that she had a brother was also intriguing. But the reaction the mere mention of his name had caused made Eclipse very curious. "So, this happens often?"

"We avoid his name because of this." He paused as if something just occurred to him. "Did you do it then?" The statement sounded threatening as it left his lips, but looking at his face, Eclipse knew he was just curious. That was good to know.

"I may've made it worse," she admitted, "but I didn't start it. Blame SIN-ED for that one."

"SIN-ED?"

The redhead inwardly cursed, realizing she probably shouldn't have said that only after her mouth decided to vomit the words. Of all the times to be careless. It _was _a surprise they didn't know what she was getting into, but then again, Eclipse's team—besides her active commander—didn't know anything either. Opening her lips, she attempted to come up with some excuse. Orga just smiled and held up a hand. "I'll ask Nam later, but as for you." She tensed and took a step backwards, however his grin grew. "I know you have someone picking you up. We have Nam's phone tapped and wouldn't have been able to find you if you didn't make that call."

"Well, you're welcome," she responded and relaxed. That was comforting to hear. Somewhat. "So, we're not enemies?"

"Why, did you want to be?" He smirked at that and even laughed when Eclipse matched his look. "We'll worry about that later; we have to get Nam home." Scratching his head again, he extended a hand. "I don't know who you are, but you've saved her ass twice now. I'm grateful."

"She's saved me plenty of times too." She grasped his hand and gave it a shake. "Keep an eye on her."

"What're brothers for?" With that, he walked back to the car, jumped inside and sat behind the wheel. Namarra was sleeping in the backseat, head on Clotho's chest and arms wrapped around his waist. The boy hugged her in return and Eclipse had to smile. Shani, in the front seat, looked like he was going to take his headphones back, but turned around to brush her hair behind her ear instead. Apparently, he didn't mind being without his music for a while.

"Oh!" Eclipse shouted, grabbing their attention before they sped off. "Namarra's sniper rifle is still at the theater." Orga replied with a wave, put the car in drive and they were gone, leaving Eclipse behind feeling suddenly lonely. Hopefully, Yzak would get there soon.

Now _that _thought scared her a bit.

* * *

Yzak arrived roughly twenty minutes later. It was a rather lonely twenty minutes and quite hectic given the police came looking for the motorcycle Namarra stole. Leave it to her to dump all the problems onto Eclipse, but given the past display, she couldn't blame her too much. It just didn't seem fair.

Eclipse had left the bike where it fell and fled down to lie in the tall grass out of sight. She had hoped there were some trees or something around, but the only thing off the side of the road was meadow; a vast meadow with overgrown grass, mucky dirt, and an overabundance of thorns. The redhead found that out thanks to the lack of cover. She'd blame Mother Nature another time.

"Why you all dirty?" Yzak asked, finding Eclipse sitting on the side of the road. "And you look like you got mauled by a stray cat." He wore commoner's clothes, sporting jeans and a red polo shirt tucked into his pants. There were even tennis shoes on his feet. For some reason, Eclipse hadn't expected him to even own any kind of comfort wear, but she had to admit she was rather impressed. To make the whole experience even more enjoyable, he pulled up in a pick-up truck. Who knew she had a redneck rich boy on her team.

The redhead chose not to answer his question, brushing off her pants and walking up next to him. He almost made another remark but was rendered speechless when Eclipse threw her arms around his neck and gave him a hug. There were so many intelligible things he could have said or even done at that moment, but he couldn't think of anything, merely stood there and tried to keep breathing. "Uh."

"C'mon, I really need a hug and you're supposed to be helping," she muttered, mouth buried into his right shoulder.

"Huh?" It took a few more, awkward moments of hesitation before he finally crossed his arms behind her back. To any prying eyes, it would have been a cute scene. The last remaining members of the Zala team reunited by a comforting hug displaying both affection and merely the desire to forget about what had happened.

For the next minute or so, Eclipse had to smile, feeling just as safe in Yzak's arms as Namarra must have felt in either Shani's or Clotho's. She never knew how much she missed the feeling until she tried this little experiment. And while it didn't heal anything completely, she was happy to have that sensation for even a minute. "Alright," she said, patting him on the back as she pushed away, "moment of feeling pathetic over with."

"Hm," Yzak began, blinking a couple of times as they stepped apart. "When did you turn into such a girl?"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Eclipse asked, placing her hands on her hips. "What's so wrong with wanting a hug every once and a while?"

"Nothing, I guess," the boy began, scratching the back of his head. "Just a bit unexpected."

"Unexpected?"

"N-not a _bad _unexpected, of course," he added quickly, flailing his hands out in front as if to salvage the situation. He looked so embarrassed.

The redhead laughed. "Just—never mind. Don't tell the crew or my reputation's dashed. C'mon, let's get back to base."

"Fine, fi—hey! _I'm _driving!"

"But I wanna drive!"

"No! You look beat up as hell and I really don't want to join Athrun in the hospital wing thanks to some damn car crash!"

Eclipse froze with her hand on the handle to the driver's seat. _What did he just say? _Whipping around, she stared at Yzak as he smiled and walked closer. "Athrun's alive, Eclipse." Putting his hand on hers, he opened the door. "You should learn to have more faith in us. We aren't about to leave you so easily."

That remark deserved another hug.

* * *

**_A/N: _**Alright, here's the next installment. I hope it was worth the wait and breaking it up made a bit of sense. This would've been one _long _chapter and while I admire the people who can do that, I don't like making them too long. Besides, it's easier for you guys to read shorter chapters than extra long ones. Anyway, I hope you liked the second half.

Heh, don't worry guys, Stray isn't dead. I thought I made that clear when FS and Lust were talking at the end of chapter 36, but maybe I didn't. S**_hrugs_** Well, now you all know for sure that quirky kid is still kicking. I love that guy too much to kill him now. And the funny thing is, when I started writing this story I was _sure _I was going to hate Stray. Not sure why I felt so strongly about that, but he's definitely evolved into one of my favorite characters.

Alright, and another question answered: what the hell was SIN-ED building in space? Well, now we all know and it's quite scary. They were actually the masterminds behind the whole idea. O.o Not surprising really, given their role in the war, and if Eclipse was half as sadistic as she was before, she might actually be proud of them.

The Lust fight was kind of epic, I realize that. I was originally going to have the four of them (Eclipse, Namarra, and Lust) duke it out to the death, but decided to save that until later. There's still a lot of SEED left and since there was so much fighting already, I thought I would save that kind of thing for another time and maybe even make it a chapter. **_Shrugs_** I like to think that far ahead sometimes, but it never turns out like I planned. Funny how the creative spirit works, huh?

And, yes, Druggies! I'm hoping a bunch of you are happy about that because they are some of the best underdeveloped characters in SEED and deserve way more personality/air time than they were given. Well, that's what we authors are for and here they seem to have big brother complexes. :P Some of you are going to think they are rather out of character, but all of that will be explained a little later. I hate saying that because it really doesn't sound fair, but I don't want to spoil anything either. Besides, isn't it so much more fun to see them acting—well—human once and a while?

And now we get to see a little bit more "cuteness" between Yzak and Eclipse. More like she's just relieved to see him and feeling very emotionally insecure after seeing how willing FS was to just let her go, thinking Athrun was dead because of her, Nicol dying, and Dearka disappearing. Man, that's enough to screw up anyone's psyche. O.o Anyway, I really like this ending to the chapter. We get to see how much Yzak mellowed and how much Eclipse has changed. Overall, it's a good break.

So, I've already started on my next chapter and am about half way. It might end up being another long one—not entirely sure at this moment—but there probably won't be any fighting in it. After all, we're in the part of the series where everyone's thinking is turned upside down, so there's a lot of "in the brain" action. There'll be some characters brought in that will—hopefully—keep the monotony less—well—monotonous, so it won't be too bad.

Alright, for those of you who did not know the Gundam reference, it is indeed _Gundam Wing._ I needed a random theater name and I was rattling off mobile suits, battleships, etc. from any and every Gundam I knew of and ended up on _Peacemillion._ Hm, maybe I should've thrown Howard in as an attendee or something. That would've been fun. Ah well, I'll have to bring him in another time.

As always, thanks for all the reads and reviews! My story stat counter has been down for the past week or so—not really sure why—so I can't see the numbers, but I'm still excited you are all reading it!

Special shoutout to my betas: I'm running out of things to say to you guys in these author's notes so I'm glad you always have some witty things to say to me. :P

* * *

**_Questions/Gripes:_**

As many of you have realized, I am staying very close to the cannon. Saying that, I'm sure some things won't really come as a surprise since you already know what's going to happen. Well, I guess that's the chink in my armor, but I'm trying to spruce those areas up a bit to still make it interesting. Suggestions are always accepted because when it comes to the battle in outer space, I'm not quite sure how I'm going to fit my characters in. I have loads of ideas, but can't narrow any of them down. O.o There are a lot of holes in the beginning of the series to fit in my OCs, but towards the end things get tighter, almost as if the writers finally realized what they were going to do. Damn authors always making jobs difficult for us fanfiction writers! **_Sigh_**

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Please check out my forum if you're interested and I'll see you guys next chapter!

_Strata_


	39. Who'd A Thunk

Who'd A Thunk

Eclipse stared at the doorknob, debating whether or not to go in. Yzak and she had made it back to the base safely, despite the eerie feeling the truck was going to break down. The Duel pilot had hit a pothole halfway there and the truck never stopped rattling afterward. The two even stopped talking so they could hear what was going on outside. It was definitely a stressful ride.

"Hey, he's not _that_ injured," Yzak muttered, standing impatiently behind her. He wasn't even going to accompany her at all, but she insisted, saying Athrun was just as much his teammate as he was hers. Sighing, he gave in, but watching her hesitate, he figured it was more for _her _support than for Athrun's. "Here, I'll do it." Reaching around her, he turned the doorknob and pushed it open.

Inside, Athrun was lying on a hospital bed, head swiveling slowly in their direction when they walked in. He smiled weakly, but didn't say anything. His face was pale with small bruises around his lower jaw. Most likely from when he ejected and hit the ground.

In the room, there was a reclining chair—next to a rather rickety-looking stool—in the corner situated near a small table with a vase of flowers. Eclipse wasn't sure who gave them to him—maybe they were a congratulatory gift for destroying the Strike—but it didn't look as if anyone was bothering to take care of them. Even the nurse who put them in the vase forgot to put some water in the bottom. One IV was stuck in Athrun's right arm and his left one bandaged in a sling wrapped around his neck. However, other than that small stand, the other medical machines in the room were turned off and standing quietly next to the far wall. So, like Yzak had said, he wasn't really injured, but looking at his face, she would have thought otherwise. Raw pain shown through his eyes and no matter how much the weak smile on his face tried to cover it up, his teammates were far to observant to not notice.

They would just never bring it up for the sake of making it worse.

"How ya feeling?" Yzak asked, pulling Eclipse further into the room when he realized she was still frozen by the doorway. He was definitely being blunt, but he seemed comfortable as well. Perhaps he was just happy to see his teammates alive and conscious—well, Athrun at least. Funny what a common death could do to a relationship between rivals.

Athrun shrugged, wincing when the pain from his sprained shoulder shot down to his lower back. Tensing, he caught his breath and decided talking was a better idea. "I'll live."

"Well, we figured that much. You _are _a bit indestructible," the Duel pilot commented, pushing Eclipse down into the recliner as he took the stool. Propping his arm up on the armrest of the redhead's chair, he forced out a smile. "Any news on what we're supposed to be doing next?"

Athrun shook his head. In a way, he was glad Yzak was jumping right to business. That pilot was good at avoiding the emotional end of things so it was nice to be given the same chance for a change. Athrun really didn't want to think about anything else anyway. "I only woke up an hour ago."

"But you've been on base for almost twelve," Yzak remarked, offering a shrug. "The commander was scheduled to have arrived two hours ago. I have yet to see him though."

Eclipse instantly turned to look out the window after the comment. She didn't want her teammates to see the panicked look on her face. Commander Le Creuset was back. What did that mean for her? Was Athrun no longer her commander? Would she be reporting to Creuset again and be assigned to special missions involving impossible odds merely because he _thought _she was capable of handling it? For the most part she was searching out SIN-ED on her own, but she hadn't made much progress. What had she done, only killed off some of the top operatives? That organization was growing by the day and now they were powerful—and intelligent—enough to be producing powerful weapons for both armies. Was she just going to be sent out with the Stealth and ordered to take out as many as she could? The last thing the war needed was a large third party, but that scenario seemed inevitable.

And it was her fault.

She had had so many chances to take out FS, but she never did because of some damned sense of loyalty. After all, he was the backbone of the organization and she was quite confident SIN-ED would not function well without him, especially with Roan dead. Who else was going to take up the position? Most of the high-ranking officials were dead and the ones left were not stable enough to lead the organization down a healthy path. Stray might have been a good second choice, but given his state of mind—and lack of ambition for that matter—there was no way he would have jumped at the chance of being in charge. He always seemed more interested in food concoctions than weapon manufacturing. It was as simple as putting a bullet to FS's head, but she could never do it. And now everything was a mess.

She felt so foolish.

Yzak and Athrun continued with their small talk, seeming to not notice Eclipse's inner dilemma; however, the redcoats were not as dense as they pretended to be. They just knew better than to pry. "I heard about Dearka; any news?"

Yzak shook his head. "Haven't heard anything. It's weird though, because the Buster was never found and nothing in the debris could be classified as that suit. It's almost as if he went AWOL, because I doubt he was captured."

"Do you think he'd do that?" Athrun asked, finding the situation highly unlikely, but still felt the need to bring up the possibility. After all, Yzak would know more than anyone else.

The Duel pilot shook his head immediately, scowling at the injured commander for even thinking it was possible. Apparently, he forgot he came up with the idea. "There was a lot of communication with the ship before his signal was lost. He was being attacked by both the 'Legged Ship' and that damn mobile plane. The Stealth was one her way but—well—"

"A different fight and explosion put me out of the battle entirely," Eclipse finished, coming back to the conversation when she heard her suit mentioned. "My cameras were damaged, opened my cockpit for a better visual—it's an embarrassing story."

"I think it was an embarrassing fight for most of us," Yzak commented, knowing Athrun was going to be highly commended because he destroyed the Strike, but not feeling the need to say it out loud. Every one of them knew it, and the young commander was too emotionally unstable to have it brought up. Well, that and Yzak had wanted to be the one to destroy that suit. Perhaps he was feeling a bit jealous.

There was a moment of silence when they each digested what the Duel pilot had said. On some levels, yes, it was a very embarrassing fight, but the Strike had been destroyed and the _Archangel _nearly sunk. Shouldn't that amount to something? After all the hell they had been through trying to destroy that ship, shouldn't they at least be rewarded something? Or was it an "all or nothing" situation?

"What do you think's going to happen to us? To our team?" Eclipse asked, staring at her hands. She didn't want to bring up her fears before and—in fact—she was forcing herself to not believe them. There was no way the three of them would be split up. Right?

"We go from a five elite team down to three," Yzak muttered, scratching the back of his head. "The commander will probably make sure Athrun gets some kind of honorable mention, and you—well—you've basically been a free lancer since the beginning, right? I was always under the impression we were more of a 'home base' to you than your official 'team.'"

That stung. It wasn't because the pilot's logic was off, but because he had said those things so lightly, as if she really _didn't _matter to the team. Perhaps her version of the word "team" involved more emotional impact than Yzak's definition and she should really pass the off comment as more of an answer to her question; however Eclipse couldn't help the anger swimming through her veins and forcing the words out of her mouth.

"You fuckin' son of a bitch."

"Excuse me?"

"So, after all of this time of me fighting by your side I'm still not even being considered a member of your _team_?"

"W-what? I was just saying you were always transferring to different—t-take Commander Waltfeld's team, for example. You were just shipped off before any of us were even considered. A-and back on the _Vesalius, _you were a mechanic before a pilot. And you're always running off on your own assignments—"

Eclipse jumped to her feet before he could finish, walking around the chair and heading for the door. Yzak managed to catch her by the elbow before she had gotten too far, but she broke the hold easily, rushing through the doorway and down the hallway before the Duel pilot found the nerve to go after her. Athrun, however, stopped him then. "Just leave her alone, Yzak. There's obviously something going on we don't know about."

"Like her being some emotional female? Trust me, Athrun, I realized that a—"

"Please, Yzak."

The pilot paused—perhaps it was the please—sighed, and walked back to the bed, plopping down in the now open recliner. He propped his elbows on his knees and pressed his palms against his forehead. "Some team we are; we're all basket cases on the verge of a mental breakdown."

The commander smiled after that one. "So, you _do _consider her a teammate."

"Of course I do, damn it!" Yzak shouted, even blushing a bit at the absurdity of it all. "I don't know how the hell she—hey! Stop that!"

Athrun just laughed.

* * *

Eclipse felt foolish for rushing out of the room like she did. She wasn't sure why the comment had made her so angry. Yzak was merely being reasonable, and everything he had said was true. She was—in a way—a free lance pilot loaned to them to help with the _Archangel _and—hopefully—take out SIN-ED at the same time. But maybe that was the problem right there. She had always considered herself a member of FS and Stray's "team," but now that they were officially considered "threats" in her mind, she was left alone. Perhaps joining Athrun's "team" had been some psychological escape and after a while, she had come to accept it as fact when she really had nothing to do with them at all.

Or maybe it was all just a bunch of bullshit and she should stop thinking about it.

Sighing, she stopped just outside the entrance and looked up at the cloudy sky. It had been almost three hours since she had talked to FS and seen Namarra's freak out, but she still had no answers. FS was now labeled insane and his antics meant she was required to report to Creuset, but she didn't want to. It went beyond her newfound fear of the guy and straight to guilt. She felt guilty for what SIN-ED was doing and wanted to take care of them herself. Selfish? Most likely, but ZAFT should be paying more attention to the war and less attention to the small fry she was trained to kill. _That's right, _she thought, _worry about destroying the Earth Forces. _She laughed after the comment; she couldn't help it. It was all so stupid. The Naturals wanted to destroy the Coordinators because they are genetically enhanced, and the Coordinators wanted to destroy the Naturals because they attacked first.

Genes.

It seemed like such a little thing to be killing over.

The doors slid open next to her, but she never heard them close. Not like it was something unusual, but the redhead felt the need to turn and see what the problem was. Perhaps she was just avoiding her emotional turmoil.

And jumping headlong into panic.

Commander Le Creuset was looking at something on his phone and muttering something to a greencoat next to him. It seemed to be a serious matter seeing the look on the young officer's face. His eyes were sharp and alert, but there seemed to be some sweat droplets littering his forehead. Knowing Eclipse was frozen there and terrified, she could only imagine how that officer must be feeling standing next to that man. The commander was wearing his white, ZAFT uniform, looking much the same as when she had seen him last. The biggest difference, however, was how he composed himself. He had seemed confident before, but now he looked downright cocky. Something must have happened while they were all off chasing the _Archangel_, but she had no idea what. All she knew was she really didn't want him to see her.

But her luck failed again.

He turned in her direction after he dialed a number, politely twisting away from the greencoat to make the call, but ended up locking eyesight with Eclipse. Unable to think of anything else, she forced her frozen body to salute and tried to flee, but he held up a hand for her to wait. _Shit, _she cursed. After all this time, still unable to ignore a direct command.

He finished up his phone call a few minutes later, shooing the greencoat away and walking back through the doorway to the redhead. They saluted each other again as he motioned her to sit on the bench to their right. "Ah, Lunar Eclipse, I'm happy to see you well. Have you been up to see Athrun already?" She nodded. "I see. He must be exhausted yet, so I'll go see him tomorrow," he muttered to himself before returning his attention to her. "I haven't had an official report from either you _or_ Athrun in a while. To be truthful, that makes me a bit nervous because I've heard SIN-ED members have been seen in multiple areas in outer space. ZAFT really doesn't have the resources to be taking on that organization right now, so I'm hoping you're going to tell me everything is okay and there is no reason for me to worry."

Eclipse sighed and looked down at her feet. Probably not the answer he wanted to hear. "I spoke to one of the members and he said they're building some kind of weapon or system. Based on what you just said about them being active, they must be in space somewhere."

Creuset nodded, thinking it over in his head. For some reason, the idea of the weapon didn't surprised him—either that or he hid it quite well. The redhead knew he was really good at hiding his emotions, but she would have thought there would have been some kind of hesitation or follow-up questions at least. Instead, he nodded a couple of times before going through some arrangements in his head. "I want you to find them," he said at last. "This weapon makes me nervous and the quicker you can get more information the better."

Eclipse watched him carefully and really wished he wasn't wearing that mask over his eyes. He had an entire intelligence team behind him and yet he wanted _just _her to look? It seemed a bit strange. Sure, she knew the leader of the organization—at least she thought she did—but she was supposed to be killing them, not researching them. Well, she hadn't done a good job in either area so she really couldn't complain.

"Yes, I need you in space." He nodded again. "I'll arrange a shuttle for you right away." Standing, it almost looked as if he had forgotten she was even there. He took one step forward and then turned back before she could speak. "We should probably let Athrun rest for now, so you go and do the same. I'll have someone inform you when your flight is leaving."

Believing the conversation to be over with, Eclipse saluted and watched him leave, staying on the bench until he was out of sight. Sighing, she relaxed and leaned back, rubbing her forearms to stop the nighttime chill. But was it from the evening air? Shaking off the thought, she took one more glance at the hospital entrance before getting up to walk back to her quarters. Either Yzak was still talking to Athrun or he had left during her conversation with Creuset. Having that long of a conversation between those two seemed unlikely, but she doubt she would have missed him walking by. Shrugging she just kept going, deciding to wait until morning before apologizing to him.

* * *

Eclipse woke up early that morning and headed straight to the hospital. Ironically, she had had a rather scary dream involving Athrun going into cardiac arrest, Yzak getting assigned back to the desert, as well as seeing both Dearka and Nicol die gruesomely next to a laughing Commander Creuset. She had tried to wake herself up after watching Nicol getting cut in half by the Strike's sword, but suddenly the scene had jumped to a white sheet covering a body on a hospital bed. She didn't even have to pull the fabric aside to know it was Athrun. Waking up to constant ringing of the heart monitor reading flat line was not a good alarm.

The nurse let her pass and she reached Athrun's room without too much difficulty. Quietly opening the door, she peeked inside and gulped. There on the bed was the same white sheet covering a—seemingly—motionless body. None of her dreams had ever come true so she didn't think the young commander was dead, but the teasing thought of "maybe" made her gulp. Closing the door behind her, she walked to the bed and glanced at the boy. He was lying on his right side, the sheets pulled up over his left shoulder and close to his face. His right hand hung over the side of the bed, looking a bit uncomfortable, but if he was sleeping so soundly, it couldn't have been too bad. His breathing was steady, his injured arm rocking with the motion as it stayed strapped to his side. A couple strands of hair lay near his eyes, but his face seemed peaceful, nothing like the pitiful state she had seen him in the night before.

Sighing, she smiled and collapsed into the recliner. _So, he's alive, _she thought, rubbing her forehead as if to erase the wrinkles that had formed thanks to her constant worrying. She was afraid her visit the night before had only been some kind of dream thought up by her psyche in order to protect her sanity. She half expected to find out she fell asleep in the truck and Yzak had carried her inside to rest, only to hear the next morning how Athrun had tragically passed away while she was out lollygagging with Namarra and her three teammates.

Sometimes she hated her overactive imagination.

But there he was, alive and breathing in his bed, looking semi-comfortable on his side and—for once—peaceful. However, she couldn't help but ask herself, how long would it last? Until he woke up, most likely, and then the nightmare would start all over again.

"Oh, I see he finally fell asleep," one of the nurses muttered, writing down some of the information from the monitors. "I was afraid he would be up all night." She smiled briefly at Athrun before turning her attention to Eclipse, offering that same grin. She looked to be only a few years older than the redhead and glancing at her left hand, Eclipse saw a diamond wrapped around her ring finger. Another thing she noticed was the warm glow emitting from that smile and lovely brown eyes. Looking back down at that left hand, the redhead also saw how it absently rubbed her stomach, an involuntary action that seemed to be nothing more than an unconscious reaction to some very recent news. Watching the soft look in her eyes, Eclipse figured her motherly instincts must have kick in.

"Are you a friend of his?" she asked, walking over to the recliner so she didn't have to shout across the room.

Eclipse nodded.

"I see. Perhaps you should let him rest for now, though. Come back a little later maybe, when he's rested and has had something to eat?"

The redhead smiled and shook her head. "If it's okay, I'd like to just stay here." That question received another grin and under her clipboard, the nurse held out a hardcover book. Eclipse didn't recognize either the title or the author, but took it nonetheless, knowing it was a good way to pass the time. "Thank you." One last smile and she was gone. Scooting down further into the chair, the redhead glanced over at the bed and then started reading.

She hadn't gotten too far when she started getting restless. Normally, she didn't have extra time to do activities such as reading, so she couldn't help feeling guilty after an hour. Athrun had stirred only a couple of times, but—for the most part—still seemed in a deep sleep. Neither Yzak nor Commander Creuset had stopped by yet, but seeing as it was just turning 0800 hours, their tardiness was expected.

It was her third trip to stretch her legs, and mostly because Athrun's nightmares had made _her _more scared of the shadows on the walls than him. After all the moaning, it had gotten hard to just sit there and watch him suffer. She had debated waking him, but knew it would just be delaying his pain. The nurses had come in and given him some kind of medicine to calm his nerves, but he was a bit more durable than that.

And definitely more scarred.

Eclipse had just arrived at his room and opened the door when something slammed into her, sending her further into the room. She yelped—luckily not waking her young commander—but couldn't move as that "something's" embrace kept her arms locked at her sides. Blinking, she spit a couple of loose, blonde strands from her mouth. "H-Heine?"

"So it _is _you after all!" He let her go and held her out at arms length, giving her body a full checkout before returning to her face. The redhead sighed, but was too surprised to hold it against him right then.

And because of that smile.

After all the time they had been apart, Eclipse—admittedly—had forgotten about him. She'd never say that to his face, but it put a perspective on things. She had wasted so much time worrying about FS and Stray—two friends who didn't give a shit—she neglected her true friends. "It's been so long!" the blonde announced, wrapping her into another hug. Laughing, he lifted her up off the ground and spun her in a small circle, trying not to knock over any important medical equipment.

Eclipse started laughing when he set her back down, squeezing him tightly before letting go. "What the hell are you _doing _here?"

"Would you believe I'm injured?" Seeing she wasn't convinced, he held up his right hand, extending his pointer finger. A pale Band-Aid was wrapped near the knuckle.

Eclipse's eye looked at the bandage then slithered back up to his face, frowning at the pouting lips and punching him in the shoulder. "You're ridiculous." He just smiled.

Athrun shifted in his sleep, muttering something incomprehensible as a nightmare attacked his subconscious. Heine, noticing the boy for the first time, sighed sadly and pulled the redhead out into the hall. "Who's that?"

"My commander," she responded with a slight glance through the doorway before it closed. "It's been a rough couple of days."

"I can tell. How're _you _doing?"

Eclipse didn't respond, looking down and away. Honestly, she was doing better than she had been a few days before, but overall? She sighed. Nicol was dead, Dearka was missing, Athrun was bedridden and Yzak was an emotional wreck—even if he hid it well. But telling Heine would mean nothing more than clearing her own conscience. He didn't know any of them.

Heine smiled lightly and pulled her into another hug. He said, "I'm sorry," once and just waited.

Eclipse enjoyed the silence, but actually tensed in his grip. Perhaps it was because she still didn't enjoy being comforted. She was strong enough to handle her own emotional turmoil.

Well, for the most part.

After a few minutes, the redhead pushed back. "But really, Heine, what _are _you doing here?"

"Oh, I totally forgot; they're building me a suit! Me! A suit!" Grasping her shoulders, he gave them a firm shake in excitement. "I'm heading to outer space in a couple of hours to oversee the work. They're almost done," he exclaimed, sweeping his arms out wide and twirling in a circle. "I'm so excited!"

"So, I see."

"And guess what they're calling it."

"What?"

"The ZGMF-X10A Freedom!" he rattled off, not even stuttering over the technical name. "Doesn't it sound so important? And it's just like the prototypes! Only better!"

Eclipse just stared, trying to figure out how he got chosen to pilot such a powerful machine. If it was based off the suits her team had, like he said, it _had _to be well-armed and have some kick ass armor. In the short time the ZAFT military had access to the schematics of the original prototypes, they had built her the Stealth. No doubt they had advanced their technology enough to have that machine be one scary son of a mobile suit. But why Heine? Well, technically, Yzak still had the Duel, but what about Athrun? Isn't he, now, the top pilot in the ZAFT military? Or at least one of the top ones because he destroyed the Strike and nearly took down the _Archangel_. That, at least should give him some kind of promotion, so shouldn't he be the one piloting the suit? How did Heine get so important? _Perhaps I don't know much about him after all._

Heine continued his monologue, clearly proud of himself. "…I'm trying to get them to paint it orange. Not really a fan of white, y'know. It'd definitely clash with the other red machine, but—"

"Other suit?"

"Oh—yeah, there's two of them. Don't really remember the name—Honor, Revelation, Almighty—something along those lines. Freedom's still cooler, don't 'cha think?"

Eclipse sighed. "Yes, Heine. And I'm glad to hear you're moving up in the world."

The blonde smiled. "Oh, speaking of moving up in the world, Lathan was asked to personally help out with the two new prototypes. He's famous now, apparently."

"My brother?"

"Yup, same gene pool. He did come up with the CA after all."

"That's true, no matter how many kinks are in the system."

"Kinks?" he echoed, cocking an eyebrow.

"Yeah." She sighed. "It needs an attitude adjustment."

"Attitude?"

Eclipse nodded, shaking her head as she remembered the most recent problems with the system. In other incidents it may have been hilarious, but in mid-battle, it was slightly unnerving. "I would've started looking into it myself if I wasn't so afraid of damaging the system. I mean, it's almost as if you or Lathan were there with me."

Heine started laughing then, putting a hand over his eyes and shaking his head. "Lathan said it wouldn't—"

"_What _did he say?"

"He was talking about putting in some kind of modifying—synchronizing—what'cha ma-hoozit, but I didn't think he'd actually do it!"

The redhead blinked and then crossed her arms over her chest. Tapping a foot on the floor, she waited for him to clarify, but he seemed too amused with himself. "Your mechanic terminology is amazing."

"I'm sorry, just an inside joke." Clearing his throat he straightened and fixed his collar. Flattening his grin, he stared at her, the faintest of glimmer in his eyes. "I'm sorry to hear that."

"Whatever," Eclipse grumbled, a smile twitching at her lips when she remembered how animated he could be. "So, how long 'til your shuttle leaves?"

"About two hours."

"Alright, let's get out of here. My commander'll be asleep for a while and I don't feel like starting another novel."

"Coffee?"

"Coffee."

* * *

Eclipse was the one to wave goodbye to Heine this time and—surprisingly—able to be enthusiastic about it. The blonde never came out and actually said she had changed, but she could feel the difference in herself. His harmless flirting didn't even bother her as much. At least until he went overboard and she was forced to kick him under the table. It bruised right away too. But, overall, she enjoyed it. She actually felt the need to cheer up Athrun. Trekking back to his room, she was about to push open the door when she heard someone talking.

Commander Le Creuset.

"Nonsense, you were splendid. I heard about everything."

"Splendid?" the Aegis pilot echoed, Eclipse barely hearing the word. He still sounded out of it.

"I should be the one apologizing for not getting you help sooner. The sacrifice made _was _significant, but, I'm afraid, it couldn't be helped. It's a testament to how formidable your friend _really _was."

There was a short pause as the redhead bit her tongue. It was a blunt statement, but still true. Judging by the small gasp on the other side of the door, Athrun found it just as startling.

"I know it's been a difficult series of battles for you," Creuset continued. "Miguel, Nicol, Commander Waltfeld, Commander Morassim—they, as well as many other soldiers have lost their lives to him." He paused again, gathering his thoughts, most likely. "Since you are the one who defeated him, your abilities are highly valued in the homeland. The decision has been made to honor you with the Order of the Nebula. Also, much to my regret, I've received word that you've been transferred to the special forces reporting directly to the National Defense Committee."

Eclipse slide her hand from the handle and backed away from the door after that, more full of shock than happiness. Of course, she was pleased for her comrade, but to hear that he was leaving, was terrifying. So, they _were _breaking up after all. It was one thing to speculate it and another altogether to hear it. She was happy no one could see her then, figuring the look on her face ranged between pure horror and complete dismay.

Again, she was left alone.

The conversation went on inside, but the redhead didn't hear any more of it, still trying to digest her newest situation. She was leaving for space soon, but what could she do? Try to spend as much time with her friends as she could before then? But Athrun was still in recovery and she had only seen Yzak for a second before coming here. He had said he'd see her off, but other than that, he had been scarce the entire day. So, what then? Should she just leave?

Some rustling sounded inside the room, jolting Eclipse out of her thoughts. When she heard footsteps heading towards the door, she nearly turned and bolted down the corridor. Unfortunately, her body refused to move and she was almost sliced with the door as it swung open.

"Ah, Lunar Eclipse, what are you doing so close to the door?" Commander Le Creuset asked, but she gave no response. "No matter, did you hear anything about you departure yet?" She shook her head. "Hm, I'll see what I can find out because I _need _you up there."

Eclipse just nodded and watched him carefully, her eyes flickering every once and a while at Athrun. He was watching them, but didn't seem to be paying too much attention to what they were saying. He seemed to perk up, however when Creuset mentioned SIN-ED. "I really wish I knew who SIN-ED sold those weapon plans to. I'm rather upset someone's going behind the Chairman's back." The redhead watched him silently, wishing she could see his eyes shift or even shimmer suspiciously. Staring at that white mask, though, just made her nervous. She really didn't know what was going on in that head of his and it frightened her. But no matter what plans he was devising, Eclipse had the uncanny feeling the Chairman _did _know something about it and, in return, Creuset knew. She wasn't about to say it, but she couldn't help feeling suspicious. It could have had something to do with how stiff Athrun became whenever his father was mentioned. "I'll look into your flight; you'll be here?" the commander asked.

"Yes, sir."

"Good." They saluted and he walked down the hallway. Eclipse disappeared into the room before he had turned the corner, and closed the door in a hurry. Now that she had some sense of emotion, that man was intimidating.

"You okay?" Athrun asked from the bed, his voice sounded like he cared, but his face displayed nothing. He still looked so lifeless.

"I'll be fine. I'm worried about _you_." He turned away and back to the window, causing a sigh to slip through the redhead's lips. If he cared, he didn't show it. "Sorry, I guess that was the wrong thing to bring up."

"No—I just—" He stopped, shaking his head. "I just—"

"You should just quit talking and rest. Teammate's orders."

His mouth twitched at that. "So, now _you're _bossing me around?"

"I thought the change of pace would be nice." She shrugged and scooted the extra chair over near his bed. One of nurses must have put it back against the wall. "Need anything?"

"A ticket out of here?"

"You're next to a window, just jump."

"Three stories?"

"Wait a few moments and I'll go down to catch you."

"Heh, that'd be a sight, wouldn't it?" She shrugged again and smiled, finally getting one on Athrun's face as well. A small silence passed, but they were now comfortable enough with each other where it was actually nice. They both had a lot on their mind, but hadn't sorted it out well enough to talk about.

Staring at the sheets on the bed, Eclipse fiddled with the cuff on her left wrist. She hadn't apologized to him yet. She had pushed him over the edge; she had to have. Without her constant nagging, he may not have destroyed the Strike and now be so lifeless. If she hadn't played the revenge motif, perhaps he would be okay.

Or he could be dead.

Had she done the right thing after all? If she hadn't have made him so angry, would he not have been able to destroy the Strike? Wasn't his life more important than his grief? Did that even make any sense?

"I saw your cousin again," he said, placing a hand on the one fiddling with the cuff. Jumping, she looked up. "I owe her my life, actually," he continued.

"You mean Cagalli?"

Athrun nodded. "Apparently, she knew Kira—the Strike pilot."

"So, she's back in Orb then?"

"I guess she stayed behind. That's good," he added with a sigh. "I thought I killed her in that plane at first. She flew in one similar when I met her first."

"Well, I'm glad it wasn't too," she remarked, vaguely remembering the Skygrasper's destruction that spurred the battle into a desperate frenzy.

"No, it was a different friend of his."

Eclipse couldn't say anything about that one, deciding to look down at her hands instead of embarrassing herself with eye contact. She had been so mad when that pilot—Kira, apparently—had killed Nicol that she didn't even think about the pain she was going through as well—was _still _going through. To wish that onto another person? No matter what he had done, did he deserve it? _Yes, _her mind remarked immediately. She shook the urge away as soon as she thought it. Looking at Athrun's face, she would have said Kira didn't deserve it.

No, she had to start getting her impulses under control.

"Did I do the right thing?" the young commander asked.

Eclipse looked up and tried to see his eyes, but he was looking back out the window. Finally, she sighed. "From a military standpoint, yes. From the view of you and Kira being friends, no. But from my point of view—us being friends and knowing what he did—" She paused, afraid to admit it to him, but at the same time knowing he had to hear it. "Remembering what he did to Nicol, Commander Waltfeld, Aisha and—just—everyone else, I'm glad you killed him." She heard him tense after that, his breath catching in his throat and his muscles stiffening.

"I see."

"I'm sorry."

"No, you have every right to hate him."

"But not at the expense of hurting you." She just said it. Another impulse.

There was silence, but it was almost as if the phrase was nothing more than a statement of truth than some kind of confession. In fact, even to Eclipse it was just a remark; just her expressing herself. It was the truth. Her bluntness had been hurting a lot of people lately and she had decided she was going to make it stop.

"Thanks. I just wish that he—well—I—"

"Athrun, he needed to be—" She stopped.

Apparently, she'd have to work harder.

"I'm sorry," she added quickly, looking away in embarrassment.

Silence again, awkward this time. Eclipse mentally punched herself, knowing a mere slap wasn't going to be justice enough for her word vomit. Her hatred and urges were hard to understand. At one point she as spewing something about not wanting to hurt her commander, and then her mouth opens and that spills out. It was as if the Berserker was mocking her, making her life miserable because that half was being blamed for everything of late. Yeah, that was it.

Payback.

"I think I'm gonna try and sleep a bit."

"A-alright." He turned over then, not looking at her and pulled the covers up to his injured shoulder. Before he could blissfully fall asleep and leave the redhead feeling horrible about what had happened, she spoke up, pulling at her fingers in her lap. "I-is it okay if I stay? I won't disturb you, I promise." No response. "I-I'll be leaving soon anyway so—" She stopped, never hearing him shift, but she happened to look up just in time to see the humorous glint in his eye. No smile, but at least he didn't seem angry with her. Perhaps he had come to anticipate her impulses.

"Just don't wake me. I may be bedridden for now, but I can still kick your ass."

That remark surprised her, but she quickly recovered and played along. If he was going to talk smack, she was going to also. "But I'm closer to the crash cart. Two paddles, two heads. How're your reflexes again?"

"You underestimate me."

"You _over_estimate yourself."

"You never fought me, you wouldn't know."

Smirking, she stood and put her hands on her hips. "I'll take that as a challenge and will call you on it when I come back from space."

He just nodded and turned back around, staring out the window and listening to her sit back down. He decided not to bring up his transfer. Thinking about leaving his team behind and possibly being alone for the rest of the war did not seem like a good thing to do before drifting off to sleep. Not only would his dreams be horrendous, but he'd be afraid to wake and see if his reality was worse. He had thought killing Kira would make him numb and such a transfer wouldn't matter, but after seeing how many times Yzak had bothered to stop by and knowing Eclipse was always sitting in the room, Athrun felt himself becoming more and more attached to them. Freakishly so, actually. Given, he'd never admit it—and figured shock played a huge role in that attachment—but right then, he was content to fall asleep with the redhead starting another book in the recliner.

He'd worry about his emotions when he woke up and she wasn't there anymore.

* * *

Packed and standing at the terminal, Eclipse tapped her foot impatiently. Her shuttle was scheduled to leave in ten minutes and still there was no sign of Yzak. To be honest, she was rather surprised he had promised to see her off, finding it a little out of character for her usually hotheaded and distant comrade. She wasn't going to complain though, feeling a little better knowing _someone _from her team was going to see her off. Perhaps he still felt bad from his random comment the other day. At any rate, he didn't have much time and no matter how much she wanted to be waving at someone when she took off, she just couldn't wait for him.

Sighing, she turned just as someone came hustling towards her. She didn't have to turn back to know who the sloth was.

"E-Eclipse—hey!" the Duel pilot shouted, most likely figuring out she was ignoring him. "That's not fair—"

"Y'know, when you promise someone you'll meet them, usually you arrive _before _they leave," Eclipse muttered, shaking her head when he just shrugged. She should have figure she would be the only one who really cared.

"Sorry, I just got my reassignment."

"Really? Where?"

"Well, I'm still with Commander Le Creuset, but they want me to lead a squad for Operation Spitbreak."

She beamed at that, proud of her young teammate. "That's awesome! I'm glad to hear you and Athrun are going to do so well."

"You heard about his transfer then?" She nodded. "Is it foolish of me to say I'm jealous?"

"No, because I am too," she admitted. "But—to be honest—I'm rather scared for your squad. You _do _know the earth is the big blue planet and not the white one, right?"

"How rude," Yzak remarked with a cocky smirk on his mouth. Apparently, he enjoyed the praise no matter how much he was complaining. "The next thing you're going to tell me is that it's round."

"Oh, thank God," she breathed, holding out a hand as she steadied herself. "You knew about that."

"Hey!"

"Ma'am, we must get going," the shuttle pilot egged, sticking his head out the side door. Technically, there was five minutes until they had to depart, but he had seen enough "couples" saying their goodbyes that a pre-warning was always necessary.

"Coming!" Eclipse yelled, turning back to the Duel pilot and pointing a finger at him. "But seriously, don't you die. I'm not there to keep an eye on you."

"And you don't do anything stupid either," he countered. "I can't come running to _your _rescue anymore."

The shuttle pilot sighed and walked back inside. Their bickering was getting ridiculous and the sexual tension was suffocating. When in doubt, leave. If she didn't hop on in time, it wasn't his problem. He was on a schedule.

"Here," Yzak said, holding out a large mug of coffee. Eclipse had no idea how she missed it in his hand. "For the trip."

"Aw, how thoughtful," she teased, offering a smile in return. "He can be taught to fetch, folks."

"Good luck, Eclipse."

"You too, Yzak. Remember what I said." Turning, she took a couple of steps up onto the stairs then stopped. "Oh, say goodbye to Athrun for me?"

"Roger that."

* * *

Eclipse didn't know what to expect when she returned to space, but the crushing feeling of loneliness was not it. It had only been about three days since Athrun was recovered and she had never really had a decent conversation with him. They always involved her making a fool of herself, or some harmless bickering where her only goal was to make him feel better. Now, she wished someone could make her sickening feeling of abandonment go away. She had felt it a little bit when Yzak had said goodbye to her at the terminal—and even more so when she saw the emptiness of space—but never felt the flooring sense of the emotion until she walked into one of the ZAFT headquarters on Aprilias 1 and saw the hundreds of people filling the ground level.

And realizing she knew none of them.

Visually collecting herself—shaking out the tension in her shoulders—she took a step through the doorway and headed to the front desk. More than anything, the place looked like a hotel lobby. Two staircases slithered up the side walls, meeting at the second floor as it jutted out over the elevators and desk she was walking to. The carpet was a maroon color, fading to pink thanks to the bustling people stepping on it minute after minute. Looking up, Eclipse almost expected to see an elegant chandelier but—despite the ritzy interior—she was happy to see the typical rows and columns of rectangular lights. As pretty as a dangling, glass chandelier would have been, she would hate to be standing under it if the place was attacked.

Weaving through the crowd—trying not to hit anyone with her bag—the redhead arrived at the oak monstrosity and saluted. "Lunar Eclipse reporting."

The greencoat behind the desk returned the salute and shuffled through some files on his computer. "Welcome back to space, ma'am. It says here you are to report to a Gilbert Durandal in Sector 2-C."

_Durandal? _the redhead thought, vaguely recognizing the name. And the area was just as quizzical, remembering most of the C Sectors were reserved for medical departments or anything closely related. At the very least, she expected to be reporting to a military commander, not a doctor. "Where is Sector 2-C, sir?"

"About three miles from here. Uh, take this," the greencoat said, handing her a map of the complex. "Each area is marked in black and the transportation spots are marked in red."

"Ah, thank you, sir."

"Is there a certain time she is supposed to report?"

Eclipse instinctively tensed at the voice and spun around when the man interrupted. There next to her was a greencoat, tipping his hat in apology and showing a goofy grin under a familiar pair of humorous eyes. His hair was cropped short and almost impossible to spot, but a couple locks of red hair down near his ears were enough of a visual for her to catch her breath.

The man blinked behind the desk looked just as confused as Eclipse was surprised. Clearing his throat, he asked a question of his own. "I'm sorry, but who are you? If you're Mr. Durandal—"

"Oh, sorry, I was simply asking because I would like to borrow this soldier for a couple of hours."

"Excuse me, sir, 'borrow?'" the man asked, finding the terminology a bit strange. And questionable, to say the least.

"Alright, maybe that wasn't the _best _word to use, but I'm Lieutenant Martin DaCosta currently assigned to the new battleship _Eternal_. Lunar Eclipse was stationed at Banadiya with me a couple of months ago and I merely wanted the opportunity to have a word with her. You can check my credentials if you want."

"Is this true?" the man asked Eclipse, glancing through the records at the same time.

"Yes, it is." She nodded, glad her mind remembered how to tell her lungs to expand and retract. "Was there an assigned time I was to meet Gilbert Durandal?"

"No, ma'am, nothing specific. It just says to report."

"Very well then, I will do that as soon as I am free. My mobile suit will be transferred without trouble?"

He nodded and looked through some more files. Clearing his throat, he smiled. "Everything seems to check out."

"Thank you for the assistance." They all saluted once more before DaCosta pulled her away.

"I'm sorry," he muttered as soon as they were back outside. "I was afraid I was going to lose you in the crowd."

"So, you eavesdropped?" she asked, putting her hands on her hips; however, she couldn't really be mad at him. Hell, she was still surprised to see him.

He just shrugged and grabbed her arm again. "C'mon, there's someone who wants to see you and we have a _lot _to catch up on."

"Someone wants to see me?"

DaCosta smiled and opened the passenger door of the car parked at the curb. "And someone you want to see as well."

Curious, she jumped in.

* * *

The drive was relatively short so there wasn't much time for anything other than idle chatter. DaCosta had been just as surprised to see her as she was him. "Who'd a thunk? A routine check in at HQ would amounting to this?" he wondered excitedly for the fourth time that ride. "I just might have to see if you can get transferred to our team."

Eclipse didn't miss the word "our" but decided to wait for an explanation later. She was more occupied with the idea of transferring. "Oh yeah, you said you're assigned to a new battleship?"

"Yup, it's called the _Eternal_. Hottest and most powerful ship off the assembly line. It's supposed to be the carrier for ZAFT's newest prototype models."

"Prototype? You mean mobile suits?" DaCosta nodded, casting a suspicious eye her way. She was very well informed. "Is the Freedom one of them?"

Parking the car, he turned a sharp eye in her direction. "And how do you know about that?"

"A friend of mine is the pilot."

"Your young commander?" he asked.

"No, someone else," she replied, opening the door and stepping out. "But don't you know anything about the pilots?" DaCosta didn't respond immediately, walking up to the front door and holding it open for her. They had arrived at what looked like an apartment building. However, judging by the couple hanging out in front of one of the doors, it housed mostly ZAFT personnel. High-ranking ones too, she figured, when she registered the white uniform the male was wearing. The female was dressed in a skirt and blouse, but just the way she stood proved she was a soldier as well.

"Nothing yet. I didn't even know they officially assigned pilots to them," DaCosta admitted. "And it scares me that someone _not _on the team does." Shaking his head, he led them to the pair of elevators at the end of the first hallway and pressed the up button before stepping inside. Pushing the top floor number, he leaned back against the railing.

Eclipse walked in close behind him. "I think it should scare you more that _you _have no idea. And—my goodness! The top floor? You couldn't get a better room?"

"It's not mine and it's more like an office than an apartment. A last moment idea." He sighed, dropping his hands to the side and shaking his head. "I know it's not the best place for an office, but he _insisted_. At least it has good ventilation."

The redhead cocked an eyebrow at that, not entirely sure if he was talking to her or himself; however, before she could decide on responding or not, the elevator slowed and stopped on the floor three below the top. Another commander stepped in, the three of them offering salutes to each other before he chose the other corner to stand in. Since he didn't choose a different floor, Eclipse assumed he was heading up with them. Everything was quiet after that.

They reached the top floor a couple of minutes later, both men motioning for the redhead to go first. Blinking, she offered a quiet thank you and stepped off. DaCosta put a hand on her arm once he stepped off, letting the commander go first down the hallway. In fact, they didn't even start walking until he had closed the door behind him. "Here, this way," DaCosta said, pulling her to the door at the end of the hall near the stairs. After taking a quick look through the window to the stairwell, he knocked twice on the apartment door, kicked the wall just to the left of the doorframe, and pulled out a key. Unlocking the door, he turned the knob and motioned for her to go inside.

"Took you long enough," muttered a voice from a side room. It sounded familiar, but Eclipse didn't have time to contemplate who it was when the greencoat brushed past her to set the key down on the only table in the dining room. Eclipse glanced at the kitchen counter after admiring the large living room and television. The counter was cluttered with paper, stacks as long as her arms on either side and smaller ones in between. She couldn't get a good look as to the contents, but she didn't exactly try either. Technically, it was none of her business.

"Y'know," DaCosta started, sighing loudly when he saw her staring at the mess, "you could at least make this place look presentable. After all, I brought a guest."

"A guest?" The voice sounded angry now and Eclipse instinctively tensed when she heard a loud rustling—followed by some cursing when, she guessed, a chair fell over—echo down the hallway. Was she not supposed to be there? But would DaCosta make such an amateur mistake? And was this the person who wanted to see her? After all, she didn't come all the way—

She froze.

The man who stormed into the room stared at her for a second before bursting out into excited laughter. Stopping at the dining room table, he muttered something to DaCosta, shook his head and started laughing again. Holding out a hand, he waited.

Eclipse knew that man, the one with an arm open wide and waiting for the redhead to fling herself into the embrace. His left sleeve was pinned to his shoulder, the arm missing from the elbow down. But looking at the expression on his face, no one would have guessed he was upset about it. A goofy smile danced with the light sparkle in his one, good eye. His left eye was gone, an ugly—but somehow nostalgic—scar marking the spot. There was a cane leaning against the table, but he seemed to be standing fine on his own. "Aw, c'mon, don't be shy," he teased, beckoning her over with twiddling fingers.

DaCosta laughed from beside him, the deep rumbling pulling her out of her stupor. "I heard you were given some false information." He chuckled again. "That's really him. As unfortunate as that sometimes may be," he added after a moment, being rewarded with hard elbow to his side.

That was all Eclipse needed to hear; all she needed clarified in order to realize she hadn't gone insane yet. Taking a few more hesitant steps forward, she stumbled towards him, wrapping her arms tightly around his chest and secretly begging the tears to not fall down her cheeks. Traces of coffee grounds littered the front of his shirt, tickling her nose as she hugged him tighter. However, she didn't care because it really was him. He was solid; not an apparition, not a damn figment of her overactive imagination, and not a coffee hallucination. He really _was _there.

"Hey—hey, take it easy. I was dead, remember?" He laughed as he said it, patting her back and trying to keep his balance at the same time.

DaCosta chuckled again from next them, hands on his hips and shaking his head. Remembering how she had reacted to that man's apparent death, he couldn't help the laughter. "I'll get the coffee so we can all catch up."

"Good thinking, DaCosta! Bring in the big mugs and the entire pot! There's more than one addict in here now!"

Yup, Commander Waltfeld was definitely alive.

* * *

"So, what brings you to space? I had the feeling you'd be stuck on earth for the rest of this damn war." They had finally made it to a sitting position, the two taking each of the couches across from each other. The room looked vaguely like the one at Banadiya. Two couches, a coffee table between them, and three chairs scattered about the room. The commander's coffee experiments were set up on a dresser near the window. Apparently, DaCosta had finally convinced him to open his windows at least, knowing how stuffy it got in the room when his creativity went overboard. Another desk sat next behind the couch Waltfeld was relaxing in, covered with stacks of papers and one photo frame—presumably of Aisha.

"Why on earth?" Eclipse asked.

He took a sip of his mug, the redhead smiling in her cup when she saw a cartoon-like tiger grinning back at her. Leave it to the commander to find a mug like that. "Well, that _is _where the Earth Alliance is strongest and your team is powerful. Wait—you _are _on the same team, right?"

Eclipse nodded. "For the most part. We've—well—lost two pilots recently and our commander's been reassigned, but we're still a team." She paused. "I think."

"Ah," Waltfeld muttered, his face falling with the redhead's changing mood. Her mouth curved into a frown as her fingers traced the rim of the mug. Sighing, she didn't look up until the Tiger started talking again. "Is it too much to ask about what happened?"

"No, it's alright. After the desert and—well—after that," she stuttered, DaCosta and Waltfeld exchanging looks. The younger soldier had already explained to his old friend about what had happened after the battle. "We were still ordered to chase after the _Archangel_. Athrun Zala was made commander—"

"Zala?"

She nodded. "The Chairman's son." Waltfeld sipped thoughtfully and waved for her to continue. "We chased it to Orb and snuck into the country when their official statement proved to be some bogus piece of crap."

"Snuck into neutral territory?"

"It was only for recon purposes."

"Ah, still, that was a rather gutsy move by your commander."

Eclipse shrugged. "I had contacts and it was the proper course of action because the ship ended up being there. We cornered it as soon as it left Orb's 'protective custody.'"

The commander nodded, rubbing his chin as soon as he set his cup down. It surprised the redhead a bit to see how little he had known about their exploits. For some reason, she had thought him better informed than that. "How'd it feel to go home again?" he asked after a long moment.

She paused at that, trying to remember back when just worrying about seeing her parents was the only thing on her mind. It seemed so juvenile now. "Don't really remember, actually. It feels like that was an entire lifetime ago."

"I take it you lost your comrades _after _Orb?" Nodding, she offered a weak smile. "It really changes you," Waltfeld continued. "I'm really sorry you had to go through that. And so young."

"We're in a war," DaCosta added. "Unfortunately, it's impossible to avoid." They all went silent after that, giving Eclipse a moment for herself. The two older men remembered when they first lost comrades. It wasn't easy.

"Anyway, to make a long story short," she joked, trying to lighten the mood again. Her façade didn't fool them though. "My SIN-ED friends are up here somewhere, and I'm supposed to 'seek and destroy.'" She forced out a chuckle at the cliché. It was quite interesting to hear her predicament in words. It sounded so ridiculous. Heh, ever since she thought Athrun was dead, she couldn't help but think, was it really worth it?

DaCosta looked confused when she mentioned SIN-ED, but Waltfeld nodded. "Any leads on where they are?"

Eclipse shrugged. "Intelligence hasn't seen anything suspicious and my 'old friend' wasn't exactly gracious with information." Sighing, she crossed her legs and leaned forward, resting an elbow on her knee. "I'm not really in the mood to avidly search for them either."

DaCosta blinked and Waltfeld started laughing at that. "What, the soldier who always follows commands is skimping out on duties?" The redhead shrugged again and took a drink while the commander saluted her with his mug. "Glad to hear it."

"So, tell me, what has the Desert Tiger been up to?"

"Missing the desert," he muttered. Shifting forward in his seat, he took another swig before standing to get some more coffee. He instantly went to his cane, making Eclipse frown when she remembered his injuries. She was sure he'd never call himself crippled, but the sight still made her sigh. "We're working on something right now, actually," he said after he sat back down. "If you're interested, I can fill you in."

"Give me a hint and I might be."

"Hijacking a warship and gettin' out of the army." Both DaCosta and Eclipse spit out their coffee at the nonchalant way he said it, sending the redhead into a coughing spree and the young officer into a string of questions—well, more like shouting at his superior.

"What the hell was that? Don't you know the meaning of tact?"

"Tact?" Waltfeld asked calmly.

"Y'know, telling her gradually so she doesn't pass out from insanity overdose?"

"You think this is insane now? You've been all for it for the past two months so—"

"That's not what I meant!"

Eclipse barely heard the bickering, thinking over the proposition seriously. She could get out? Sure, it was an idea flittering in the back of her mind, but she never really thought about it. It seemed so—like DaCosta said—insane. But to _leave_. And with Waltfeld. There'd be no crazy friends—wait. Finally, she sighed. "What about SIN-ED?"

"What about them?" Waltfeld asked. "Technically, they're ZAFT's problem, not yours."

"No, they _are _my problem. I know too much about all of this to just let them do whatever they want."

"Eclipse, you don't have to be some hero."

"Hero? No, a hero would be someone trying to end the war entirely. I'm being selfish; I just want to stop my friends."

"Hah, selfish," DaCosta muttered, falling back into the sofa. "_That's_ what you're calling masochism?"

Eclipse smiled weakly. "I like to call it dedication." They all released small chuckles after that one, but it died out quickly and put them in silence once more. Taking another drink, Eclipse continued. "And I can't just abandon my team."

"Your team? It sounded like you were all getting sent to different divisions."

The redhead paused at the commander's comment, surprising herself with how easily the term flew from her lips. The Zala team was disbanded then, wasn't it? Nicol, Dearka—they were both gone and Athrun was now with a special unit of pilots. She swallowed. Yzak was to lead a team for Operation Spitbreak and she—technically—was supposed to be hunting SIN-ED. "You're right, we're not…" she trailed off, feeling foolish now. So what _was _keeping her there? Heine? Most likely, she would never be put on his team—or Waltfeld's for that matter if they were attached to the Eternal—and Lathan was an idol in his own right, so being within eyeshot of them was out of the question. No, she'd probably be put on Special Ops missions one after another until she was either killed or the war ended. Given the state of things, she figured she'd die before then. _But Heine had said there were__** two**_ _suits. Was it really for Athrun? Or could it possibly be—_

"You don't have to give us an answer now, y'know. I just hate seeing you used like this." Waltfeld's face was serious. Vaguely, Eclipse remembered FS saying much the same thing a long time ago, but she never saw it as anything other than concern. She never thought she was being used. Didn't every soldier have to follow orders? Wasn't that what she was doing, following orders? How was that being used?

Was there something she didn't know about?

"How am I being used?"

Setting his cup down on the table, the commander scratched the back of his head. "I don't know what—Athrun, right?—was told, but we were supposed to basically put you in an enhanced suit and let you loose on the enemy. Why do you think they sent all those ZuOOts when we—clearly—only used BuCUEs?"

Vaguely, she remembered the shipment of the oversized mobile suits. Primarily, they were used to destroy anything big, but for a team who usually relied on speed, they were useless. Looking back at it now, she swallowed. "Those were for me?"

"Well, not _all_ of them—don't get greedy—but at least two."

"Two?"

"One to use, one to strip."

Eclipse shook her head in awe. So, they had wanted her to use her advanced knowledge of mechanics as well as her fighting abilities. "What, do they think I'm a god or something?"

"The 'or something,' I think. Being a Berserker makes you rather popular."

"But not invincible," DaCosta grumbled, unusually silent throughout the whole conversation. "They make her sound like she can destroy the entire Earth Alliance by herself. I mean, look at the firepower they put on the Stealth!"

Eclipse was finding she knew nothing about any of this. Hell, she didn't even bother trying to figure it out. She had never cared.

Waltfeld studied her face carefully. "You, honestly, don't know how powerful you _could _be, do you? Well—at any rate, ZAFT knows and they were trying to get me to go along, but—I'll admit—as soon as I saw how attached Aisha had gotten to you, I didn't dare follow those orders." He shifted a bit at the mention of his lover, but nothing more. It would take a while, but he was moving along in the right direction. "Like I said, I don't know how much they told Athrun, but you were supposed to be my trump card."

"Yeah, and we all know how that turned out," Eclipse mumbled.

"You better not be blaming yourself," the commander scolded. "That Strike pilot—though not a Berserker—was good."

"He's dead."

"Huh?"

"That pilot's dead."

"Y-you're kidding!" DaCosta stuttered, putting down the mug before he spilled it. Waltfeld just waited for her to explain.

"In our last battle, Athrun self-destructed his suit on the Strike. Athrun ejected in time, but there was almost no chance the boy could come out alive."

"_Almost _no chance?" DaCosta asked.

"Well, _he's_ still alive," she said, pointing at the commander. "I feel as if graves aren't as deep as they used to be if he could climb out safely. But this was the battle after he killed Nicol—a teammate, so, we were all pretty pissed, Athrun included. It'd be a miracle if that boy survived."

"Anger's not the best emotion to go into battle with," DaCosta remarked. "It can make you do stupid things."

"I think battles in and of themselves are stupid," Waltfeld muttered. "I can't wait until this damn war is over with." DaCosta quickly agreed, but Eclipse was still hesitant.

What would her world be like without this war?

* * *

Eclipse almost didn't leave.

After all the seriousness and catching up was off the agenda, Waltfeld started giving her all sorts of coffee combinations he had come up with within the past few months. Most tasted pretty good, but some of them were—well—inedible, to say the least. DaCosta couldn't stop laughing after he had seen the redhead spit a gulp of coffee back into the cup when the commander wasn't looking. It was some kind of outrageous blend, mixing two of the strongest beans he had together and then handing it over to her black so she could "taste _real_ coffee." Eclipse had tasted coffee before and that was more like a mixture of burnt coals and hand sanitizer with a hint of glue thrown in for substance. What made matters worse was when the commander chugged his whole cup right in front of her and then proceeded to mock her for her lack of a "coffee tongue." That erupted into a bickering match even DaCosta refused to stop. He was having too much fun anyway.

"What about that one?"

"For goodness sakes, can we stop with the coffee?" Eclipse asked, looking around for a clock. "I was supposed to report to someone and—despite what you may think—I really don't want to get into trouble."

"Huh? I was under the impression you had some free time." Waltfeld blinked, taking another sip of his coffee to hide his smile.

"Liar," she countered, seeing through his innocent look. "You just enjoy using me as a guinea pig."

He shrugged. "Trust me, my experiments are far less dangerous than some. So, who are you supposed to report to?"

"Someone named Gilbert Durandal." Setting her mug down next to DaCosta's on the table, she stood.

"Hm, never heard of him."

"Me neither," she admitted, heading towards the door. "But he's somewhere in Sector 2-C."

"The Medical District?" the commander wondered, glancing over at DaCosta. The greencoat just shrugged. "Let DaCosta take you. Not only would you get lost in this place, but I'd feel better if he was with you."

"I don't need an escort."

"Just humor me," he responded, getting to his feet and reaching across to wrap her into a one-armed hug. "And if you do anything rash, I'll make you drink that special blend again."

"Y'know, that might've been the scariest threat I'd ever heard you give."

He just forced a smiled and waved as DaCosta shut the door behind them. Walking back to the computer room, he sat down in the chair and typed in his password, along with his military information. _Let's see who this Gilbert Durandal is_.

* * *

DaCosta pulled up to the curb, putting the car in park and before he could stop the engine, Eclipse put her hand on his. "I can walk myself in from here. Thanks for showing me the way, though."

The greencoat shook his head. "I'm not letting you just go in there yourself. I'll make sure you get to this Durandal and then I'll leave."

"Who are you, my dad?" She laughed and shook her head. "I'm at a hospital, how dangerous can it be?"

DaCosta just sighed, knowing no matter what he could say, Eclipse was going to blindly walk into that building. Sure, she was ordered there, but remembering back to that creepy doctor in Banadiya, he couldn't help being nervous. Also, what was a skilled pilot like Eclipse doing being assigned to a medical facility? Especially with Operation Spitbreak so close? "Here." Pulling out a pen from his shirt pocket, he reached over and grabbed her wrist, writing a number down on the back of her hand. "That's the phone number to the apartment. _Please _give us a call if _anything_ happens. Understand?"

"Roger that," she replied, even offering a mock salute before stepping out of the car. She waved him off and turned around to face the glass door entrance. _Let's see what my new orders are. _Glancing down at the number on her hand, she smiled. Sometimes they were so overprotective. But looking up, she met the eyes of a doctor walking by. His grin was soft, but the way he composed himself made her nervous. He was very fidgety. Gulping, she looked back at the number and attempted to memorize it, suddenly feeling very uneasy.

* * *

"So, you're the famous Commander Rau Le Creuset," FS purred, leaning back in his seat and crossing his left leg over his right. Leaning to one side, he held out a hand and shook the commander's firmly. "Honestly, I was surprised to see a message from you."

Creuset smiled and sat down in the offered seat, crossing his legs as well and leaning back comfortably. "I've heard a lot about you thanks to my soldier's reports, and I must say, you guys have surpassed my expectations."

"Expectations?" FS asked, waving Melanie away after she set the tea down on the table between them. The girl looked angry, but did as she was told. After all, she was already in a whole lot of trouble because of the movie theater incident back on earth and didn't want to make her punishments worse.

FS didn't like that she knew more about SIN-ED's assassins than he did.

"Thank you," Creuset muttered to Melanie before returning his attention back to the brunette. Phoebe put cups of cream and sugar down in the middle of the table, wincing slightly when she twisted her left wrist. Apparently, that fall did more damage than she had anticipated. It hadn't been too long since their bout with Namarra—so the pain was expected—but they were both getting frustrated over it. They wanted a rematch and soon. Bowing, the two of them fakes smiles and left the room.

"I didn't think you were powerful enough to be anything more than a flea on a dog," Creuset continued, "but now I think I can use your assistance." FS didn't reply, merely reached down to get his glass and take a sip, waiting for the commander to continue. "You see, I too hate this world, and would love to see everyone and everything in it, disappear."

"That's a very bold statement, _Commander_. And only a little bit insane, don't you think?"

Creuset chuckled, a small outburst of air that did nothing more than mock the SIN-ED leader, but FS seemed more amused than offended. "Then you question your own sanity. After all, isn't SIN-ED trying to reach the same goal?"

"To a certain degree. We plan on building a peaceful world once the armies are destroyed and not exactly bring the human race to extinction, like you're suggesting. The world is such a big place and there are so many… pleasurable things around for me to want to destroy it all entirely. Besides, it'd get a bit lonely, don't you think?"

"Lonely or no, everyone is the same; they're all searching to jump that greatest obstacle, no matter how high or how many people it will hurt in the meantime. It's quite pathetic actually." He smiled once he finished, the remark sounding like a humorous statement of truth other than the sadistic threat it was supposed to be. How could he just sit there and speak about humanity as if he was better than it?

"You sound pretty certain of yourself, and—to be honest—I don't like your level of confidence. What gives you the right to look down upon everyone else?"

Creuset chuckled again. "I'm just like you, Revelin." FS tensed at his name, but let him continue. "I am a byproduct of both this world's intelligence and stupidity; their greed and honest pursuit of a better life. We were both used for selfish reasons and scarred because of it. Is there any other reason for us to look down upon everyone else?"

FS shrugged then, finding it a viable excuse. Sure, he had wanted to know how he was used in the past, but didn't see the information as necessary. He had never asked his other subordinates why they had chosen to team up with him, just asked for complete loyalty. Well, he made sure they were loyal to him, hence the punishments he had to inflict on Melanie for knowing about that name to use against Namarra. While she had briefly explained the supposed affects to him—after all, the Natural didn't seem too affected—if he had known that ahead of time, Namarra would have been dead. Worrying about Eclipse was enough of a headache without having to think about the other assassin.

"So, are we allies?"

FS looked back at Creuset, watching his face carefully. His mouth was still etched in a smile, but his eyes were hard to read. It didn't help that the mask he wore put them in constant shadow, making it practically impossible to figure out what he was thinking. Should SIN-ED join with this man? They already had acquaintances with officers in the ZAFT military, so having Creuset wouldn't mean they'd be in any more danger than they already were. But what did he have to offer? What could he possibly do to help them out?

"What's in it for us? You're just one man on the brink of insanity."

"We have technology and resources."

"Technology we have also," FS replied quickly, his pride momentarily wounded by his implication of their inferior intelligence. "We have rewritten the Cyclops system for the Earth Forces and am in the process of showing _your _military the potential of a… certain weapon."

"Of course. I didn't mean to—"

"But resources we may be able to use," the brunette interrupted, holding up a finger. "We have very talented people, but aren't properly funded for," he paused, looking for the right terminology, "our personal endeavors. What kind of resources are you offering?"

"Money, for one thing, but what if I could offer you Lunar Eclipse? Or should I say, the _lack _of Lunar Eclipse?"

That, he found interesting. "Go on."

"Originally—as you have probably figured out—she was assigned to track down your organization and destroy it. I'm sure you know of her… special talents?"

"More or less."

"Well, we have a fair amount of data on her and figured the feat wasn't too impossible. So, she has been trailing you for the past months and no doubt been a huge obstacle."

"No doubt."

"So," Creuset continued, "what if I said she will no longer be a problem?"

"I'd call you a liar. She isn't a beast too easily caged."

"Ah, but she _is _caged."

Now that was indeed interesting and FS smirked. Either Creuset was too confident in believing he could lock up Eclipse, or he was telling the truth. Given his power and status in the ZAFT military, the brunette hesitated to call him a complete fool. But no matter what, he had the potential to be a powerful ally and if his boasts just ended up being words in the end, FS would enjoy disposing of him.

* * *

_**A/N: **_Yeah, I have to admit this chapter was actually done a long time ago. All I needed to do was put in the DVD for research and do a few minor changes before sending it off to my Betas. _But _then school started as well as the FIFA World Cup. Seeing as I was absolutely obsessed with the Japan team (I bought a Honda jersey! Woot!) and the German team (Congrats on third place!), my attention span was limited when it came to my writing. O.o Anyway, I'm stoked for the world cup of 2014 because it's going to be Japan vs. Germany in the finals! Well, I'm hoping so anyway.

Well, aside from my FIFA escapades, my classes started up again, meaning I have to write at least two papers a week. Hm, I just love college sometimes. O.o So, in the end, those are my excuses for not having the chapter out earlier. Good news is, however, I have a lot for the next chapter. Actually, I am rather excited for that one. You guys will figure out why when I post it, but it makes things a bit more interesting.

And yes, I had to bring Heine back into this one. You all know how much I love the guy and—well—I couldn't resist making him the guy with the worst luck again. Who knew he'd be the real pilot for the Freedom? Damn you, Kira Yamato…

A special shoutout to all the reviewers/readers as well as my betas! I'd just end up being the couch potato watching FIFA if you guys didn't force me to sit next to my computer instead. Y'know, lose those finger calories. Thanks!

Thanks too to _Maderfole_ and _Asmus _for the forum replies! They've definitely given us some things to think about!

* * *

_**Questions/Gripes:**_

Ah yes, I really screwed up on the last chapter. Apparently, I don't know the Anime as well as I thought since I made such an amateur mistake. I tried to rectify it in this chapter, but I think I still messed it up. A **_huge _**thank you to _Asmus _for his suggestion concerning this screw up. Did I do it right? I'm thinking I'll have to rewrite it in the end, but—well—does this suffice for now?

I know a lot of you really want me to bridge away from the cannon. I have been thinking about it, but I find it so much funner (Yes, yes, not a word. And English major can have some fun once and a while, right?) to pick the Anime apart and stick my various characters into the holes. Y'know, it's kind of funny how I'm creating more holes by filling in some. O.o

Anyway, I guess I'm saying I like sticking to the cannon. Yes, that gets rid of a certain amount of surprise, but I hope I do a good enough job of making it sound like something we weren't expecting. Also, I try to be skimpy on those parts because you guys know it all.

I'm actually curious to see if anyone likes that I keep to the cannon. Any thoughts?

* * *

Thanks again for all the support and I'll see you next chapter! A huge shoutout to the Japan team for doing a good job this World Cup and great job Germany! Both teams were underdogs and did an awesome job! Yay Honda and Schweinsteiger! Death and I love you guys! (Plus everyone else on your teams, but we—so far—only have your jerseys!)

_Strata_


	40. The Dumb Luck of No Longer Existing

The Dumb Luck of No Longer Existing

Cale Drudger looked at the computer screen again and sighed, watching the heartbeats go sporadically out of control and her brainwaves stay relatively calm, only going flat line every once in a great while and for a couple of seconds at a time. This was the third time that morning they had injected the drug into her body, but to no positive results. If the Berserker had come out, the sensors didn't show it and her actions shifted her more into the complete insane column than the calm and terrifying.

It all seemed off. At Banadiya, Lunar Eclipse was wild but it was a tame kind of ferocity. She had nearly taken out the Strike with a mere BuCUE and—or so he heard—rewrote a simulation program in seconds, while she was still in the system. But now, watching her body strain against the straps on her bed as her skull beat the pillow and headboard, Cale could only cringe and wonder what the hell went wrong. He had made that grand discovery of her brain waves—or lack there of—but now she was to total opposite of what he had become obsessed with.

"Judging by the screaming, there has been no improvements?" A new doctor entered the room, one Cale was more intimidated by than Commander Le Creuset. While this man may not have been an expert in a mobile suit, his knowledge in genetics and particular interest in Eclipse was frightening in and of itself. He was only in his early thirties, making him young for being such a trusted colleague to the Supreme Council. Cale didn't know all the exact details, but he did know the doctor spoke regularly to Chairman Zala and also to Commander Le Creuset. With friends like those, that definitely made him a frightening man.

"I'm sorry, Dr. Durandal. We've injected the same dosage on three different occasions during three different simulations and the outcomes are all the same. This." Cale pointed to the screen, watching the redhead pull loose an arm restraint and start clawing at the other one. Apparently, those weren't a good idea either.

"I see." Durandal didn't seem frightened by the display, looking more thoughtful than anything. He was going through more calculations in his head, reviewing the heart and brain monitors as he thought up the next course of action. "How's she doing mentally? When she's not on the drug?"

"For the most part we can see no signs of brain damage whether she be in Berserker mode or her Coordinator self. All her physical tests come back fine as well. So, she seems relatively fine despite these displays," Cale explained, rubbing his forehead thoughtfully. It was all a bit strange, actually. The drugs they were using were only in the developmental stage and she seemed to be pulling through unscathed. While the drugs were having devastating effects when they were active inside her body, as soon as they wore off, she was back to normal. That itself was frustrating because how were they supposed to figure out what they were doing wrong if there were no side effects?

But maybe that meant they were doing something right?

"She's only been here two days, Dr. Drudger. While I'm happy to hear she is doing well, I want you to keep a close eye on her. So far, her heart seems alright, so I think we can up the dosage by 5mg for the next simulation."

"Roger that."

The drug started wearing down as the two doctors watched the screen, motioning for the nurses to go in and peel off what was left of the shredded restraints. They were hesitant at first, waiting for Eclipse's breathing to slow before venturing into the room. Four surrounded the bed, each one taking an appendage while one put two palms on her forehead to hold her down. Gulping, the nurse near her head looked down at the redhead's face, watching her pupiless eyes fade away behind her eyelids.

* * *

_How long have I been here? _Eclipse asked herself, curling up on her bed to stare at the white wall. The heart monitor beeped monotonously behind her, the pillow over her head failing to drown out the sadistic reminder of where she was. Looking down, she rubbed the back of her hand against her cheek, wishing Commander Waltfeld's number wasn't stripped off the moment she had arrived.

So naïve.

She had never understood the worried look on DaCosta's face until she was ushered down the stairs to a lab filled with unusual machines and chemistry sets, their contents ready to pump her body with drugs she never thought existed. She had never even seen her "commanding officer" before there was a needle being pushed into her upper arm and sensors stuck to her forehead. She recognized one man, the doctor from Banadiya, but the other people were unfamiliar. At least in their physical appearances. The glimmer in their eye Eclipse had seen a number of times on Januarias 4.

Eager curiosity.

Obviously, she struggled, but they were ready for her, having doctors skilled in hand-to-hand combat, leather straps to keep her pinned, and even a trigger-happy nurse who—luckily—had bad aim. There was a graze on Eclipse's left shoulder and a bullet in a cart of blankets thanks to her efforts. Somehow, they must have known anesthesia wouldn't have worked on her because they went straight to a test drug, or at least something of the sort. Eclipse had never experienced anything quite like it. It was as if her mind broke, there was no other way to describe it. Her vision had literally cracked and shifted in fragments—a nurse's arm moving one way, a chemistry set the other—before finally burning to a bloody brown. She came around a while later, dizzy and unable to move thanks to the strap around her neck. Scary thing was, she hadn't remembered them putting it on.

The beeping sound sped up as an alarm went off near the door. It was time for another dose, but of what? Eclipse had no idea, only that whatever they were pumping into her body spurred her into brief moments of ferocious fits. After the first five or six times of these tests, she had come to realize her body did things while she was unconscious. She remembered that being mentioned back on Earth, but never thought of the consequences until she found her mattress torn to shreds and the unpleasant feeling of dry fabric inside her mouth.

She was turning into an animal and had no way to stop them.

What the hell were they doing?

* * *

"Any changes?" Durandal asked, stepping up behind Cale and placing a hand on the back of his chair as he leaned forward to look at the monitors. It had been another two days, but still nothing was improving. Durandal had hoped when he came in that morning there was going to be some kind of difference, but even before he had asked, he had seen Eclipse inside her room.

"None," the doctor responded, involuntarily cringing when he saw the redhead shove an elbow into the heart machine. They needed to find better restraints. "She still throws these fits. After what happened in Banadiya I really shouldn't be too surprised, but when she's given some kind of objective, she seems to be stable enough." He shrugged. _The problem was, finding an objective strenuous enough to bring out the Berserker_, he thought. Honestly, he was running out of ideas.

"I can't quite figure it out either," Durandal admitted. "We've tried different amounts of doses."

"We've never decided on whether or not to up the dosage further, sir. It's still a possi—"

"Her heart rate is already at too high of a level," Durandal stated, standing up straighter and massaging his forehead. He never thought it would take so long to replicate that drug she had been given on Januarias 4. There was no paper trail left behind when the facility was destroyed and—as expected—no one jumped up to take credit for giving Vindur the drug in the first place. Durandal had already spoken to Creuset, but he didn't remember much about it either. "I think we need to activate the gene directly, or at least have the chemicals prod more into her brain. Right now, they're attacking her heart and if this keeps up, we'll lose her before any progress is made."

"So, what do you suggest?"

Durandal sighed, staring at the screen and watching Eclipse pound her fists against the wall, shouting something incoherent. Where had he gone wrong? Could he not induce the Berserker like he had originally thought? Was it just some psychological game the redhead played with her other half? If that was the case, why hadn't the true Berserker come out yet? Why was Eclipse being reduced to this inhumane beast instead of the calm, warmongering soldier she was supposed to become?

"Sir?" Cale prodded, knowing Eclipse was going to seriously hurt herself if something wasn't done soon.

"Get people in there to strap her down for now and stop issuing the drug. As soon as she's calmer, I'll put her back through the simulators and agility tests. Maybe we'll learn a bit more when she's put into a battle situation."

"Roger that."

Sighing, Durandal left the room as Eclipse started her screaming once more, clawing at the medics trying to pin her to the floor. It always looked terrible as the drugs took hold, but her brain never showed signs of damage afterward—as if her fits had never happened. That meant it was okay for them to do test after test, but they had made absolutely no progress. The redhead was still merely a skilled elite and no matter how many times they forced the Berserker out, their stats could never equal the data they had obtained from her past battles. And to make matters worse, they had failed in copying the Berserker gene as well. It always dissolved as soon as it was detached and even if they tried combining her blood with other blood samples, the gene would simply waste away. What link were they missing? If that gene held the potential of saving Coordinators from extinction, there _had _to be a way to copy it.

Walking down the hall, he turned to the left and opened his office door, plopping down in his chair as soon as he flicked the lock. He had to report in to Chairman Zala soon, but he had no new information to give.

The only positive thing he could say was that the test subject was still alive.

* * *

"I want her _out_!"

Eclipse tried to open her eyes but failed, not having the strength to see what was going on. It sounded as if some people were arguing, but it sounded so far away, like it was coming in through an intercom rather than inside the room. Given what had been happening recently, it didn't seem impossible. She felt so detached from everything, even herself, so how could someone actually find her?

"You can't just come barging in here—"

"Where's this _Gilbert Durandal_, I want to see him _now_! You have no authority—"

"Trust me, sir. We have permission from the Council itself. Now, if you'll just sit down—"

"I will not! You get her out of there! I'm taking over as her commanding officer!"

"I have had no such orders and until further notice, this girl is permanently assigned here."

"Bullshit!"

"Commander!"

There was some shuffling and the sound of broken glass before someone decided to speak up again. Vaguely, she was beginning to recognize the voice. _Commander Waltfeld?_

"Control yourself, sir! We are a scientific facility only _ever _thinking of us Coordinators. This girl could be the key to—"

"I don't give a damn if she's the only one who can pull that sword out from your ass! She's not staying here a moment longer even if she's crowned queen!"

"Is there a problem here?" It was a new voice, one Eclipse didn't recognize. It was soft, kind, but had a dictating edge so terrifying the redhead felt herself getting nervous. That must have been him—the one keeping her there.

_Gilbert Durandal._

"Yes, there is. She is _not_ some lab rat and you, sir, are breaking so many rules."

"Breaking rules, you say? I assure you, we have authorization—"

"Who's, the Council's? Well, that's all fine and dandy, but what about _hers_?"

"Hers? Why would I require her permission? She was a soldier transferred to my care."

"_Was _a soldier?"

"Exactly. You see, she can't be assigned to your team."

"Durandal—so help me—if you—"

The intercom cut off then, leaving the rest of the conversation to Eclipse's imagination. Something was wrong. That was Commander Waltfeld, but why was he so upset? What was going on? Where was she? Why couldn't she open her eyes? Why couldn't she move?

And why was the Berserker laughing hysterically in the back of her mind?

* * *

_I really don't want to move, _Eclipse groaned, straining as she lifted her hand up over her head. Blinking, she tried to focus on it, slowly wiggling her fingers to help her sluggish brain. For the most part, it did nothing. She only managed to tune in a little bit, her hand instantly cramping and shooting pain down her forearm to her shoulder. She bit her tongue; it was the only thing she could do. All of the chaotic fits she had been throwing must been a strain on her body, bringing out the old injuries with an intensity brimming on obsessive masochism. It was as if the injuries wanted to retaliate, laughing at her as she squirmed in her bed. Grimacing, she tried to drown it out, having the sudden urge to start banging her head against the wall when the Berserker started laughing. What the hell was so funny? Technically, that side of her shouldn't have had any ill feelings. After all, the Berserker—no matter how inadvertently—was one of the reasons Athrun decided to self-destruct. _If I wouldn't have given in_— She sighed. Now she was in a huge mess, had bruises on each finger, a reopened gash on her leg—she just felt the blood run down her calf—and nothing to blame but her own naivety.

The medical machine beeped off to her left, quickening her heart rate and breath automatically. She never knew when the next drug dosage would start, only that she'd be strapped to the bed when her consciousness came back.

Along with brief images of what had happened.

"Damn it! Quick, stop the machine and tie the restraints. Let's wheel her to the simulator before she gets too crazy." Eclipse wasn't sure who was talking—the voice sounded male—but two nurses ran to her side after the order, one shutting off the machine as the other strapped her feet to the bed. In fact, Eclipse barely noticed them, her eyes clouding over as a maniacal cackle tore through her lips. It started out light, tickling her vocal chords as the first bursts of air sounded. It actually sounded innocent, but when she inhaled and started again, her voice had dropped to a low alto, slowly rising in pitch as the chuckling grew louder. The nurses stared, horrified by the sound.

It was all so damn ridiculous. Those _doctors _thought they could control her; force the most impulsive emotion a soldier could possess and expect to stand there safely behind computer screens? The Berserker laughed again, thrashing on the bed more to fuel her hysteria than to escape her confinement. Those doctors honestly thought they could copy—no, _understand _her insanity? Stupid. Foolish.

Cocky.

Give her a gun, give her a target and she would gladly do something rational. Not those damn simulations or pitiful drug doses. They were trying too hard; failing to see the bigger picture. The Berserker couldn't be tamed, caged, and especially not manipulated.

"How long?" she laughed, her last cackle gurgling from her throat. Sticking out her tongue, she passed it over her lips, circling around to lick her teeth and make a loud click. Everyone jumped. She laughed again. "How long until you all give up?"

The nurses gulped and turned to their superior, but he seemed just as scared. Quivering, he was going to issue a command when she spoke again in a deep whisper.

"How long 'til I get to kill you?"

* * *

"Please tell me there's some good new this morning?" Durandal asked, walking into the monitoring room around noon. Covering up a yawn, he unprofessionally stretched his arms, hoisting the medical file up over his head.

Cale found it all interesting. It seemed he wasn't the only one being affected by the project. Perhaps Durandal had had a few sleepless nights as well. It had been almost two weeks since Eclipse had been transferred to his care and still nothing substantial had been gained. Commander Waltfeld's outburst had set him back a couple of days, his complaints sending in some military officials to investigate. For the most part, they were on Durandal's side—thanks to Chairman Zala's interference—but they had taken almost three days to go through all the material, forcing him to shut down the project for that time. Originally, Eclipse was going to be sedated and put into another room so she didn't cause any "trouble," but that idea didn't last long when the investigators were required to check her out as well. She was no longer part of the military, but since Waltfeld had insisted on making sure she was alright, the doctors had no other choice. So, she was left conscious and very curious about what the hell was going on.

Needless to say, it had made Cale rather nervous.

If she was just left there to try and figure out what was going on, she'd probably try to get away and based on all the data he had about her, she could succeed. Eclipse was able to activate the Berserker gene at will, but Cale wasn't able to even get it thinking about reacting. It didn't seem fair. So, he was left there, throwing his life into that project just to be disappointed day after day and as soon as they were making _some _kind of progress—the Berserker had come out after a dosage was stopped halfway—those investigators had come in to reverse any kind of leeway they might have gained.

"Doctor, did you hear me?" Durandal asked, tapping him on the shoulder when he didn't respond. "How's she doing?"

Cale blinked and swiveled in his chair. He was surprised about how much the doctor _didn't _intimidate him that morning. Usually, Durandal made him uneasy, but, being so exhausted, the younger man didn't even seem fazed. So much for survival instincts. He needed a vacation. "Still nothing, sir. We've tried to reenact what happened the other day, but either we're stopping the dosage too early or too late."

Durandal sighed and pulled out the chair next to the young doctor. Sitting down, he leaned back and crossed his right leg over his left, leaning to one side and staring at the folder in his hand. "I think in order to create the same scenario, _she _has to be in the same state of mind. Whatever she was thinking about, triggered the Berserker and the drugs only enforced it." He sighed, knowing his evaluation was probably right and, if that was the case, they'd never be able to have the same outcome.

"There might be some good news though, sir."

"And what's that?"

"Our engineers have been working on the new simulator you suggested. Instead of merely sending the pilot's mind into the simulation, this version will make the pilot's body work as well. The monitors will be connected to a kind of headset, still sending the images directly to the brain, but the subject can move about freely as well."

"Were they able to copy the same system Eclipse managed in Banadiya?"

"Not totally. We're not entirely sure what she did to the original system, but she was able to disconnect from her BuCUE and take apart her opponent's machine, this you know. The impressive thing about that as well was how the BuCUE in the system was affected by what was happening to the unit outside. I was always under the impression that when a simulator was attached to a machine, the computer was doing all the work and the rest of the mobile suit didn't matter."

Durandal nodded thoughtfully, bringing a hand up to his chin and rubbing a finger across his bottom lip. He had heard about that event, but had never paid much attention to it until recently. Before, it just seemed to be proof of how well the Berserker could adapt to its surroundings, taking any kind of situation and turning it in its favor, but since nothing else was working, it looked more like a beacon than just a statistic. "So, you think this new version, even if it's not the same as the one she came up with in Banadiya, will help our experiments?"

"Well," Cale began, shifting in his chair to sit up straighter as his ego rose. "As we noticed, the Berserker's body is as involved in the 'transforming' process as much as the mind. Everything from strength to food digestion is heightened and I think the old simulation loses that effect. If we can get her more physically involved, we might have more success. Given, it's not _exactly _the same as the one in the desert, but it's close enough that we can afford a bit of hope."

Durandal nodded again. He had been too ambitious to think they would be able to copy her adjustments completely, but all they needed was some kind of tease; something to taunt the Berserker enough to bring it out and into the open. Then things could move forward.

Their research could officially begin.

* * *

_Whatever had happened a couple of days—was it days?—ago must not have done anything, because I'm still here, _Eclipse thought, rubbing her forehead between her fingers. Her other hand absently picked at the cotton in her ear, wondering if the bleeding had stopped yet. She had forgotten about the Stealth when she was whisked away to become a lab rat, but almost right after Commander Waltfeld had talked to Durandal, the ear piece started buzzing, messing up the sensors on her forehead and not making her superiors too happy. The doctors found the device then and tore it out. The pain from that was so profound and the wound so ugly—or at least she figured based on their reactions—she didn't think she'd be able to hear again out of her right ear. With the cotton in there already, noises were muffled, but there was a constant ringing. Nothing loud and obnoxious, but just knowing it was there brought some tears to her eyes.

What the hell was going on?

She had thought she would have received some kind of information—or caught onto something—by now, but she was just as clueless as she had been when she walked through the door. And perhaps even more so. At one time she was coherent, but what had happened seemed more and more like she was looking through a steamy car window. Now, she never knew what time it was and even guessing at the date seemed like more work than it was worth. Another thing she noticed was how many new faces she saw each day. Or were they new? Slowly, she was forgetting things and tried every spare moment to run her important memories through her mind; who she was, who her friends were. The first thing she forgot was where she was and that morning was not a pleasant one. She couldn't remember the last time she had felt so panicked, but as she calmed down, bits and pieces of things came back to her. Nothing substantial, but enough to let her keep some kind of sanity. The second thing she forgot?

The man who had caged her there.

It seemed like such an important name, she couldn't believe she had forgotten it. So many times she had heard his voice through the intercom, but she just couldn't remember anything. Convenient? Obviously, because if she ever got out of there, she wouldn't be able to give any helpful information. Often, she thought that was done on purpose, as if someone was digging through her brain and picking out anything important. Given the circumstances, it was possible.

"So, are we supposed to start a dosage and then wheel her away? Or just take her straight to the simulation room?"

"I think we're just taking her there," was the reply, Eclipse so disorientated she could barely tell if they were male or female. They sounded so alike. "She looks to be out of it."

"Yeah, like that means anything anymore. Did you see those bite marks on Marley's forearms? And her fingers? She usually keeps them bandaged, but you should ask to look at them. They're hideous."

"What's the point of all of this anyway? When I signed up for this internship, this was _not _what I expected. I didn't think working on a genetic reject was on my list of preferred duties. "

Eclipse stopped paying attention, not appreciating them ranting about their bad luck when she was the one being psychologically dissected. Call her selfish, but would it hurt for anyone to feel in the least bit sorry for her? _Genetic reject, _she thought, feeling herself drop even further towards depression. In the end, she had figured it would be up to herself to get out, but she never wanted to believe it. But there it was, the word spitting in her face and lingering there like some kind of freakish mask. How she wished Commander Waltfeld would come back.

At least that name she could remember.

The bed jerked suddenly as she thought, knocking back to reality and the darkness of her closed eyelids. She was going to be put through more simulators. Grand. Not only had they produced no positive results, but the more often the Berserker was forced out of her subconscious, the more Eclipse could feel herself slipping away. Not towards death, per say, but towards an eternity of imprisonment. It was hard to explain and every time she thought about it, the Berserker would perk up and increase her doubt. The Berserker; it was rapidly becoming a part of her—no, separate from her. It was almost as if it could think on its own. Or worse, react on its own. There was no boundaries, no remorse.

Just pure impulse.

Sighing, she tried not to think about it, focus on something a bit happier, but that idea was dashed when a loud siren echoed down the hall. It was high-pitched and almost as deafening as the screech that tore through her eardrum when the earpiece was removed. It made her wince.

Wait, wince?

Eclipse gasped, realizing for the first time her body was able to move. The nurses must have taken their sweet time in transporting her because the drugs had already worn off and she wasn't even close to the simulator room. Flexing her eyes, she squeezed them tight and then forced them open, blinking many times when a red light passed overhead. The nurses—both female—were panicking next to her, trying to get someone on their radios. While they were shouting into their mikes, the emergency lights turned on, hazing the hallway in a yellow glow mixed with the eerie red lights circling in the upper corners. The dimness was good on her eyes, not causing the instant headache she was afraid of.

"What _is _that alarm?" one of the nurses shouted. She ran over to the end of the bed, locking the front wheels, Eclipse figured.

"I dunno, and no one's responding!" the other nurse responded. "I'm gonna run ahead and see if anyone in the simulation room—"

"You're just gonna leave me here?"

"Relax, she's strapped down and still unconscious…" Her words trailed off when she looked down at the medical bed and locked eyes with the redhead lying there. The last words were slow, the young girl uttering them one syllable at a time as if the sluggish pace would delay the nightmare before her. Her face paled. Eclipse was actually impressed with how quickly her expression changed. Who knew someone could look _that _sick within a matter of seconds? What was even more impressive was the look on the other nurse's face.

And what came out of her mouth.

She screamed a high pitched, glass breaking screech that sent her tripping over the gurney's wheels and head first into the wall. Her panic combined with the impact sent her into a blissful sleep. The nurse still staring at Eclipse seemed to have stopped breathing. The words, "holy fuckin' shit," most likely echoing in the back of her mind. Inwardly sighing, the redhead decided she should just stare, figuring her intense attention was doing enough psychiatric damage. Moving might have overdone it and talking was questionable. She didn't trust any words that might tumble from her tongue.

"Y-you're awake." It seemed like such a stupid thing to bring up while the red lights—and obvious sirens—were going off, but Eclipse couldn't really blame her. After everything that had been happening recently, she'd be scared of herself too. "Y-you're awake." Apparently, saying it twice made her feel better.

In response, the redhead shifted her eyes down to her restraints and pulled at them. The nurse gazed at them too and then back down the hallway towards the simulator room. It was a miracle no one had run out of there yet. Eclipse pulled harder and prayed no one did. The nurse took a step back. The redhead tried to sit up, a gurgling sound escaping her throat when the restraint started choking her. Damn, those were tight.

The nurse retreated again.

"Please," Eclipse croaked. She _had _to get out of there.

The nurse gulped.

"Please."

She ran.

Eclipse could feel her fingers reaching out after her as her eyes got wide, tears brimming at the corners more because of frustration than actual sadness. Now what? She screamed, sending all of her disappointment and irritation into that single burst of air. No doubt someone would be by soon to lock her back into her room or at least evacuate her to a "safe area." And that meant more drugs; more simulations. She yelled again.

Help; she needed help.

Biting her bottom lip, a panicked tear joined the frustrated ones at the base of her cheek. She knew what to do, but could she? Would she?

There was just no other choice.

The Berserker laughed.

* * *

Eclipse chose not to remember, severing the connection with her other half as soon as she felt her left thumb dislocate and her fingers slide through the restraint. The bonds were tighter than usual, causing some interesting scrapes on her hands. She could almost feel the skin sliding off her fingers. Waking up, she instinctively went to those wounds, wincing when she felt the extent of the damage. The skin was still on—thank goodness—but her fingernails were a bloody mess and the bruises were already forming near her knuckles.

But she was outside.

She wasn't about to ask how she had escaped so easily—perhaps it wasn't easy at all—but the prospect of having freedom thanks to her Berserker half terrified her. Some things definitely had to change.

Taking a quick look around, she deduced she was in an ally near the entrance to the medical center. Whether or not that was a good thing was still under debate, but at least she was somewhat safe for the time being. Taking that as a good sign, she started her physical examination.

Her hand she had already looked at and—judging by the awkward angle—her thumb was still out of joint. Grabbing the front of her hospital nightgown, she slipped it between her teeth and bit down. Her right hand pinched the base of her thumb, grinding it back into place with a sickening crack. Withholding a whimper, she finished her injury check.

Her right ankle was sore—perhaps she twisted it in the escape—and her throat throbbed both inside and out. The screaming might have been a reason for the inside problems, but the outside damage was—most likely—caused by the restraints. It would take a couple of days to heal completely, but she was terribly stiff. That wasn't good when she was supposed to be seeing every angle and not get caught again. Also, with such a weak body her chances of fleeing had just plummeted. How did she expect to run away if she could barely stand? And the damage to her right ear had caused both balance issues and a sensory handicap. It wasn't going to be easy. But since when did she do anything the easy way?

Hm, after this, perhaps she should cut down on the masochism for a while.

Trying to get some lubrication to her dry throat, she gulped and looked back around the corner. The place was in an uproar. Not that the redhead was startled by the panic, but she was surprised no one had spotted her yet. Wearing a hospital gown didn't exactly make her invisible to the rest of society. In fact, it made her suspicious, but no one seemed to be addressing that fact. A group of doctors ran past and she ducked back behind the wall. She thought she heard one talking about seeing something in the ally, but they must have brushed off the idea since no one turned around to pursue her. Maybe her escape hadn't made its way through the radio waves yet because she was sure there should have been just short of a company trying to chase after her. _What the hell is going on?_ she thought, risking another look when it all seemed clear.

Greencoats were mixing in with the doctors running around the front of the building, shouting out orders and trying to calm everyone down. The medical staff was in a panic, but as soon as some redcoats joined the fray, people were slowly getting themselves under control. Eclipse cursed. If the panic subsided before she could get clear of the building, she would definitely get caught again. But where could she go?

Turning around, she looked down towards the end of the alley. She couldn't really remember the places on the map she had been given, but she had a small feeling some sort of hangar was nearby. If she could go there—or at least somewhere near there—she could pick up a phone to somehow get in contact with DaCosta. And, best of all, there would most likely be enough vehicles to pick from. Maybe all of the chaos out here had drawn all the soldiers outside, leaving the place unguarded enough for her to slip inside. Hopefully. Taking another brief look at her condition, she decided to pray just a little bit louder.

* * *

Eclipse couldn't remember the last time she had felt so tired, let alone so sore. She hadn't taken ten steps until her injured ankle decided to twist again and send her sidelong into the brick wall. A few more scratches were added to her repertoire after that and now she could barely walk. Usually adrenaline took over by that point to drown out the pain, but the redhead didn't even think she could produce anything of the sort. She was tired, gradually gaining a headache and wanted nothing more than to collapse on the ground and hope some soldier found her so that she could rest on a bed at least. Sure, she might be put back through those simulations, but—at that exact moment—she really didn't care. Sleep; that was all she wanted.

Trudging forward, the end of the alleyway seemed to move farther and farther away. Her vision faltered, causing her to stumble a couple of times before she gave in and fell down altogether. This was ridiculous. She couldn't even walk let alone attempt to take on any soldier and steal a military vehicle. Hell, she stood out so much she would probably be spotted as soon as she stepped out of the alley. She could try and conceal herself for a couple of hours, but cover was rather scarce. There were some dumpsters ready for the incinerator littering the area—PLANTs personnel were known to be tidy—but nothing that would hide her for longer than an hour.

Sighing, she flopped down onto her side and curled up into a ball next to one of those dumpsters. It had been a while since she had felt so helpless and weak. The last time was when she saw Nicol die, and even then she was more pissed than sad to totally immerse in the emotion. Staring at her bruised fingers and hearing her raspy breath coming from her chapped lips, she debated just staying there. It was one thing to think it, but it was another thing to give in altogether. No one would blame her; she couldn't move. Actually, she was convinced that if she was picked up again and taken back to that medical facility, she would never come out again. Not a pleasant thought, but not even the threat of being caged there for the rest of her life was enough to get her back on her feet. _I could crawl, _she thought, but then chuckled quietly. _Crawl. Hah, how pathetic._ Pausing, she rolled onto her back and started up at the lip of the dumpster.

Such dumb luck.

Dangling outside was the arm of a doctor's coat. Compared to the side of the dumpster, the jacket looked bleached, but Eclipse knew better than to assume they had thrown away a perfectly good coat. What she was more concerned with was how easily she found it. Was her luck changing? Could she really have found something like this by chance and now be expected to get out alive? _Someone's making fun of me, _she thought, forcing strength through her arms to hoist her up. _This is too easy. _ Reaching towards the cuff, she pulled, hearing a loud rip when the seam near the armpit tore open. Groaning, she fell back to the ground and stared at the dangling arm. She just didn't have enough energy to stand and properly pull it out. Hell, even if she managed to get it out of the dumpster, what would she do? Wear it, obviously, but she had no shoes, bruises on her arms, legs, and face, not to mention her matted hair. Even if she was able to properly walk out of the alley—no matter how clean the coat could be—she wouldn't get far.

It was all looking so hopeless.

_Ugh, Athrun would know what to do. Shit, even Yzak might have a good idea and definitely Heine— _She stopped. Heine. The Freedom.

He was here.

Rolling onto her side, she stared down the alleyway at the hanger. Two redcoats with about ten greencoats ran by in a group, the elites shouting various orders and pointing down the road. So many soldiers were around, and Heine _had _to be one of them, right? If Commander Waltfeld was in charge of the ship built for the Freedom, Heine couldn't be far away. Heine would help her; he'd always been there for her.

But could her dumb luck hold out that long?

"The Freedom's been what?" a soldier squealed nearby, but Eclipse didn't have time to listen in on the conversation. If they were talking about the Freedom, Heine was around. There was no way he wouldn't be.

Groaning, she hoisted herself up to her knees and stopped, catching her breath. She had no idea how long she had even been scrounging around back there, but the fact that she had been for even a small amount of time either proved the panicked state the area was in, or how unprofessional the security was being in checking the alley. Either way, she was grateful for the extra time and when she finally pulled herself to her feet, she was also thankful for the amount of noise. A sharp gasp of pain wasn't about to be heard over all the sirens and shouting.

Lifting up the dumpster hatch, she freed the jacket and threw it on over her medical gown. There was a tear at the bottom to match the one she had made in the left armpit and a large hole in the breast pocket. Blood was splattered across the backside, but nothing so bad someone could have died in it. That was good because she really didn't want to walk around with a huge red splotch on her back. She would get way too many questions if there was. Mud was splashed up onto the front and she didn't smell too good, but if anyone asked her what happened, she could just say she slipped in the alley. Problem solved.

_And now, to walk. _Taking a deep breath, she stood as straight as she could and started her trudge towards the hanger.

One step.

Two steps.

Pain.

Biting her bottom lip, she kept her mind focused and ignored her body. All she had to do was walk into the open, explain how she tripped, lost her ID amid all the chaos, and ask someone to take her as far away from that place as possible. Yeah, no problem. She smirked at that, realizing that what ever was going on would prevent her from leaving the complex altogether. Oh well, at least now she could say she tried.

She stumbled once more when she reached the end, collapsing onto the ground while trying to catch herself on the jeep parked there. If Eclipse would have been watching herself, she would have laughed, calling it all a rehearsed gag, but since she was the one in pain and not able to stand up anymore, she just cursed and waited for someone to spot her. It didn't take long.

"'Ey you!" a greencoat shouted, running over to help her up. Putting two hands under her right arm, he hoisted her to her feet. "Are you alright? You look awful."

"Th-thanks for noticing," Eclipse stuttered, clearing her dry throat when her voice cracked. "I fell down in the alley and no one bothered to help me. I was yelling for about twenty minutes."

"You were? Sorry about that, things have been rather hectic around here." Smiling, he helped her to sit down on a slab of concrete next to the wall. "But, holy shit, you're hurt. Are you sure you just fell?"

"What kind of a question is that?" the redhead asked, trying to sound offended. She didn't like the quizzical looks him and his buddies were giving her. She especially didn't like how they eyed the bruises around her neck. No doubt she looked as if she had been strangled recently, but what kind of excuse could she come up with? She just happened to be hanging up laundry and got caught? Yeah, there was a good one.

The greencoat still looked suspicious, so Eclipse just sighed. "There was a lot of commotion inside the medical facility and I ran into some stuff, got tangled, lost my ID, and felt like beating the shit out of someone. Since no one was around—and I didn't really want to lose my job—I came outside to see what all the ruckus was about." She paused, wincing when she turned wrong and a sharp pain ran across her chest. Catching her breath, she forced out a smile. "What _is _going on anyway?"

"Uh," the greencoat began, looking behind him to make eye contact with the redcoat who had just arrived. Eclipse followed his eyes and caught her breath when she saw he had blonde hair. However, she silently cursed when he turned out to be about four inches shorter than Heine and had a nose about as sharp as the pen he was absently clicking in his right hand.

"What's going on here?" the redcoat asked, brushing past everyone to stand in front of Eclipse. "And who is this?"

"Well—uh—" the greencoat stuttered.

"What, you find a girl looking like this and you instantly think she's innocent? For goodness sakes, soldier, where's your military common sense?"

"I'm sorry, sir—"

"Nevermind, just take the others and head to Hanger A33. There's been a rumor the culprit has been spotted there."

"Sir!" The greencoat saluted, gave Eclipse one last look and then waved to the others to follow.

The redcoat waited until they were all gone before starting his interrogation once more. "What's your name?"

_Shit, _the redhead thought, wishing she would have thought ahead just a bit more. Usually she was on top of things like this, but at that moment, she couldn't even remember a male nurse's name at the facility. If this elite was really as to the rulebook as she expected him to be, he probably knew every person in that entire building and could tell if she was lying. Cursing again, she wished she would have said she was some kind of intern. Bringing that up now would have looked suspicious. "I'm Kari Crescent, an anesthesiologist at the medical center."

The redcoat nodded, his face moving uncomfortably close to hers. "Anesthesiologist, huh? I know your superior, Cale Drudger, very well. He's a strict man." Eclipse just shrugged. What else could she do? Obviously, he was onto her, so the trick was to see if he could give away enough information before she had to answer. "Your emergency exit plans are flawless. I'm surprised someone so sloppy is on his medical team."

She shrugged again. "I'm good at what I do, there's nothing else I can say. He really doesn't like me personally, just that I get the job done."

"Hm, whatever was going on there must have been important then." He backed up then, bringing his left hand to his lip as he thought, but never letting go of the pen at his side. Eclipse was starting to get irritated. "I've known Cale—" Click. "—for a while now—" Click, click. "—and was surprised when he—" Click, click, click. "—got assigned to—" Click.

"Sir, can you _please _stop that?" That remark he didn't really care for. Perhaps it had something to do with the way she interrupted, but that clicking noise was combining with the already annoying ringing in her ear. It was like a symphony of mosquitoes trying to make some money on her annoyance level and enjoying the rollercoaster ride when it went up and down periodically.

He glared at her then, suspicious once more. Sighing, she was about to make another comment to calm his nerves when he slipped a handgun from his belt. Flipping off the safety, he merely rested his finger near the trigger instead of on it. Who knew someone could get shot over a pen? "Sir, I—"

"We are on the lookout for any suspicious people."

_Aren't you always on the lookout for suspicious people? _ She wanted to say it, but decided against it since her situation wasn't the greatest. Wow, either she was _that _tired or she was learning discipline.

"And you, my friend—"

_Friend?_

"—are suspicious."

She nearly fell over laughing at the cliché, amused by the fact that he was pointing the pen and attempting to pose at the end. Maybe he just got too involved with his work, but no matter how she looked at it, Eclipse knew she was in a rough situation. "Get me Heine Westenfluss."

"Excuse me?"

"Heine Westenfluss, he's an elite pilot and should be around here somewhere. He's actually supposed to be piloting the Free—"

He held up a hand, cutting her off. "_I _know who he is, but how do _you _know who he is?"

"We're friends—we go way back—" she stammered, getting more and more nervous when his lips slowly turned into a frown. "We're—uh—dating."

That perked his interest. "Dating, huh?" Internally cringing, she nodded. If it worked, she didn't care how poorly her ego got bruised. "A pilot and an anesthesiologist?"

The redhead shrugged. "What can I say, he was lying on the bed injured, said a few romantic things, I knocked him out for surgery, and we've been in love ever since." How she hoped Heine wouldn't get wind of her saying any of this.

"You're mocking me."

"Sir, I'm just trying to explain the circumstances."

"Here, let me get him on the radio to confirm." Eclipse nodded, forcing a smile. While she was happy someone was finally getting in touch with the blonde, she knew her fake name would only confuse him. It would have been the dumbest sense of luck if he _did _have a girlfriend named Kari Crescent, or if he knew that was her alias back on Heliopolis. Since Heliopolis was never brought up and—as far as she knew—he didn't have a girlfriend, calling Heine on the radio would probably do nothing. Sighing, she had no choice but to wait. She was still too weak to do any major damage to—wait.

"Heine Westenfluss, do you copy?"

That man was standing pretty close to her sitting position. Close enough, in fact, she could use whatever strength she had left to kick his knees back. Sure, the guy probably wouldn't walk very well afterwards, but lucky him. He might be able to go back to a civilian life.

"I copy you loud and clear, Baymont, and it's a good thing you called. We need back up."

Eclipse heard herself gasp. That was Heine alright. So he was around, good.

"I have a situation myself. Do you know a Kari Crescent?"

"Crescent?" Heine echoed, sounded a bit winded on the other end. The redhead was actually afraid to know what was going on.

"I'm at the hanger A15 and we found a suspicious female in a medical jacket. She looks about seventeen years old, red hair, and beaten up pretty badly. She says she an anesthesiologist at the medical facility nearby and your gir—"

Crunch.

Gathering up her legs, she kicked both feet outward to hit Baymont directly in the right kneecap. His leg buckled backwards with a sickening series of cracks before his brain registered the pain and he fell down in a crumpled heap. He started screaming then and dropped both the gun and the radio, holding his leg with both hands.

_Ouch. _Getting to her feet, she picked up the weapon and radio. "Baymont! Baymont! Damn it, what the hell is going on over there?"

"Hey, Heine, it's Eclipse," she responded, stretching her legs before hobbling off to find a vehicle to hijack. "I'm sure you've already dispatched a team and we're right next to an infirmary so he should be able to walk after some rehab."

"Eclipse? Wait—what?"

"What day is it?"

"What? Why are you—"

"Heine, just answer the question."

He hesitated, but ended up replying anyway. She was surprised he trusted her so easily. "It's May 5th. Now what the _hell _is going on?"

_Two weeks, huh? _she thought, stopping for a second to catch her breath. She had just made it safely inside the hanger, but now had to find some sort of moving vehicle. She had the feeling most of them were being used and—needless to say—she would be pissed if that was the case. After doing all of that work, crippling a fellow redcoat, and being so close to her own freedom she felt her luck should take a break and God should just give her a chance. Let her save what luck she had left and just have a jeep pop out of thin air in front of her. Yeah, that was a good idea.

"Eclipse!"  
"Keep it down, would ya? I'm not exactly in the best circumstances to be screaming at you through the airwaves."

"Just give me some kind of explanation."

"I'm gonna need some info as well. I've just had a hellish couple of weeks and just when I was strapped in and ready for my next drug dosage, the nurses run off and—"

"Woah—wait—what?"

"You wanted an explanation." She stopped. Turning the corner, she had to quickly duck behind a wall when she heard footsteps echoing in the halls. Cursing, she waited.

"Eclipse!"

"Hush!" The footsteps slowed and eventually came to a stop after Heine spoke. Voices were saying something about hearing something and the redhead cursed again. Standing, she had no choice but to backtrack and find a different route.

"Lexi, talk to me." He used her real name. She knew he was serious even without him resorting to those drastic measures.

"This isn't a secure line, Heine. I can't tell you everything."

"Fine." He sighed. "Just tell me this, are you the one we're looking for?"

_Of all the times to be vague, _she thought, slipping behind another wall. Waiting for the soldiers to pass—Heine was finally quiet—she ran into a side room and shut the door. It looked like a cleaning closet of some sort and she couldn't help but laugh. The great "genetic reject" was forced to cower in the janitor's office. "That depends," she began, sliding down the wall to sit on the ground. Cocking the gun, she prayed no one came by. "Are you looking for a runaway lab rat?"

"I'm being serious, Lexi."

"So am I."

He was quiet for a little bit—digesting the information most likely. "No, we're not."

"Let me know if you start. I'm sure I'm suspicious no matter what, but I _don't _want to go back there. Where are you?" He never got a chance to answer. The door opened right after she finished and she dropped the radio. Using both hands, she pointed the gun at the intruder and started to pull the trigger. A strand of pink hair and the sleeve of a white dress caught the redhead's attention just before she fired, startling her enough to avert the shot away from anything vital. The bullet grazed the intruder's upper right arm, but she didn't squeal. Actually, she didn't do much of anything and neither did Eclipse. They just stared at each other, stunned. _L-Lacus Clyne?_

It took her a second—blame the gun pointed at her—but eventually the singer recognized Eclipse. Taking another moment to look at her clothing, Lacus blinked and then grinned. It was a small smile but still held the warmth the redhead had remembered from all those months ago. "Miss Eclipse, such an interesting place to see you again." Lifting her left arm, she waved a small radio and smiled. Either she had come across it and was accidentally listening in on the conversation between her and Heine, or that pink celebrity was more resourceful than Eclipse had ever imagined.

* * *

_**A/N:**_ Alright guys, another installment. I'm sure this leaves you with more questions than answers, but those will be cleared up within the next couple of stories. Yes, stories. I'm sure most of you have already figured this out, but _Waltz _is only the first book in my massive Lexi-World (Sorry, couldn't come up with anything better than that). To some, that may be a good thing. To others, I'm thinking it's a pain because you want to know answers now! Sorry, I have to keep those who want to keep reading interested. :P Anyway, ask me some questions and I just might give out the answers. Not on the public forum, of course.

Poor Heine. That's all I really have to say for him. The short end of the stick again, but it's nice to see him in a commanding position, and not doing too bad of a job either. He even sounds like he knows what he's doing. Too bad he's gonna have to answer to someone about talking to Eclipse across the radio and why Baymont is having trouble walking. Anyway, I'm sure he can handle it. He _was _chosen to be the pilot of the Freedom, right? ...Damn you Kira Yamato.

Oh, my classes are done for now and I have a two week break before my next-and final!-semester begins. I'll see what I can dish out in that time.

As usual, huge thank you to my betas and their deadly red pens!

And thanks to my avid readers and reviewers! Can't do it without you.

* * *

_**Questions/Gripes:**_

_Darkangelsonic: _I have a feeling Stray will be coming back fairly soon. Don't you worry. :)

* * *

Thanks again everyone and I'll see you next chapter!

_Strata_


	41. Two Opposite But Stubborn Females

Two Opposite But Stubborn Females

Eclipse was impressed; she didn't know who wouldn't be. It was just the matter of having Lacus's limo meet them around the other side of the hanger. What was even more impressive was how everyone let her pass, as if—no matter what—she was innocent. Then again, the redhead didn't know what the singer was even doing at the hanger—it seemed a bit unprofessional for Waltfeld to send the songstress—so she couldn't say she was or she wasn't. There was just a nervous twitch in her stomach every time she saw the warm smiles on the soldiers' faces. They were _too _trusting of their idol.

Or maybe Eclipse was still paranoid.

"Eclipse—Lexi—Lunar Eclipse—or any form of your damn name—get the fuc—"

"Heine, sorry, I forgot you were still there." She doubted the blonde believed her, but she couldn't say Lacus's name over the frequency, especially if they had started looking for an escaped lab rat. The Pink Princess helping an escapee would only get her into trouble. Sure, just looking at the surveillance tapes would be enough to make someone suspicious, but at least they would be able to get away from the base. "I think I found my safe ride out of here."

"_Think_?"

Ducking into the backseat of the limo, she sighed when they started moving. Relief. "Say hi to Lathan for me."

"Eclipse, wait—"

Cringing—she knew she'd be getting yelled at later—she turned off the radio and waited until they were a fair ways away before tossing it out the window. The pieces would probably be found eventually, but, hopefully, she would be gone by that time. Now began the fun adventure of being on the run.

"Yes, yes, I understand," Lacus said, talking to someone on one of the screens. She was in the way so Eclipse couldn't really make out the face, but the voice was familiar.

_DaCosta?_

"I can't really yell at you but—" He paused, probably scratching the back of his head. "Just think—no, understand that—no—ugh, just get to the meeting spot."

"Roger that." Lacus smiled, the redhead could hear it in her voice. "How's _he _doing?"

"You'll see when you get here. What do we need to get ready for you?"

"An extra set of clothes—I'm sure a uniform will do—some food, and a hot bath."

"Anything else?"

"A medical kit—"

"And a lot of pain killers," Eclipse finished, guessing who they were talking about. Lacus didn't seem to be the kind of person to wear a uniform. "And a pillow. I don't care about a bed, just give me a damn pillow and enough pain medication to knock me out cold."

Lacus smiled and moved aside, letting the redhead see DaCosta shake his head. He shouldn't have expected anything less.

* * *

Eclipse had fallen asleep soon after the transmission. She just remembered the look on DaCosta's face, a few warm words from Lacus, and she was out, resting her head on the leather interior. She didn't end up in a comfortable position, but at least her mind was at ease, never having annoying glimpses of nightmares or getting woken up for drug doses. For the first time in weeks, she was able to fall into a deep sleep. Given, it was for a mere fifteen minutes, but even after Lacus shook her awake, she felt more refreshed. Not refreshed enough for her body to feel completely healed, however.

The driver opened the door, offering a smile and a small bow to the two females as they climbed out onto the curb. Lacus went first, pulling her hood up over her head and saying a soft thank you to the man before turning to extend a hand to the redhead scrambling behind her. Eclipse took the hand and let the singer pull her out. The first step onto the concrete was _not _a pleasant one. Sharp pain shot up through the joint at her ankle to her hip, buckling her knee and—if it wasn't for the quick reflexes of the fair limo driver—she would have fallen face first onto the sidewalk.

"Oh my! Miss Eclipse, are you alright?"

The redhead could only think of retorts—some bitchy, sarcastic remarks that would do nothing more than hurt Lacus's feelings. But, remembering all of the shit she had recently been through, Eclipse almost said them, thinking she deserved some kind of chance for verbal retaliation. Sighing, she bit her tongue instead, knowing that yelling at Lacus was going to do nothing for the pain. In fact, it might make things worse because the singer hadn't done anything to deserve such treatment. Perhaps she was grouchier than she had thought.

"I'll be fine eventually. But for now, can you help me walk?" It was a humbling question, and even scary when the redhead realized she was knowingly putting Lacus in danger. If they were somehow followed and her enemy saw her so pitiful, they could easily be attacked and Eclipse couldn't do anything about it. "Shit," she whispered.

"Miss Eclipse, you shouldn't be so hard on yourself; of course I'll help you. Now, can you stand up on your own or do you need me to pull you?"

Eclipse couldn't tell if she was poking her pride or not. At first she just stared, trying to read the singer's facial expression, but soon stopped, realizing she was just being paranoid. Besides, wasn't DaCosta nearby? They were going to be just fine. Hoisting herself up, she stood on shaky legs and wrapped her arm over Lacus's shoulders. How pitiful she must have looked.

"M'lady, I'll park the car around back."

"That would be fine, thank you," the singer said, smiling at the driver and pulling Eclipse along beside her as they neared the front steps to an old apartment building.

The redhead wasn't sure where they had ended up, but by the looks of the place, they were in a part of the city mostly ignored by the governmental board. It didn't seem dangerous in any way, but rundown enough for a limo to look conspicuous. There was nothing obvious enough to make it look so dirty, but there was a tense atmosphere that made Eclipse's sensors go off in a trained panic. There were some drunken porch sitters in the house on the corner—probably off after work and complaining about the war—eyeing the group suspiciously, but they didn't look like they were going to jump up and call the authorities. That was a good sign at least.

"The others should be inside," the singer said, her lips twisting into a smile as she helped Eclipse up the front steps to the apartment. "We can start explaining things to you then." The redhead just nodded, having nothing in particular to say. She was just happy to be able to sit down and not worry about being prodded with a needle or have sensors put on her head.

Lacus reached forward to grasp the handle, but the door swung open before the singer could get a good grip. Eclipse's soldier instincts flared to life, when she saw what had happened. Tightening her grip around Lacus's shoulder and neck, she pulled the singer down and behind her, swinging the Pink Princess to the porch steps and gathering herself into a defensive position in front of her. Using her left hand, Eclipse reached down for the gun at her belt, realizing there was nothing there only after the door was completely open.

"Thank goodness you two—" DaCosta didn't finish his statement, having to take a step back when the redhead's instincts forced her into a hand-to-hand frenzy. She didn't do much harm, however, the adrenaline rush not numbing enough to block out the pain. Gasping, she stopped mid-lunge, remembering too late her injured ankle.

"Miss Eclipse!" Lacus yelled when the redhead fell onto her knees, quickly moving to help her back up.

DaCosta sighed. "I didn't mean to scare you. C'mon, let's get you upstairs."

The apartment was set up much like the last one Eclipse had seen, with the kitchen near the door, a nice living room with the shades closed, and every table littered with assorted pieces of paper. There was more of a musty smell to the place instead of the coffee fragrance the redhead was expecting, but the familiar aroma was still there just not as strong as Eclipse remembered. The man, however, was exactly where she expected him to be.

Near the door.

Waltfeld embraced Eclipse into a hug as soon as they walked into the kitchen, holding her so tight all of her wounds throbbed. "Thank God." Her arms crunched against her sides as the commander tightened his grip, causing a painful whimper to escape her lips. Either Waltfeld didn't care or he didn't hear the sound because it took him a moment to respond, slowly letting her go only after DaCosta tapped him on the shoulder. The older man was just so relieved. "Oh, I'm so sorry. We were so worried—Eclipse?"

It must have been one of those moments where relief overloaded the system, sending the redhead's body into an ultimate calm. Her muscles gave out, breath slowed and eyes closed, sending her tumbling to the ground. Waltfeld was talking and then he wasn't; it was as simple as that. Someone grabbed her wrist, another her waist and she was out.

She didn't dream. Normally when she blacked out, there were at least images. Usually nothing made any sense, but her mind was always working. That time, however, it was just black and when she woke up, it felt like seconds. Coffee was the first thing she recognized. It wasn't something terribly unusual—concerning who her friends were—but it was strange enough for her sleep-drugged mind to fully awake.

She was on the couch in the living room, staring at the faint light seeping through the shades. There was no way to tell what time of day it was, or even if it was nighttime. All she could do was stare.

And panic.

_Am I back on earth? Where am I? Why am I here?_

Her breath quickened as her mind switched to another scenario.

The labcoat.

It was draped over the far armrest near her feet, still dirty, still torn, and still bloody. Quickly, she looked to her right, then to her left and clawed at her arms.

_IVs. Where are they? Is this another simulation? Where are the nurses?_

Pain. Her head hurt, her throat hurt, her wrists—everything just throbbed. Her mouth clicked dry, but her hands were clammy as they continued their inspection.

_IVs—drugs—I know they're here._

"Eclipse—hey, calm down."

_A voice? Who is it? Is this still in the simulation?_

"Commander, she's shivering and sweating pretty bad. But her fever—"

"Her eyes scaring me the most. Eclipse—Lexi!"

_Voices. Only voices. Where're the guns? There're always guns. The enemy has to be nearby. …They're going to kill me._

"Withdrawal?"

"Maybe."

"Then what do we do?"

_Where are they? They're coming, I can feel it, but from where? The right? _ Turning, she saw fingers reaching for her wrists. The hand flickered as it neared, and Eclipse nearly laughed despite her paranoia. _A knife, really? _The redhead reacted, grabbing the hand and taking a moment to feel for the knuckle. Using her last three fingers and palm to steady her attacker's hand, she braced her thumb and index finger, pushing down on one of her enemy's fingers until she felt it pop. A scream.

Good.

Shifting her fingers, she grasped the wrist and pulled the arm towards her. She felt the weight of the body and used the momentum to pull herself upwards, readying her left fist for a punch. She was going to swing when a second assailant grabbed her hand. _Another one? _She tried to struggle free, but there wasn't enough time. The body fell into hers, sandwiching her head and upper torso back against the cushion. Now both arms were caught.

_I'm dead._

She screamed.

"Give her here."

"Y-you got her?"

"I have an idea. Go take care of your finger."

"B-but, sir—"

"I said, go!"

Eclipse kept screaming and thrashed on the couch as soon as the dead weight moved away, but she was still stuck. Whoever had her, was in a good position. Her right arm was pinned under—what felt like—a knee on her lower abdomen, or a whole body given the amount of weight crunching her lower torso. Her elbow—bent backwards over the frame of the couch—screeched in protest, and her back buckled to lessen the pain, but her assailant just pushed it harder against the frame.

"Eclipse, stop struggling and I won't break it." Something shattered nearby, bringing a frustrated curse from the man's lips. "You're fine," the voice continued. "You're not there anymore. It's Commander Waltfeld and you're safe with me."

Bringing her knee up, she attempted to knock the man off, but he shifted his weight, pushing his knee further into her abdomen. She screamed again as tears started to form in her eyes. Why was she still being treated like an animal? Why was she still trapped? Waltfeld was just a name they were throwing out to trick her. It had to be. She wasn't safe. She was still a genetic reject, poked, sliced, and monitored.

"Eclipse, please!"

It wasn't the voice or the pain that brought her back, but the fragrance of spilled coffee. It invaded her cloudy mind and inserted some sense of clarity. She felt the couch cushion beneath her, the springs tense with Waltfeld's added weight. The faint light through the blinds had grown brighter, displaying the messy table down to her right and the coffee-stained carpet from when the cup fell. Cursing from the kitchen curved her neck awkwardly over the armrest. DaCosta stood over the sink, his hand down into the basin and freezing in some ice, the redhead figured.

"Eclipse?"

Waltfeld's voice brought her back to her own predicament, forcing her mind back into her body just in time to feel the tense pain in her left elbow. "S-simulation?" she whispered through clenched teeth. The commander had her good.

"Eclipse?"

"I-is this a simulation?"

"No, you really _are _safe now."

Hesitating, she forced out a laugh, the tears dribbling down her cheeks. Sure, it could have been a lie conducted by the simulation, but the smell was just too real. She _had _to believe him. "Can I have my arm back then?"

"Depends. Are you going to break another of DaCosta's fingers?"

"Not unless he does something stupid again."

Waltfeld laughed at that, loosening his grip on her until he finally let go and moved away from the couch. Hugging her elbow, the redhead blinked a couple of times before turning and offering a weak smile. Sighing, the commander fell back into the opposite recliner. "You're a piece of work."

She almost laughed as well, looking over at DaCosta cradling his injured hand and then looking down at the broken coffee mug on the floor. This kind of "work" seemed so minor compared to what those doctors had been doing, but either way she found the phrase ironic. "So I've been told."

* * *

It was decided Eclipse would stay with Waltfeld and DaCosta. No surprise. Technically, the redhead was used to living with all males, but, for once, she wished there could be _some _kind of female presence other than her own. At least she saw Lacus often, but it was mostly when strategy meetings had to be done between her and Waltfeld. Since they were still in the planning stages, that wasn't a surprise either. Eclipse had yet to officially decide if she wanted to join the Clyne Faction or not, but her involvement had become an unvoiced agreement to the plan since she was always present during the strategy meetings. They were coming along quite smoothly and the Faction was beginning to take steps towards becoming vocal; "vocal" meaning radio broadcasts.

The devastation in Alaska had tipped them all over the edge. The PLANTs were in an uproar—paranoid even—and wondering, if the Earth Forces always had such horrific technology as the CYCLOPS system, how long would it take them to turn their wrath at the PLANTs and not merely the military? The council was doing its best to keep the panic down, but their terms were more along the line of totalitarianism. The Clyne Faction really didn't like the idea.

The radio broadcasts were a good idea overall, but they definitely chipped away at Lacus's pedestal. She had been getting herself into a lot of danger recently and even though most people didn't know Lacus was involved with the Freedom theft, she was still standing on shaky ground with the powerful people in the government. Yes, she had a good crew behind her, but the broadcast idea was going to involve a lot of planning and a lot of moving.

"Did you get us out of the lease?" Waltfeld asked, pointing a pen in DaCosta's direction.

He nodded. "I also managed to find us a new place, but if we keep doing this we'll start looking suspicious."

"I'd offer to stay on the _Eternal_, but then you guys would be left to do things on your own."

"That might not be a bad idea," Eclipse said, leaning on her left palm. This was their second meeting of the day and they had already been going for an hour. It wouldn't have been so bad if the redhead had been allowed to leave the apartment, but Waltfeld had put her on house arrest soon after her withdrawal fit a couple of days ago. She was just getting terribly restless. "You're a high ranking officer in the military," Eclipse explained, "and if you keep sneaking around like you have, people will look into it. DaCosta might be low enough on the ladder to be okay, but we really have to start watching what we're doing."

"You mean slow down our plans?" Lacus asked, her face showing she didn't really like the idea.

"We might not have a choice," the redhead continued. "Even if it's only for a couple of days, we might want to revert back to coded messages for a while to let some of the heat cool."

"Eclipse has a point. It wouldn't do us any good to get caught cheating this early in the game," Waltfeld said, leaning back in his chair. "I'll go back to the _Eternal _tonight and send some people over to help you guys move out in the morning."

"I think I'll go to the _Eternal _as well," DaCosta said. "Having an officer like me share an apartment with two younger ladies might look suspicious."

"Or lucky," Waltfeld commented and Eclipse had to cover up a laugh.

DaCosta ignored him, used to the harmless ridicule. "I'm sure you girls can lay low for a while, right?" The greencoat eyed the redhead specifically, knowing her tally of reckless acts. Eclipse almost took offense, but backed off in the end and merely nodded. DaCosta had every right to look at her in such a manner. The taped finger in his lap being one of the main ones.

"Well then, I think that's all for today," Waltfeld said, stretching in his seat before hoisting himself up. "I'm heading back to the _Eternal. _ DaCosta, wait an hour or two then you can join me. You two, on the other hand," he turned to Lacus and Eclipse, "are to stay indoors until the morning. Is that clear?"

Sighing, they had no choice but to nod. While staying hidden was essential, it was as boring as watching water boil on the stove. And that, unfortunately, had become a fun pastime for the two females.

Waltfeld left soon after, leaving the others to crowd around the television and sink into the furniture, exhausted. "How're you feeling, Eclipse? Any better?" DaCosta asked, moving some papers around to unbury the remote.

"I still get really bad headaches and the chills, but not as often as I used to," the redhead said. "Mostly, though, I think it's more because my mind's so bored than because it's sick. Those migraines give it something to do." DaCosta didn't respond, having heard the complaining before and growing weary of it. He couldn't blame her but at the same time he was sick of the teenage whining.

"So, have you decided on what to do?" Lacus asked, sitting down on the couch between the two. "You'll be fully recovered soon and, while we wouldn't mind another resourceful ally, you're under no obligation to stay with us."

Eclipse thought about it for a moment, slightly surprised by the question. No, she hadn't forgotten her situation and even though helping the Clyne Faction seemed like the best use of her skills, she couldn't help but seeing them as another version of the military. Did she really want to go back into that kind of servitude? Sure, it wouldn't be _exactly _the same—and she'd have a lot more freedom—but it was still her taking orders, doing missions, and always on the run. Did she want to keep doing that? And—no matter how much she wanted to—she couldn't forget about her other duties. "I still have to look for SIN-ED."

"You don't _have _to," DaCosta remarked, practically spitting out the words. "They were just using you, and—I'm not sure how—but apparently, you no longer exist in the military. What's the point in doing a mission if the person assigned is nonexistent?" DaCosta pointed out, scratching the back of his head. When she looked confused, he tried to explain. "Durandal—the one who you were supposedly assigned to—cut out your military record altogether. The commander and I couldn't find anything on you. We figured the facility on Januarias 4 was erased, but we didn't think they'd delete _you_ as well. Lunar Eclipse is officially gone. No matter how much hype there was about you, no matter how important or impressive you are as a ZAFT pilot, you're basically a ghost now." DaCosta sighed and scratched his head once more. "I think there're enough people who admire your reputation that you _could _still walk around as Lunar Eclipse, but you might have to consider getting an alias."

Eclipse thought about that for a second. Technically, Lunar Eclipse _was _her alias. Coming up with another one seemed redundant, but did she really want to go back to her birth name? Could she stand being Lexi Rymyr again? After everything she went through as a kid, and the freedom—sort of—she felt from no one knowing who she was, could she so easily become Lexi once more? She really wasn't sure. Starting over again was so tempting, and besides, her parents would get hounded relentlessly if she showed back up as a ZAFT elite. The daughter of the people most promoting total pacifism lollygagging as a mobile suit pilot? She couldn't even imagine the look on their faces if they found out her kill count. Perhaps an alias really was her only option.

"What about Lexi Rymyr?" Lacus suggested. "I think it's about time you became yourself again. No matter how much you want to avoid it, you can't change who you've become."

Her logic was amusing, but—in the end—correct. Did she really have any other choice? Even if she took on another alias, her past would still be there. Drugs may have been able to erase some bad memories, but they couldn't change the fact that they still _happened_. Lexi Rymyr still existed, as did Lunar Eclipse. It would take years to come to terms with what Lunar Eclipse had done—and, no doubt what had happened in the past couple of weeks would haunt her—but did she want to make another alias and then have three lives to clean up after? Wouldn't it just be easier to fix one at a time and not add on to the misery?

If that was true, why did she suddenly feel terrified?

"I-I'll think about it."

"Well, don't take too long. Time isn't exactly a luxury right now and—I know I'm sounding pushy, but we _need _to know if we can count on you," DaCosta stressed.

"But you _can _count on me."

"I mean in the Faction. If you need time to get reacquainted with yourself, then go, but if you're _positive _you want to stay here, then we can start factoring you into our future plans. As it stands, I don't think any of us are comfortable with a half-hearted member."

His words stung the redhead at first, but once she push down her ego, his statement began making sense. The Clyne Faction was about to be taking some huge risks and if there were some people not completely dedicated, they could ruin everything. Yes, she wanted to stay with the commander and the others, but with her resolve being so shaky, she would only be making things worse. There were too many questions she had, about who—no, _what _she was and why she was so interesting. And SIN-ED, she couldn't just leave them alone and let them do as they pleased. She was the only one who knew anything about them really.

She sighed. "Just a little time, please."

"I'll give you two days. Now." Sitting up, DaCosta cracked his knuckles and reached backwards for the deck of cards. "Who wants to play Rummy?"

* * *

Lacus's little stunt had made a lot of people nervous within the past couple of days. At least that was what the media showed. Her face was posted everywhere—television screens, magazines, billboards—and no longer for her pop career. The words "Is she really a traitor?" were listed in red below each smiling portrait. "This is just stupid," a teen grumbled, throwing one such magazine onto the ground as Eclipse walked by. "It's just a bunch of military bullshit to keep us from—"

"Hush!" his girlfriend exclaimed, slapping a hand over his mouth. Sometimes people should start paying attention to their youth, or at least their emotions. While Lacus _did _give the Freedom to Kira, it was nice to see such teenagers becoming so involved in the government. After all, it really _didn't _know what it was doing and now that Zala was in charge, things were going to get a bit interesting.

"Hey, Lexi, you coming or what?" DaCosta asked, holding open the door to the downtown grocery. Hesitating, the redhead nodded. She was still getting used to others—well, beside Heine and FS—calling her Lexi. Hell, she didn't even like referring to _herself _as Lexi and doubted she ever would. "Eclipse" suited her just fine. Sighing, she walked towards the officer, said a quiet thanks and left the arguing teens behind.

Stepping inside the building, Eclipse immediately started grumbling. Leave it to Waltfeld to make her do all the shopping again. Back in Banadiya, he would routinely send her out on these little errands, hoping to—well—she had no idea. Probably hoping she'd become a little less domestically challenged. At least there was Lacus to even out the guy-girl ratio and even though she wasn't as outgoing as Aisha was, the pink-haired princess definitely kept things interesting. However, now she couldn't leave either Waltfeld's or DaCosta's sight—Eclipse's either for that matter—and would frequently switch hideouts, sending out peace talks over radio waves. It was a good idea—in theory—but all Lacus was doing was putting herself in more danger. Not even Waltfeld could talk her out of it, just keep her as protected as he was able. Sometimes, it was nice to have friends in the military and a growing organization. The Clyne Faction, it seemed so cliché—so expected—but it served its purpose: pissing off a lot of high-ranking people and making friends with the less important ones.

"You think too much," DaCosta remarked, shoving a shopping basket into her hands.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"All you do nowadays is stare off into the distance and don't let the rest of us in on the joke. Commander's actually getting annoyed with it."

"No he's not," she argued, throwing some canned vegetables into the basket. "He has as many personal conversations as I do."

"Yes, but he's in charge. It's alright if he does it."

Eclipse glared at the officer, but couldn't hold the look for long. He was right, even if she was too stubborn to admit it. Waltfeld could think whatever the hell he wanted to because he was in charge and probably had more to think about than she did. For an instant, she wished she had such freedom, but shot it down immediately. She couldn't imagine what her Berserker half would do with that kind of authority.

"And stop looking so gloomy. You're supposed to blend in, remember?"

"What, isn't an over-emotional teen blending in? I could say, 'But, Dad, I want _this _cereal!' However, I think you'd slap me over the head and make me eat spinach for the rest of my life."

DaCosta just glared, deciding that keeping his mouth shut was his only option. After all, he had been around her and Lacus long enough to know when keeping quiet was better than shoving his foot into his mouth. Shaking his head, he looked away and held out his hand for the list.

"How endearing," Eclipse grumbled, noting his cold response. "Just for that treatment, _Dad_, I'm making _you_ get the tampons." He made no comment after that, just rolled his eyes. She couldn't tell if it was from the "Dad" remark or the feminine hygiene one, but she didn't care. Smiling innocently, she turned down a different aisle.

She would just have to come back later for the tampons.

"In other news, there have been no leads in the investigation concerning the pop singer, Lacus Clyne. As noted yesterday, we received an anonymous tip about her involvement with the stolen mobile suit, the Freedom," the television said, turning the redhead back towards the register. The volume was so loud the cashier must have turned it up and—considering the topic—Eclipse could understand her interest. "The military has been keeping the matter hush hush—and Chairman Zala has yet to make an official statement—but our reporters are working around the clock to verify the information. There is some good news, however, because Lacus's fiancé—and the chairman's son—Athrun Zala arrived on Junias 5 this morning from his previous station on Aprilias 1. He failed to show up for the press conference yesterday and has yet to offer any comments on his fiancé's possible wrongdoings, but there is a reporter tracking him now and we hope to give you some information soon."

DaCosta must have been listening to the broadcast as well because his quiet curses sounded close behind her. As soon as the report finished, his hand was at her elbow, pulling her to the register and out the door once they paid for the groceries. "Damn it," he hissed, still holding onto her arm as they sped down the sidewalk. "Damn it, damn it, damn it!"

"What's bothering you?" she asked, trying to stay in step.

"I really didn't want you to hear that."

"Hear what? About Lacus? Or about Athrun?"

"The commander's going to be pissed."

"Why?" DaCosta didn't answer, pulling her down an alleyway. Obviously, they were trying to stay away from the main road. What, did he think they were going to magically run into Athrun or something? "Why will the commander be pissed?"

"Nevermind."

"Nevermind? Damn it, DaCosta, you're pulling me down some shady alleyway to avoid who knows what and you're telling me to just forget about it? No," she hissed, pulling her arm from his grasp and nearly dumping the groceries onto the street. "Why will Waltfeld be pissed?"

"Later."

"No, now." The officer looked as if he was going to say something, but cursed instead. What had him so worried? "I have the right to know."

"Oh yeah? And what right is that?"

"The right that says you can't just pull my arm out of its socket because you're keeping something from me, now spill." DaCosta sighed and looked around. Eclipse could tell he didn't want to say anything, and the way he chronically glanced at his watch made her nervous. "It was just a stupid broadcast that let you know everything's okay on our end. There's nothing to—"

"We didn't want you to know Athrun was here."

That surprised her. Not only was she stationed on his team not so long ago, but they were good friends. What would keeping his whereabouts secret hope to accomplish? "Why? Did you think I would just go running to him or something?"

"Honestly? Yes."

Eclipse blinked, taken aback by the answer. Sure, she had a tendency to be a bit rash, but why did they care if she at least talked to him? "Why?" The officer looked away, scratching the back of his head. He was nervous about something. "Why, DaCosta?"

"Because we think he might've had something to do with you being in that medical facility."

"What?" Now _that _surprised her. "Commander Le Creuset gave me my orders, not Athrun."

"That's what you _say_, but on the original report, Athrun's signature is there, not Creuset's. You had a bit of memory loss so—"

"I would _never _forget that. Yes, I forgot a few things, but—"

"He _was _your commanding officer at the time—"

"And Creuset is _his _commanding officer, DaCosta. Not to mention Athrun was still in the hospital. Most likely, the facility needed both signatures and since Athrun was—"

DaCosta sighed. "He was well when you left Earth, correct?"

"Define well."

"Able to sign military documents?"

"Damn it, DaCosta, Athrun would not have just signed that paper if he knew what they were—"

"But the chairman knew, Lexi, so why wouldn't his son? And Commander Le Creuset knew as well. Didn't you just say he was the commanding officer?"

Eclipse couldn't believe what she was hearing. There was no way Athrun would willingly send her off to be a pin cushion. After everything, the redhead _knew _he wasn't like that. There had to have been some kind of information cover-up because wasn't he surprised when he found out how important she had been in Orb? The chairman _had _to have known because he had her original file and just a short surf on the web would pull up any additional information. Sure, they blocked out most of the important information to get her into the military, but there was no way the chairman _didn't _have access to it. So, if DaCosta's reasoning was right, Athrun should have known who she really was from the beginning. There was no way a soldier that smart would barge into Eclipse's room and nearly get killed just because he was trying to keep his cover. Not even a trained soldier could tell Athrun had been surprised. "Athrun's never really been close to his father," she admitted, thinking that information alone would clear things up.

"And how would _you _know that for sure? If he told you, it could have been a lie."

"No, he rarely talked about him, but I could tell by the way he acted and spoke," she remarked, remembering a few more instances. "During the election, he never watched the news like the others did. He was always reading or doing some kind of paperwork. And when his father won, he didn't care."

"Those things are easy enough to pull off."

"And whenever his father was mentioned, his calm demeanor would falter. It was only for a second, but it would break his concentration. Oh, and he never voluntarily brought up his father either!" Eclipse exclaimed, becoming more and more convinced her training hadn't failed her. She could read the people on her team easily enough and know if they were lying to her.

DaCosta, however, didn't seem as confident in her detective work. "And what about Commander Le Creuset?"

"What about him?"

"How did Athrun treat him?"

The redhead hesitated then, knowing how the young commander—as well as the other members of her team—felt about that man. Eclipse was wary, almost terrified of him, but the others held nothing but admiration for him. They would follow him blindly, no questions asked.

DaCosta sighed, figuring she had come to the same conclusion he and Waltfeld had. "I'm sorry, Lexi, but I'm forbidding you to see him until we know the facts."

The redhead bit her tongue. They were only trying to protect her, she knew, and since she had failed to appreciate their instincts before, she had no choice but to trust them now. "Yes, sir."

When DaCosta and Eclipse got back to the new meeting location—an out of town motel with the security cameras turned at an awkward angle, away from the doors so the two could get inside relatively unnoticed—Lacus and Commander Waltfeld were already deep in conversation. Andy was trying to talk her out of something—that was evident by his flailing arm and frustrated expression—but, as they all knew, it was nearly impossible to talk that Pink Princess out of anything.

"Lacus, just because he's your fiancé it doesn't mean you _have _to talk to him. You're supposed to stay _out _of the limelight and hooking up with the son of the man looking for you is just plain stupid."

"I _need _to talk to him, Mr. Waltfeld. The friend Athrun believed he had killed is alive and piloting the," she paused. "What was it called again?"

Waltfeld sighed. Eclipse had a feeling the argument had been going on for a while. "The Freedom, Lacus. The newest and most powerful _mobile suit_ of the ZAFT military! It was one of the only reasons _my ship_ was built in the first place!"

"Maybe so, but, as I told you already, I believe Kira can help us end this war."

Eclipse cringed at the name, never getting used to the fact that the Strike pilot was still alive. In fact, she had been sadistically happy when she saw that suit blow up and was more than relieved to find out Athrun had survived the encounter. So, hearing his name then brought back some of her anger and forced her hands to do something instead of balling into fists. Separating the groceries worked just as well as anything.

"And I'm thinking, _you're _thinking Athrun can make a difference as well?" She nodded and Waltfeld hung his head in defeat. Eclipse had to hide a smile then, guessing what was running through his mind. He had gathered quite the stubborn team and, no doubt, he was wishing _one _of them would start taking his advice. "Alright, fine," the commander grumbled. "DaCosta, what's the plan?"

"Sir, I just got here."

"But you probably know all about this, right? After all, that's why you and Lexi_ conveniently_ left to go shopping." Now he was just sounding like a whiny child, but—given the circumstance—Eclipse couldn't blame him. He was left in charge of keeping the Pink Princess alive and she kept wanting to run with a primed grenade instead of throw it.

"Sir, you sent us out to do that," the redhead explained, trying to get him to think rationally again.

"I don't care!" Waltfeld yelled. "You _know _I can't resist—"

"Mr. Waltfeld, I have an idea."

They all turned to Lacus and groaned. Of course she had a plan. She was a brilliant tactician in the making and always thought scenarios through. After all, giving away a high-tech mobile suit to a pilot of the Earth Forces was just good, military intuition.

The three soldiers exchanged glances. Without even hearing what she had to say, they already knew two things about the plan.

It could potentially get her killed.

And they would end up doing it anyway.

* * *

Eclipse understood the reasoning, but she wished she could agree with it. After all the warnings against seeing Athrun, Lacus insisted the redhead be one of her bodyguards. Athrun was the guest of honor, so he was going to be there. And Eclipse was going to be there.

Hm, there were going to be some problems following DaCosta's orders.

What she was even more worried about, however, was the singer's choice of a meeting spot. While the building had been abandoned some time ago, the eroding ceiling and the moss growing on the interior made the inside look more like a greenhouse than a symphony theater. In fact, the redhead started getting really worried when part of the ceiling panels fell down once they walked in, the rain outside doing more to the structure of the building than watering the unwanted plant life.

"Team A, watch the perimeter," DaCosta explained, turning to the group of three on his left. They stood on the stage, Eclipse coming to the spot late after taking a short walk around the stage and interior. The big chunks of rock on the stage caught her off guard and made her nervousness rise to near paranoia. Why the hell did they go along with this? "Let us know if anyone comes, especially Athrun. For the sake of secrecy, call him Red Knight."

"Roger that," the group replied. It was a large area to cover, but with limited soldiers to spare, DaCosta had to trust them no matter what. He was a bit worried, so he saved a few more for the inside squads. Plus, he had Eclipse.

"Alright, Team B, spread out in the seated areas. Check under every damn popcorn kernel for enemies, pick a spot, then report in. I'd hate to hit you by accident when the shooting starts."

"Roger."

"Team C, you'll spread out on the stage. Cover the back entrances, the fire escapes, trap doors—everything. Hide behind a damn prop if you have to."

"Roger."

"Sir, the stage?" Eclipse asked. She was assigned to Team B, but stuck around to hear the other orders.

"Lacus is going to be sitting there."

The redhead blinked. "On stage?"

"Unfortunately."

"Would it be pointless for me to ask why?"

"Yes."

Both sighed. "Then maybe we should—"

"—monitor the box seats," DaCosta finished.

"Agreed," they said in unison.

The box seats were located on either side of the theater and—thanks to some interesting designers—the boxes were all connected to each other, a curtain being the only thing keeping the different sections apart. Climbing up the stairs to the east side, the redhead pulled aside those curtains, holding her breath and looking away so none of the dust blew into her eyes or she had the pleasure of inhaling it. Finding a good vantage point, she crouched down in the corner nearest to the stage, keeping one of the chairs between her and the doorway, but still able to see the main entrance on the floor. Resting her head against the moss on the railing, she waited.

"_Mizu no naka ni yoru ga yureteru._

_Kanashii hodo shizuka ni tatazumu._

_Midorinasu kishibe._

_Utsukushii yoake wo._

_Tada matte iraretara._

_Kirei na kokoro de."_

Eclipse closed her eyes as soon as Lacus started singing. She had seen the princess getting ready backstage and—at the time—had shaken her head about the outfit she had chosen to wear. Lacus had decided to dress up, wearing a fancy blue dress that would do nothing more than trip her if she decided she had to start running for her life. Strapless, it flowed down to the floor and was accented by long sleeves attached at the singer's upper arms. Visualizing her sitting down on the stage and singing, however, Eclipse understood why she had decided to wear something so formal. The last time Lacus was in the theater, she had worn that outfit and sang to her fans. Now, she did the same thing, singing to her friends and then to Athrun as soon as he walked through the door.

Eclipse swallowed, feeling the tension slipping down her throat. Suddenly, she felt so emotional, the song bringing up memories she really didn't want to think about; the most prominent being FS and Stray's betrayal along with Nicol's death. A lot had happened since she decided to join the war effort.

And so far she was cursing every day of it.

"_Kurai umi to sora no mukou ni._

_Arasoi no nai basho ga aruno to._

_Osiete kureta no wa dare._

_Dare mo ga tadori tsukenai._

_Soretomo dareka no kokoro no naka ni."_

"Red Knight spotted."

There he was, Athrun standing in the doorway with his weapon drawn, listening to Lacus's song. The redhead saw him hesitate and couldn't help but sigh. She could only imagine what must have been running through his head then. Lacus betrayed him and his military, giving a high-tech mobile suit to the enemy; the enemy being Kira Yamato, Athrun's longtime friend and most recent kill in battle. Well, he didn't know that part yet.

"_Mizu no nagare wo shizumete._

_Kureru daichi wo uruosu shirabe._

_Ima wa doko nimo nakutemo._

_Kitto jibun de te ni ireruno._

_Itsumo, itsuka, kitto." (***)  
_

Lacus continued her singing, the melody echoing through the hall as loudly as it had been the first time she had sung in the theater. Her audience was just as silent, transfixed on her words and wishing the horrid memories would stay away. Eclipse felt much like that, biting her bottom lip as she scanned for enemies. There was no way some emotional crescendos were going to cause her to miss one of Lacus's potential killers. Funny how ever since Heine came into her life, she had become more connected with her musical side.

Athrun walked down the aisle with the gun at his side. His attention was solely on the singer—which wasn't surprising—but showed a bit about his mental state as well. He was hurt, confused, and damn near angry with what had been going on. His walk was slow, seeming almost hesitant in his approach. His right hand clutched his handgun, holding it down at his side so as not to scare the young singer. In his injured hand he held onto the pink Haro, making the redhead smile a little when she saw it, knowing Lacus was going to be pleased. She had left it at the house for a reason, but the pink princess never stopped missing her mechanical friend.

Eclipse sighed, shaking off the sentimentality from Lacus's song and getting ready for what was most likely going to happen.

The pink Haro was the one to make the first move, jumping down from Athrun's hand on up onto the stage, muttering its series of phrases including Lacus's name.

"Well, hello there, Mr. Pink." Catching the mechanical ball, she smiled and looked over at Athrun still standing in the center aisle. "I was certain you'd be the one to find him and bring him here. Thank you very much."

"Why Lacus?" the pilot asked. His features screamed uncomfortable and his facial features were so tense Eclipse was afraid that if one of the enemy came through the door right then, his finger would jump across the trigger and he'd shoot himself in the foot. She had never seen him so on edge, not even after Nicol died.

"Why what?" Lacus replied, adding a smile to her innocent look.

Athrun—most likely frustrated with her—jumped up onto the stage to see the young singer face-to-face. "Explain yourself," he began, swinging around some debris to stand in front of her. "What've you done?"

"I'm sure you've heard all about it. That's why you came to see me, isn't it?"

"Is it true what they're saying about you? That you're guilty of providing assistance to an enemy spy? How could you do that?"

Lacus paused, as if trying to find the words. "I did not provide assistance to an enemy spy. All I did was provide Kira with a newer, better sword."

Eclipse looked down at Athrun then. She couldn't really see his face, but she didn't need to. His shoulders tensed as his right finger twitched against the trigger. A part of her wanted to see his face and wonder what was going through his head. She had had her own uncertainties when Lacus explained to her what had happened, but—no doubt—it was nothing compared to what was going through the young commander's mind. After all, he had been the one to supposedly kill him.

"Enemy spotted," a member of Team A said through the radio. Nodding to herself, Eclipse turned away from the talk and positioned herself next to the railing in a position where she could keep an eye on the box seat door and the front entrance of the theater.

"Reverend Malchio found him unconscious and brought him to me," Lacus continued. "Then I learned about what happened between you two; Kira told me. Don't you believe what I'm telling you?"

_Did you expect him to? _Eclipse thought dryly, eyes darting around to each shadow. Her job might've been better easier if the building wasn't filled with debris. Those large blocks of cement allowed for more coverage and more frustration for those trying to keep the reckless singer alive.

"Do you even believe what you see with your own eyes? On the battlefield, and now that you've returned to the PLANTs after being away for quite some time, haven't you noticed things are different?"

"Lacus—"

"What _is _it you believe in? What is it you're fighting for now? Is it for that medal you received? Or your father's orders?"

"Lacus!"

"Because if that is so, you'll likely find yourself fighting Kira as his enemy again. And you'll be fighting _me _too." There it was, what the singer had been meaning to tell him the entire time. To Eclipse's ears, the words stung and she wasn't even being the one interrogated. Or perhaps she still felt like it. What _was _she even fighting for? There was this peace faction right in front of her, ready and willing to take her as a member, but she was hesitating. Why? Didn't she tell herself once that she couldn't live without war and fighting? Was that the reason she was so uncertain? If that was the case, shouldn't she just go back to ZAFT?

_Damn it all! _she cursed, hating all the questions being brought up because of the whole ordeal. It was so much easier when she just didn't care about any of it.

"So, if I'm to be your enemy, then you might as well kill me now, Athrun Zala soldier of ZAFT!"

"Enemy entering the building. Don't have a good visual on the numbers. I'm guessing about fifteen," announced the same member of Team A. Almost right after he made the announcement, some men in black suits and shades ran into the room, spreading out and filing down the aisles. So distraught, Athrun didn't even notice the three that climbed up onto the stage behind him.

"You have our thanks, Athrun Zala."

"What is this?" the young commander asked, aiming his gun at the man speaking to him.

"Naturally, her fiancé would know her best," he continued. "You saved us some time. Now, please step away from her. She's a fugitive accused of treason. We have orders to use lethal force if need be. Are you _sure _you want to protect her?"

"T-those orders can't be right!" Athrun exclaimed, backing away and pulling Lacus behind him.

Eclipse waited for DaCosta's signal. She didn't want to prematurely start a gunfight, but she didn't want them to just take Athrun and Lacus either. "Lieutenant, I have a clear shot," she said into the radio, avoiding DaCosta's name in case the frequencies were being tapped. The last thing she wanted to do was blow the greencoat's cover.

He didn't respond, making the redhead a bit nervous. Someone had yet to sneak upstairs on her side, but that didn't mean someone hadn't over on the West side. DaCosta couldn't be taken out that easily, could he? "Lieutenant—"

"Commence interception," he announced and Eclipse saw one of the men aiming at Athrun topple to the ground with a bullet in his temple. Either DaCosta had _really _good aim or his shot to wound went a little array. The man next to him went down half a second later.

"Roger that," she replied and shot at an enemy hiding in the Eastern doorway. The bullet glanced off the woodwork, never coming close enough to harm the man. Killing him, however, was not Eclipse's objective. Probably guessing where the shot had come from, the man crouched down and inched outward, aiming up at the box seats. One of the Clyne Faction got him in the side as soon as he moved. "I owe you one, Team B."

"Thanks for getting him into the open," was the quick reply and Eclipse smirked. It was nice to be acknowledge in battle.

Or not.

A bullet grazed the railing of the booth, veering the bullet high enough to miss Eclipse's right shoulder and ear. Ideally, she wasn't supposed to get spotted, but since she and DaCosta had made the first shots, it was to be expected. She was just careless. Team B was supposed to be taking out the men on the main floor so she wasn't sure where the shot had come from. Gunfire was continuing from down below, so concentrating on sound was out of the question. Even the radio frequency was filled with random battle noises and some vague commands. It was hard to separate them all. One voice, though, she would always recognize; DaCosta. His cursing was faint, but as soon as she peeked over the railing to the other side of the theater, she understood his distress.

One of the enemy had snuck up behind him, probably figuring out his position as soon as DaCosta had killed the man by the stage. They were struggling over a gun, that was obvious from the enemy's desperation at getting something in DaCosta's right hand. Shots were being fired at random, one even hitting someone on the theater floor.

Cursing, Eclipse took aim, knowing she'd have to make herself pretty open to make an accurate shot. "Lieutenant, turn him towards the railing!" she shouted into her radio. There was no vocal response, but DaCosta's struggling started to gain an objective. The enemy's body was in her line of fire for a moment, but it wasn't long enough for a good shot. "Shit!"

Another—one of the last, she presumed—enemy on the floor noticed them from his spot behind a theater seat. Taking aim, he was waiting for much the same opportunity. With another curse, Eclipse adjusted her aim and fired. A bullet hit her railing at the same time she fired, sending her shot to go a little to the left. The man crumpled, however, a bullet wedged in his shoulder. Lining up her shot again, she fired and hit his neck.

Instinct and intuition took over next, as the redhead ducked low and turned just in time to see an enemy in the doorway to the box seat. The man shot as she turned, bit missed when Eclipse ducked, the enemy too greedy in going for a head shot. Bringing up her gun, she fired a shot, but it went wide. The man ducked behind the doorframe and Eclipse—who had ended up in a really bad position—scrambled to her right and forward towards the door.

The enemy reached around the frame and fired a shot, but barely missed, the bullet going through the baggy shirt of her uniform. Eclipse grabbed his arm and pulled him off-balance, bringing his forearm quickly down onto her knee. The man yelled when she heard the bone crack and was instantly dazed. He stumbled down the step, flailing and catching Eclipse by the shirt. Cursing, the redhead put a bullet through his hands, dislodged the grip, and watched as he tumbled over the railing.

The fighting had stopped soon after, Eclipse looking across the way for DaCosta. They made brief eye contact then he was running down the stairs to make sure Lacus was okay. The redhead did the same as soon as she made sure the room was clear.

Walking down the back steps, she hoisted herself up onto the stage once she entered the main area. DaCosta was standing next to Lacus, and Athrun beside him. So far, only the greencoat was the one to notice her. Eclipse saw the look DaCosta gave her, but she didn't back down under his gaze. Whether Athrun had sent her to those mad scientists or not, she was going to talk to him.

"Ready, Miss Lacus?" the greencoat asked, returning his attention to his real charge.

The girl nodded, turning to Athrun and smiling. "Thank you so much, Athrun."

"Are you finished here, Miss Lacus? I think it's time _we _got going as well."

She nodded. "Goodbye, Athrun. Thank you again for bringing my dear Pink back to me." Holding the ball up to her face, she smiled again before her face went uncharacteristically serious. "You'll find Kira on Earth. I suggest you have a talk with him. He _is _your friend." Turning to DaCosta, her grin appeared again. "Shall we get going then?" The greencoat nodded and turned to one of his team member beside him, pointing off to the back of the stage. The soldier nodded and ran off, two others following behind him. While the theater was most likely cleared, DaCosta wasn't about to take any chances with Lacus in tow.

"Lexi—" the greencoat began, but Eclipse held up a hand. Sighing, DaCosta just gave in and ushered Lacus out of the building. He could only take care of one stubborn female at a time.

Eclipse turned to Athrun and watched the young elite carefully, waiting until the others were gone before she started speaking. She really didn't care about the privacy, more like making sure the group escaped without anymore incident. She would have heard if something had gone terribly wrong. "So, what're you going to do?"

"Lexi? You're Lexi now?" he asked, avoiding her initial question. Perhaps he didn't have a really good answer just yet.

"More like I'm Lexi _again_," she corrected. "Well, sort of. I'm still getting used to the idea."

"You and me both," he replied, putting a hand to his forehead and plopping down onto the stage. Eclipse jumped forward as he fell—thinking he was injured—but he held up a hand to stop her and took a deep breath. Collecting himself, he flipped the safety on his handgun and set it on the floor next to him. "Kira's alive."

"I know."

"And back on Earth."

"Uh-huh."

"But I killed him."

"I thought so too."

The boy sighed, bending his legs and running a frustrated hand through his hair. "I don't believe it."

"What, that you killed him or that he's alive?"

"Both, I guess."

"Why?"

"Why?" he repeated. "Eclipse, you _saw _what happened! How the _hell _did he survive?"

"You don't sound too happy about it," she commented, walking over and sitting down in front of him. Stretching out her legs, she crossed her ankles and leaned back on her palms, the gun resting off to her right. When he didn't answer, she continued. "You don't believe her? Or is it you're afraid to see him then? Is that why you aren't rushing to Earth?"

"It's not that simple. I can't just leave the mili—" He stopped, biting his tongue as he recalled Lacus's words. What _was _keeping him around? His father? Someone whom he barely knew anymore? Suddenly, it hit him. He had been so engrossed in his own thoughts he hadn't even noticed how Eclipse's presence was a bit surprising. It was so natural for her to be by his side, he hadn't realized how much time had passed since they last saw each other. "What are you doing with Lacus?"

Sighing, she leaned her head back and stared at the ceiling. She didn't want to give out a lot of information because no matter how much she trusted him, Waltfeld and DaCosta were skeptical. She would never betray their trust and, after the greencoat's explanation, she was wary, even if only a little. So, what could she actually tell him?

"Eclipse, you look exhausted. What's been happening?"

She sighed again before bringing her head back down to eye level. "A lot's happened, Athrun. You heard the gist of it already."

"Aren't you going to fill me in on the rest then?"

"That depends, what do you plan on doing?"

Athrun figured she was going to come back around to his problems, but didn't have an honest answer for her. "I don't know," he said, hanging his head. "I've been a ZAFT soldier for the past three years and—well—my mother was killed because of the Earth Forces so I have to stay—"

"You _have _to?" Eclipse responded. "Tell me, what good does more fighting do? I don't see any end to this war so—"

"So, what? Are _you_ just going to run away from it all? Pretend that you were never part of it?"

"Don't put words in my mouth."

"Am I?" Athrun pressed, holding his hands out to the side as he continued. "Out of our whole team, Eclipse, you were the one I always thought would run for it any chance you had. But as time went on and you were always there the next morning, I figured I was wrong. But now you're here and with Lacus!"

"You don't know anything about it!" the redhead spat, surprising herself with how angry she was getting. "I was—" She stopped, closing her eyes and looking away. No, then wasn't the right time to bring up DaCosta's accusation. "I'm going back to Orb." They both paused, as if neither of them had expected that to come out of her mouth. In fact, neither of them did. Eclipse was just as surprised, staring wide-eyed over at the startled elite on the floor.

"Orb?"

Taking a second, she actually thought about it. Orb. Where else could she go? Wasn't she supposed to be Lexi Rymyr again? What better place to start over being herself than at home? Home. Could that place really be considered home anymore? Did she have a choice? Well, she could stay with the Clyne Faction, but would that solve anything? For the most part, she would just sit around all day trying to keep Lacus safe. That wasn't a bad thing necessarily, but it didn't seem like something she should be doing at that time. What should she be doing then? "Yes," she responded. "I'm going back to Orb."

Athrun hesitated. "Why?"

"I have some things to figure out, and starting over might be my only option."

The elite sighed, folding his hands in front of him. "Back to Orb?"

The redhead nodded, more confident in her decision. "Back to Orb."

* * *

(***)

Song: "Mizu no Akashi"

Singer: Tanaka Rie

Composer: Kajiura Yuki

Writer: Kajiura Yuki

Personal Notes: I take **no** credit for this song whatsoever. I do not own it, nor do I own any part of it. It is an insert song for _Gundam SEED_ and as such I felt it okay to put in the story. Since music is a main theme for this story, having the songs from the series worked well for both the plot and characterization. There will be more songs in the future for those same reasons.

Sincerely,

Strata-Assassin

* * *

**_A/N:_** Hey guys, this chapter took a while, didn't it? I guess I should've guessed it would, but I'm still really sorry. I'll blame school, work, and coaching, much like I always do. Also, NaNoWriMo starts soon (in one day) and I hope to get 50k again this year! Is anyone else going to try? I've managed to recruit about five more people from my classes and am very proud of my persuasive powers (insert evil laugh). :P Maybe I'll get some of you guys to do it too. Visit the site (www[dot]nanowrimo[dot]org) for more details!

Anyway, aside from my recruiting, my time is going to be even more limited than usual. I'll work on the next chapter, but I haven't really started it yet and have a lot to figure out. After all, I finally made it to Orb! …And have a lot more "new" characters for Eclipse to meet. Gah! I don't want to type name or talk about him, but I can't avoid it any longer! Damn you Kira Yamato! Ah well, I'm actually interested to see how Eclipse is going to take to him. I especially can't wait for you guys to officially meet the notorious Lathan Rymyr! Heh, perhaps that was a spoiler. Sorry. :P

Alright, enough of the future endeavors, let's focus a little more on the chapter. I have a feeling people are gonna want to read interactions between Lacus and Eclipse, but those'll have to wait until a little later. There's about a two month break after Orb is destroyed and they're in out space and that'll probably be a very interesting time. I need to do a little more on Eclipse and her inner self before describing her outer encounters in more detail. Be patient, okay?

This might sound a little mushy coming from me, but I'm rather proud of my little redhead. She's grown a lot, but has yet to lose her sarcastic personality. Such a trooper. :P What's even funnier is that everyone around her has gotten used to her ridiculous twist on feminine personality. Good thing there's people like Lacus Clyne to compliment her so well. And people like Namarra to just make things worse.

Thanks again for everyone who's been reading/reviewing this story even though the updates are becoming slower and slower. I'll be graduating soon and will have more time for this story eventually. Just wait a couple more months and I'll have so much time I'll be bored.

As usual my Betas are awesome. I usually have problems with authenticity and I'm beginning to think they know this story/Anime better than I do.

* * *

**_Questions/Gripes:_**

First off, I'd like to thank all the new people who are reviewing. I love hearing from new faces—as well as the old ones, don't worry—and enjoy seeing the different views on my story. Thanks!

_Asmus_: I know you and some other reviewers wanted Eclipse to really just lay to waste everything as she tried to escape, but that would've caused so much problems for her later on. Yes, the dramatics would've been so much fun, but—alas—I had to think about my fair redhead. Don't worry, she'll have her chance to cause a bit of damage later on.

* * *

Again, thanks for everything, guys, and I'll see you next chapter!


	42. Leaving Home To Go Home

Leaving Home to Go Home

The Stealth was just as she had left it, in pristine condition with an added layer of dust. She had heard they had tried finding a new pilot for the suit, but no one was able to step inside the suit let alone get it running. Apparently, they couldn't get the cockpit open. Even brute force ended in failure. Staring up at her suit, she smirked. The two of them shared more things in common than anyone had anticipated. Basic stubbornness being only one of those things. After that plan had failed, the military had decided to scrap it for extra parts. Commander Waltfeld had snagged the suit before that could happen and had it stored in the _Eternal _until there was need for it. If anything, the HiMat wings could be scrapped and used as a backup pair for the Freedom, so Waltfeld's superiors hadn't argued against his decision.

Bringing her finger up to her right ear, Eclipse started to press it inside, but then stopped when she felt only cotton. Frowning, she dropped her hand back to her side. She had forgotten the ear piece had been torn out. _Figures, _she thought, a shiver running down her spine when the echo of the sharp pain raced across her memory.

"Cold?" a familiar voice asked, causing Eclipse to turn around and face the newcomer. At first she thought it was DaCosta, coming to tell her it was okay for her to board the machine and hide in there until the _Eternal _started its military exercise. But instead of the familiar green coat and red hair, she saw a red uniform and orange hair.

She smiled. "Heine."

"You look surprised to see me," he remarked, walking to her side. "I _did _tell you I was assigned to this pink monstrosity, didn't I?"

Pausing, she tried to figure out what he meant by the statement, but soon chuckled quietly. The _Eternal _was pink; there was just no other color it could be called. Why the military decided on that color, she had no idea. She had planned on asking Commander Waltfeld, but never got around to it. "Now I remember. Lucky you."

"Yes, lucky me," he mused, turning to look at the Stealth. Eclipse watched him then, noticing how he composed himself. He was calmer, a little less animated. Part of her was sad about that but another part of her liked the changed, realizing he had grown up a little bit. "So, I almost painted the Stealth orange and blue. Complementary colors, ya know. I just wanted to make it—uh—make it," he paused, searching for the right word, "pop!"

Or maybe he hadn't changed as much as she had thought.

Instead of being exhausted like she normally would have, she snorted and tried to hold back a laugh, but failed. "Thank goodness you _didn't_!"

"Why not?" he asked, matching her smile. "There has to be _something_ about me that you're gonna remember."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Stopping her laughter, she turned towards him. He was looking at her suit again with a frown now on his face. _It looks too unnatural there_, she thought. "Heine?"

"DaCosta told me you're heading back to Orb."

She nodded. "Yeah. I guess there's no other place for me to go, huh?"

"No other place? Why can't you stay here? After all, your suit seems to enjoy this corner here."

"If I stayed here, ZAFT would just use me again. Aren't all of your guys against that?"

"Sure, but I didn't say rejoin ZAFT."

She just sighed, knowing what he was getting at, but not wanting to walk down that road. She knew she would be taken care of if she stayed in the PLANTs, but—ultimately—she wanted to avoid that. She had to start standing on her own feet if she wanted to figure out what the hell was going to become of her. Opening her mouth, she was about to make some lame excuse, but Heine cut her off by changing the subject.

"You wanna know something though?" he asked, the seriousness in his voice turning Eclipse's head back in his direction. "I've been thinking about it lately and it's probably a good thing you're leaving, even if I don't understand why."

"And why's that?"

"There's a warrant out for your arrest." That surprised her a bit. Staring wide-eyed at him, she nearly started yelling when he childishly poked her in the forehead. "Relax though," he continued. "It's out for Lunar Eclipse and not Lexi Rymyr."

"Wouldn't both names be on it?"

"You would think, but remember, Lexi Rymyr is the daughter of a council member in the Orb government. They state on the warrant you're wanted for deserting in the line of duty and, since Lunar Eclipse was the one listed in the ZAFT military and not Lexi Rymyr, there could be some political disputes if you were ever caught. Fighting with a neutral nation doesn't exactly get you brownie points with the people."

"That still doesn't mean I'm safe."

"How many people actually know you?" he asked, shrugging his shoulders. "Besides, there's a _long _list of deserters that's accumulated over the years. Even if you're given top priority, there isn't much that can be done. There's still a war going on, remember?"

"And that has a tendency to trump everything else," Eclipse added, feeling a bit better about her criminal status.

"Even if the war _was _to end, you would still be safe if you stayed in Orb. At least you might be able to hide better there under your real name. I don't see the ZAFT military announcing its direct connections to SIN-ED and the Januarias 4 facility any time soon."

She smiled then, glad to hear she might be able to leave her old life behind. Well, at least for a while. There were way too many questions for her to forget it entirely. "So what're you gonna do now? I hear your precious Freedom was stolen, so where they stickin' ya? Radar duty? Intelligence again?" She smiled as she spoke, mostly mocking him and his bad fortune, but when she saw the straight line his lips made, she started getting nervous. "Heine? I-I'm sorry—"

"I'm still being assigned a unit and I'm transferring to the Hawkins Team."

Eclipse blinked, still noticing the grim look on his face. When he had told her about the Freedom, he was ecstatic, but now he looked, "Hesitant."

"Huh?"

"You seem so much different than when I met you before. Why the change?"

He shrugged. "I think loosing the Freedom and finding out a little of what had happened to you seemed like some kind of sign."

"A sign?"

"Something like I'm getting to old for this shit."

Eclipse laughed and patted his shoulder. "You're only a couple years older than I am and at least ten years younger than half of our superiors." He only smiled in return, that look alone making her feel a bit better. Turning away, he stared up at the Stealth. Eclipse opened her mouth to talk, but then closed it. She almost told him about the Clyne Faction, figuring he didn't already know anything. He seemed to have come to the same realization most of them had already made but—given his position in the military and his authority as a redcoat—there really wasn't much he could do without the Faction's help. He could try to make some changes on the battlefield, but his choices were limited.

In the end, he would probably always choose his own survival.

The Clyne Faction might be what he had been seeking, so shouldn't she say something? After all, they always needed more members. Still, she hesitated, not wanting to spill anything she shouldn't and then leave without being able to help clean up the consequences. She trusted Heine, but the Clyne Faction was in such a delicate position at the moment. The only reason she was so quickly introduced was probably because she—technically—didn't exist anymore.

"You okay?" he asked, leaning his head down in front of her gaze to grab her attention. Apparently, she had been staring at the Stealth as well.

"Just thinking," she responded. "Don't worry about me so much."

"Hah," was all he said, pushing her shoulder. It was a childish move but she had to laugh. Their conversation had revolved around cheering each other up so far and not much more than that. They were both hiding something—she could tell that merely by how reserved he was—but neither of them were willing to share what was really on their minds. Maybe they didn't understand, maybe they just didn't want to burden the other person, or maybe they just didn't want to talk about it, choosing a brief silence instead of soiling the goodbye with depressing thoughts.

"I guess I should let you go," he said after a moment. "Don't do anything I wouldn't do."

"Don't you mean don't do anything you _would _do?" Eclipse replied, a little surprised by his sudden departure, but having the feeling she shouldn't stop him.

"That too."

He held back on his goodbye as well, putting a hand on her head and ruffling her hair like an older sibling would do to a younger one. It seemed so strange and reserved that her first reaction after confusion was anger. Turning, she yelled his name before he could get too far. He stopped and turned, the abruptness of the twist making her hesitate for a moment. "Stay safe," she said, meaning every word, but feeling cheated by them as well. However, he seemed to understand.

He always did.

"You too, Lexi. And whether you like it or not," he continued, turning away and waving an arm above his head, "I'm sure we'll see each other again. Say hello to Lathan for me!" he added before he rounded the corner and disappeared.

"Whether I like it or not, huh?" she mused, turning back to her machine. "I guess we have no choice but to survive then, right Coffee Addict?" She didn't expect an answer—especially since her earpiece was ripped out—but was happy still to know she had something to look forward to.

* * *

"Stealth, ready to go?" DaCosta asked over the radio. He was using the line from the bridge, and since the _Eternal_ was on a routine military exercise, the crew members picked for the ship were all from the Clyne Faction. Really it was just a lucky draw, but Eclipse had been more than thankful for the added assurance.

"Affirmative, bridge. Mirage Colloid initiated and the Stealth is in the starboard airlock as planned." There was a pause on the other end, making Eclipse a bit nervous. With the Colloid active, the plan was for her just to slip out of the side hatch during the exercise. Seeing as it was only scrap metal, they figured her escape would be relatively easy especially after DaCosta had started the rumor it had been fully disabled for parts earlier that day. So far, it was catching on.

"Bridge?" she asked over the transmission, feeling the sweat gather in her palm and dissolve into her red pilot suit. If she was forced to fight her way back to earth, she wouldn't stand a chance. One suit against an entire army was never good odds and since she had no ammo, the battle would have gotten really ugly and fast. And evoking the Berserker seemed too rash to say the least. "DaCosta—"

"All clear, Stealth," Waltfeld said instead of his second-in-command. The deep voice actually startled her for a moment, thinking the commander was too involved with the exercise to have one last word with her. "You can commence in approximately six minutes." He paused and started talking again before Eclipse could confirm the information. "You're _really _sure about this?"

She sighed. Waltfeld had been hesitant to let her leave the moment she had sprouted the idea on him three days ago. The timing couldn't have been worse either since Lacus and her father had been officially declared traitors about a half hour after Eclipse shared her news. Since then, Waltfeld and DaCosta had been trying to talk her out of it, but for the first time in her life she was going to stick with the decision _she _made on her own. No more orders.

"Yes, Commander, I'm sure. If you ever need me—"

"You're a call away, I know," he finished, sounding disappointed in her decision. Eclipse had to smile though. She was glad there was someone who honestly cared about her safety. "Four more minutes, Stealth. Don't miss the drop time. Waltfeld out."

"Thanks, Commander,"

"Good luck, Lexi."

There was some rustling and DaCosta was back on the line. "You'll be arriving in Orb at roughly 0900." He paused. "Keep safe, Lexi, and don't do anything reckless." She could hear the sincerity in his voice and she was touched. Maybe she really shouldn't be leaving.

_No, _she thought, biting her bottom lip. _This is something I have to do. I have to get out of the PLANTs._

"DaCosta out."

Her breath caught in her throat the second the transmission ended, too lost in her thoughts to realize he might have been waiting for some kind of response from her. She hoped not. It was strange how much she was becoming attached to people all of a sudden. The time when Stray and FS were her only friends seemed like years ago. But the new attachments came with a price, especially when it concerned the Clyne Faction.

There was no guarantee they would survive.

Taking a deep breath, she stared at the counter on the screen in front of her and waited for it to reach zero. Pushing the left lever forward, Eclipse carefully fingered in the code on the panel beside the hatch. There was a loud click and the door opened, falling downward slowly as the trapped oxygen was sucked outside. Looking up and over to her right, she stared at the red emergency light, hoping no one touched the controls after she had altered the wiring. If she had done it right, the sensor should be disabled and the alarm wouldn't start going off until the hatch had opened all the way. She planned on shorting the system long before then so—technically—it would start going off long after she was clear of the _Eternal_.

The hatch had fallen half way when Eclipse pulled up the Stealth's operating system to double check the Scylla output in the left hand. Finding the electric output still low, she put the Stealth's hand on the control box and fired. After a loud pop and some fizzling, she pulled the hand away and watched as the hatch stopped. _Here we go_, she thought and guided the machine through the gap and out into space. The _Eternal _made a sharp turn away from her position as soon as she was clear and Eclipse couldn't help but take a moment to watch it. "Things are going to be a bit different now," she said, mainly talking to herself, but when the screen in front of her flashed, "No shit," she laughed. After all that time, it was good to know her suit hadn't lost its sense of humor.

* * *

Getting into Orb's airspace wasn't easy, especially when Eclipse considered the fact that she was in a mobile suit attempting to land in the territory without and kind of clearance code. She had given every indication that she had come in peace, but the best reply she could get was being directed off to one of the uninhabited islands near the north side of the main island. Opening the cockpit, she held her arms up.

"Get out of the machine!"

Keeping her hands up as much as she could, she climbed out onto the front of the Stealth and grabbed the zip chord, staring at the ground as she neared. She didn't have to look up in order to know there were guns pointed at her. In fact, she could hear the nervous shifting of fingers across the sides of their semi-automatics and practically feel their eyes behind the barrels aiming in her direction. Taking off her helmet and putting a foot on the grass—she went inland instead of having the Stealth sit visible on the shoreline—she held her arms up again. "My name's Lunar Ec—" She stopped herself and sighed. It was about time she got used to saying her name again. "Lexi Rymyr."

"Rymyr?" one of the men asked, looking to be in charge. He was older than the rest of his team and seemed to have had the most battle experience. He wasn't gripping his weapon as tightly as the others beside him and, while that may have been comforting to Eclipse, just watching the others shifting nervously made her nervous. He had lowered his gun a little bit in order to speak to her, so the others were the ones she had to worry about being trigger happy. She didn't anticipate it happening—they were trained soldiers after all—but she felt terribly vulnerable without a weapon of her own.

"Sir, it's the base," announced someone from the back, probably the person in charge of the radio. "They're wondering if they should send backup."

The leader hesitated for a moment, still looking at Eclipse as if he either didn't completely believe her, or he believed her so much he couldn't believe himself. Finally he spoke. "Negative. Tell them we're bringing the pilot back with us."

"Roger that."

Eclipse sighed and felt her muscles begin to relax. Sure, it wasn't _great _news but she was at least one step closer to proving her identity. _But then what?_ she asked herself. She got to Orb like she had planned but now what the hell was she going to do? _I sounded so much surer of myself when I was talking to Athrun and Heine._

They shuffled her into one of the military helicopters, forcing her to sit between three Orb soldiers—one on her left and two on her right—and across from two others. To put it lightly, she was squished. It wasn't as if she expected anything less, but a little breathing room would have been appreciated, especially since she didn't even attempt to attack the country. _In times of war though, _she thought with a sigh and just grinned at one of the soldiers when he cast a glare her way. Surprised, his emotion changed from anger to suspicion, narrowing his eyes slightly as if trying to figure out what the female pilot was thinking. The look was so intense—and she felt as if he was getting a bit too personal with his stare—she looked away and out the side just as the helicopter took off.

It didn't take long to get to the base. When they landed, Eclipse was shuffled out onto the cement and immediately had guns on her back again. Deciding not to make things worse for herself this time, she stayed silent and followed where they pointed.

"You said over the radio you had Lexi _Rymyr_? Is that true?" an older pilot asked, running up to the group as soon as they were clear of the helicopter. No one replied and the man walked beside them, glancing every now and again back at Eclipse. Gradually, she became embarrassed, not liking all the attention. She had gone from no one taking a second look at her to people purposefully staring at her. _It's like I never left_, she thought with a sigh, realizing the moment a couple more older soldiers ran up to the group that it was even worse than before. Either that or she had been too involved in herself to register what had been going on. _I wonder if it's still like this for Cags_.

"Colonel Kisaka," she heard one of the soldiers say. Her mind—still lost in thought—hadn't realized they had stopped until she nearly ran into the man in front of her. Backing up a couple of inches, she saw the soldiers salute. "Sir."

"What happened? Who's this?" The voice was deep and crisp, but not without the hint of warmth Eclipse had remembered from all those years ago. She couldn't see the colonel because the soldiers were blocking her view, but she still felt his presence; the commanding guardian she had come to respect and the same man she had come to betray by leaving without even writing a letter. Cringing, she looked in the other direction.

"Sir, an unknown mobile suit flew into our airspace about 0900 hours and we directed it over to Farfane Island. The pilot made no motion to attack and we have her here with us now."

"Her? The rumors are true then?"

Eclipse looked up at the soldier talking, seeing him lean forward to whisper to the Colonel. "We brought her here to have you confirm that, sir."

Kisaka put a hand on his shoulder and pulled him aside. The man was tall and dark skinned, his shadow towering over Eclipse and making her feel even smaller than she had when she was little. His hair was the same shade of blue, surprising her since she expected him to have _some _grey strands—especially since she figured he was still looking after Cagalli. "Who are you?" he asked.

"Lexi Rymyr," she responded, avoiding his eyes. She was about to make some kind of quip about how if he couldn't recognize her his eye sight must be failing, but she bit her lip, figuring that wasn't the best time. The guns still jamming into her back definitely helped her keep her mouth shut. She felt Kisaka's eyes checking her over carefully, but she still tried not to look into them. Glancing back and forth between the two soldiers at his sides, she stared at one a bit too long by accident and his forehead wrinkled in annoyance. Looking away, she decided to stare at her feet instead.

"Prove it," Kisaka said after another moment.

Hesitating, she tried to remember something. Anything. But that was harder to do than she had anticipated. After repressing so many memories for so long, the last thing she wanted to do was unbury the nightmares.

"Speak."

She sighed, thinking of something, but it wasn't going to make Kisaka look good. "When I was about five, the princess Cagalli and I snuck under the fence of the main estate. Our parents were away on a two day conference to Scandinavia. You," she pointed at Kisaka, "were in charge. We were lost—well, we hid on the property for four hours."

Everyone was silent as she explained. Two of the soldiers covered up smiles and one of them behind her whistled quietly. Kisaka, however, must not have been as amused. "Look at me."

_No,_ she thought and almost said it out loud. Hell, she wanted to. Instead, she slowly turned her eyes upward and met his gaze, gradually gaining more confidence as she stared. Now those were _exactly _like she had remembered. Judgmental, strict, demanding, and—most of all—the gentle eyes of a parent who always understood more than he should have. Eclipse had been scolded so many times by that man and each time she had been scared shitless. Now, she could finally match that look. Perhaps that was a positive thing on her part—showing she had grown over the years—or it was a bad thing. After all, if her childhood bodyguard and babysitter couldn't scare her anymore, nothing could.

"Kisaka! Is it true?" Eclipse recognized the voice immediately and even though it had matured over the years, there was no mistaking that sound. Her eyes widened as she heard footsteps running in their direction and her breath stopped when she saw a pale hand grip the colonel's elbow. "Is Lexi really—" She stopped and turned then, probably seeing Eclipse's red coat and red hair out of the corner of her eye. Cagalli's mouth dropped as her expression shifted from hopeful to utter surprise.

For a couple of seconds, they just stared at each other, neither one having the breath to initiate a conversation or even to say the smallest of greeting. The first sign of motion was when the blonde's eyes started glistening with small tears.

"H-hey," Eclipse said, offering a weak smile as well. Cagalli didn't respond right away, her head bowing in a sort of defeated remorse, but when Eclipse saw her hands clench at her sides, her muscles tensed.

"Y-you little—" She didn't finish, her hand coming up and around to try and smack Eclipse in the face. Such a quick attack would have worked when they were younger, but Eclipse had anticipated the assault and snagged her wrist just before her fingers could graze her cheek. The slap was just as loud, however, Eclipse's palm connecting with Cagalli's wrist with a smack that sounded almost threatening as it echoed off the surrounding buildings. The blonde's eye widened in amazement for a moment before she swung her other hand around to try again. Eclipse ducked under that one, still holding onto her other arm.

"Cags, I can explain—"

"You better as _hell _explain! You and your brother just suddenly disappear and now you both come back to tell me that you've been with—with ZAFT?"

Eclipse blinked, watching Cagalli's shoulders move up and down in rage and deep breaths. "Lathan's here?"

"_That's _the most important thing you picked from that?" Her voice screeched at the beginning of the sentence, telling Eclipse more about her anger than the words alone. Shit, she was pissed. "Listen when I'm yelling at you, damn it!"

"Oh, trust me, there's no one here who _can't _help but hear your scolding." Eclipse smirked and tightened her grip when she tried to pull her hand free. Some things just never changed.

"Cagalli," Kisaka said softly, trying to calm the Orb princess.

But it was never that easy.

"I thought I was seeing things back in Banadiya, but here you are, dressed like that and flying in a mobile suit! What were you—why did you—how could—" She lost steam, her muscles relaxing in defeat and her shoulders slumped in exhaustion. The soldiers around them seemed to calm down as well, Eclipse hearing more than a couple thankful sighs. She let go of Cagalli's hand when she was sure she wouldn't attack again. Seeing her so distressed, Eclipse almost said she was sorry, but bit her tongue. Her apology would have meant nothing and probably would have made her angry again. Besides, a sorry wasn't going to change anything. All it could do was stir up old memories and emotions, not mend them like so many people thought it would. No, the bruises Eclipse had caused couldn't be cured by the mere utterance of words. Hell, she wasn't even sure time would stitch the wounds.

"Come, let's go inside," Kisaka suggested, pulling Cagalli along beside him.

Eclipse waited a couple of seconds before following, listening to the whispers around her and feeling her own anger grow. "I guess that's the _real _Lexi Rymyr then."

"Yeah," another replied, "I can tell. It would've been a shame if the Princess's anger ended up killing her on her grand return though." They laughed lightly at the comment and Eclipse scowled.

"No, it's going to take more than a name change to bring back the real Lexi," she muttered, only taking a step forward when a soldier nudged her after the others.

* * *

The next person she saw was her uncle, Lord Uzumi. Technically, he was her second uncle, but he was considered more of an uncle than her real one because of Eclipse's relationship with Cagalli. It was ironic how things turned out sometimes because her dad's brother was one of those people who enjoyed throwing his money around. The authoritative Lord Uzumi was more her type apparently. He was a tall man with a stare even stricter than Kisaka's. Given his position in the Orb government, that was to be expected, but that look was more like something her father would give her than something like the former representative of Orb would.

Maybe that was why she felt so nervous.

No one had spoken yet even though they had all been standing in the board room for a couple of minutes. Like everyone else, Lord Uzumi seemed to be just as surprised to see her and just as speechless. Unlike the other soldiers, however, if he was going to open his mouth it was going to be more of a scolding nature than that of a happy welcome. Perhaps he and his daughter were more alike than she had realized.

"Lexi." She cringed. "I'm glad to see you're safe."

That was unexpected. Cracking open an eye she looked up just in time to watch his hand fall down on top of her head, forcing a blush from her cheeks. Her immediate reaction was to cower away, but she swallowed her pride and stood still. "We were all pretty worried when you and Lathan left, but it's nice to see you both well."

"Thank you," she muttered.

"And your parents will be overjoyed to see you as well."

Eclipse instantly tensed, her muscles stiffening so much she began to shake. Her parents. _Oh, dear God, my parents. _After all of the commotion, her parents had been the last thing on her mind. Sure, she had talked about it a little bit with Waltfeld but—well—she was hoping she'd never get to see them. Futile effort, yes, but she was still wishing.

"I shall inform them immediately."

"No—" she croaked, grabbing the cuff on his jacket as he was pulling away. But, after realizing how foolish she must have looked, she let it go and looked away.

"No?"

"Nevermind."

"You don't want to see them?"

"But Lexi, they'll be so excited to see you!" Cagalli said, only added kerosene to the fire. "They cried when they saw Lathan so they'll be even happier to know that you're—"

"A ZAFT pilot?" The blonde bit her bottom lip and turned away after the comment. "Yes, I bet they'll be overjoyed."

"But you are safe," Kisaka said, putting a hand on the table. "For a parent, that trumps everything."

"Even _my_ parents?" Eclipse asked, adding a little venom to the question. She loved her parents, but given her past, she wasn't so sure they would willingly accept the fact that their daughter had become a killing machine.

"_Any_ parent," Lord Uzumi stressed, taking a sidelong glance over at Cagalli who looked away. "No matter what happened in the past, we are always happy to see our children safe."

Eclipse had no response to that. Hell, what _could _she say? She wasn't a parent and even if she thought she knew differently from past experiences, there was that chance her folks had changed over the years. Albeit, a small chance, but it was still there. Perhaps that was what kept her from continuing the argument. Either way, Eclipse had to interact with them eventually. She could avoid it as long as she dared, but it all came down to whether or not she wanted to meet them on her terms or on theirs.

"Whatever the case, please let me be the one to contact them."

"And how do we know you _will _talk to them?" Kisaka asked, obviously knowing her better than she had anticipated.

"If you don't hear of our meeting within forty-eight hours, you can tell them yourself. Until then, please stay out of it." There was that desperation in her voice again and how Eclipse hated hearing it come out of her mouth. She sounded so pathetic. Not wanting to see her parents? It was as if she had digressed to a toddler all over again.

It took a moment, but Lord Uzumi eventually nodded.

"Thank you."

"Is there anything you'd like to do now?" Cagalli asked. The tone of her voice made her sound eager to get out of the room. Perhaps that accusing glance from her father had given her the uncomfortable itch Eclipse was starting to feel.

"I'd like to get my suit, if you don't mind."

Kisaka and Lord Uzumi exchanged looks, making that itch grow in intensity. Instead of asking, however, she waited for one of them to respond. "Your suit will be under our supervision until you have need of it," Kisaka explained.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"A ZAFT mobile suit flying around on its own will cause an uproar with the people. Not many know you're back home let alone a mobile suit pilot. Now," Lord Uzumi put up a hand when Eclipse opened her mouth to argue, "I understand we have done similar things in the past and you know you are always welcome in Orb, but we must take this precaution. The world's at war and—as you probably know—we have an ex-Earth Alliance ship under our protection."

Eclipse's eyes went wide after that and her breath quickened. They had housed the _Archangel_ before, could it be that ship again? But he had said "_ex-_Alliance." Why would they leave the military? And if it really was that ship, then that would mean the Strike pilot—

"I don't think you are here because of that," Lord Uzumi continued, cutting off her thoughts, "however, with so much going on I can't take that chance."

Pausing, Eclipse waited for him to finish before putting the puzzle pieces together. If the ship really was the _Archangel_, could she even stay in the same country without trying to destroy it? After everything her team had gone through because of that ship, was she willing to stand beside it? Beside _that pilot_?

"Lexi, do you understand?"

She looked up at her uncle once again and nodded numbly, her mind fighting against personal duty and her duty to the greater good. Lacus was working right then to stop the war up in the PLANTs and Eclipse's pride was wanting to keep it going down on Earth. That just couldn't happen. Swallowing, she turned to Cagalli next. "Can I see Lathan now?"

The blond seemed confused at first—probably by the sudden topic change—but eventually she nodded, turning to her father for confirmation only after she had agreed. Cagalli hadn't changed much at all. Sure, deep down Eclipse could tell she had matured, but there were some quirks she would never get rid of, her recklessness and stubbornness. It was nice to know there was something stable in Orb she could count on.

* * *

After the board room it was like a parade as she was lead to one of the hangers. Cagalli had to do some asking around to find Eclipse's brother, but as soon as she heard Lathan had been working on one of the new modeled mobile suits, the two girls were off. The only problem Eclipse really had with the parade was all the people coming over to see the "real" Lexi Rymyr.

Damn, she was getting sick of Orb already.

Eclipse saw him first. Well, she saw his ass first. Sticking out of one of the new Orb models was the unmistakable backside of her older brother, swaying back and forth to the music playing out of the cockpit. Leave it to him to install the music player before the main operating system. She knew it was him, there was just no other person it could be. Cagalli had said he had arrived roughly three weeks ago and—after taking some days to prove he was back in Orb for good—he was allowed to start working on Orb's new defense, the Astrays. So, there he was, the mechanical extraordinaire and Heine's best friend, scratching his ass.

"Lathan!" Eclipse shouted, running closer to the machine. "Stop itching your hole and get down here to give your sister a hug!"

"Audrey, I told you to stop looking at—" He stopped, his mouth dropping in surprise and his hands flying into the air. "Lexi, by Joe, you're alive!" Eclipse smiled at the expression and waited for the platform to hit the hanger floor before she jumped and wrapped her arms around his neck.

Not ready for such an animate hello, he stumbled backwards a couple of inches. "Ah, my glasses!" She felt his arm reach over her shoulder to push them back up his nose, his short, strawberry blonde hair scratching across her cheek as he moved. He wrapped his arms around her back after the adjustment, squeezing her hard and swinging her about wildly. "Did you get my letter? Oh, I'm sure you did! And how about the CA System? Do you like it? Most of it was Heine's idea, y'know." He put her down on the ground and held her at arm's length before scooping her up once again. "I'm so happy to see you _alive_!"

"Of course I'm alive, you twit," she replied and patted his back so he would let her go. "You thought I'd die that easily? I'm offended."

"You're right, I practically made the Stealth indestructible."

"You did _not._" She laughed. "Sure, it's gone through a lot of scrapes and bruises, but I would _never _say it was indestructible."

"Aw, now I'm the one offended. And here I worked so hard on that too." Sticking out his bottom lip, his eyebrows lowered in a pout, surprising Eclipse with how convincing it really was. She had never known her brother was capable of such persuasion, but there he was being just as animated as Heine. Awed, she shook her head and punched him lightly on the shoulder. She should have anticipated he would act a lot like that redcoat.

"You're ridiculous."

"Thank you!" He smiled and pulled her into another hug, a more genuine one than the two before it. "Really though, sis, how'd the CA system work out?"

"Well," she began, glancing behind her to see if Cagalli or the other guards had decided to follow them over. They had given them some privacy—which was nice—Cagalli talking to a brown-haired mechanic and an older woman Eclipse recognized as Erica Simmons. She would say hello to her later. Turning back to her brother's curious face, she sighed and pointed to the cotton ball in her right ear. "It was working great until an unfortunate run in with some mad scientists."

"My baby!" Lathan yelled, cupping her face in his hands and twisting her head so that he could get a better look at her damaged ear. Somehow, Eclipse didn't think the "baby" comment was her.

"Ouch!"

"Where did it go? My goodness, if someone else got their hand on that technology—Lexi you were supposed to take _great_ care of it! I-I trusted you!"

"Did you miss the part—ow, damn it!" She slapped his hands away. "Did you miss the part about mad scientists?"

He paused, his face slowly twisting from panic down to an angry kind of seriousness. "What do you mean?"

Eclipse looked around again and put two hands on his shoulders. "Can we talk about this somewhere else?"

"Uh, yeah. I have a small work office here." Grabbing one of her wrists, he pulled her back behind the machine he was working on and down to one of the far doors. Eclipse offered up a quick wave to Cagalli—she hoped she saw it—and let Lathan drag her outside and over to a small building just outside the hangar. Stopping at the door, he entered a code and they walked inside.

It looked like a smaller dormitory, a common room with a table, chairs, and a kitchen off to their right with about six rooms branching off from it, each with their own door and separate key code. Walking down to the farthest one on the left, Eclipse looked away as Lathan punched in another code to open the door. Inside was a desk with two computer screens and a stack of papers off to the side. There were small cubicles above the screens filled with books and more paperwork. The rest of the room was filled with cork boards and on those boards were blueprints, an _abundance_ of blueprints. Some overlapped each other there were so many. There were schematics for tanks, small artillery vehicles, helicopters, and the largest amount for mobile suits. She even saw the name MW-979ca STEALTH on one of the rolled up blueprints in the corner. Reaching down, she picked it up but before she could open it, Lathan took it from her hands. "No, explain first." Pulling over his desk chair, he shoved her into the seat and found a clear spot in the floor to sit down.

She started at the beginning; there was really no other place. There were times he didn't seem as surprised to hear about what had happened, like when she started talking about the facility on Januarias 4. Most likely Heine would have filled him in a little bit and they might have even done some research on their own since she was directly involved. If they did, however, he didn't say anything, only breaking into her story every now and again to either grab them something to drink or some food. Surprisingly, he seemed fine throughout the whole explanation, nodding at the appropriate places and keeping his mouth shut for the rest of it, letting her tell everything to the best of her memory. When she got to the medical business, though, his entire demeanor changed. Getting up, he started pacing the room, waving his arm to keep her talking when she started hesitating.

"You don't remember anything?"

Eclipse shook her head. "I remember _little_, not _nothing_."

"I'm no doctor, but they had to have given you some fucked-up drugs."

"I don't even think you have to be a doctor to know or even agree with that."

"And they were the ones that," he pointed to his right ear and then hers, "took out the system?"

"I think 'tore' is a better word."

He cringed. "I'm sorry I made that thing so permanent. I figured we'd either see each other again so I could take it our properly or—well—" He stopped, looking away and plopping back down onto the floor.

"Or I'd die in battle, right?" He nodded and she sighed. "It's alright to admit it Lathan. After retelling what I've been through I can't help but wonder how the hell I survived it all too."

"But I really _wanted_ you to live! Don't think that I—"

"Oh give me a break, Lathan. I'd never think that."

He smiled weakly. "So, you'll forgive me for the earpiece?"

She blinked. "I didn't know there was anything to forgive. Yes, that thing was a pain in the ass—well—head when it attached to my eardrum, but it was a huge help with maintenance, and just the whole shebang." She paused after saying 'shebang' and scowled at his smug look. "What I mean to say is, it's one of your better ideas, Lathan. The after effects I could do without," she pointed to the cotton in her ear, "but if you could make another one, I'd willingly put it back in."

"Really?"

She nodded.

"You're not just saying that because you think I don't have another one, right? I mean, you said it was rather painful."

"You have another one?"

He nodded.

She gulped. "I mean it. Really I do."

"Good, but we'll worry about that later." His smile made her face grow pale. Did she really just agree to have _another _one of those things attach to her ear? Wow, she must really be getting masochistic if that was the case.

"One condition. Is there any way you can make it less visible? So that it doesn't happen again?"

He thought about that for a moment and then shrugged. "I might be able to come up with something."

"Good," she breathed.

They were quiet for a little bit, Eclipse trying to recall where she had left off in their conversation and Lathan sitting quietly on the floor waiting for her to say something. Or so she figured. "Lathan, back at the medical—"

"Do you know _why _they did all of that to you?" he interrupted, fiddling with his shoelaces.

Pausing, she tried to remember if she had said anything about her Berserker half and sighed when she remember she had conveniently left that part out. She had told him virtually everything else, so why not go into the supposed reason she had been a lab rat and point out how without that half she probably would really be as dead as he had anticipated. But could she do that? Really let him in on such a sadistic part of herself? But after everything, could she leave him out of it? Every time her other half had come up in conversation, the other person had known about the effects, or at least had a sense of what was going on. Lathan was new to the whole thing and telling him seemed to break some sort of innocence for her. Since the others basically stumbled upon the information accidentally, it seemed unfair to not give her brother a fair warning. After all, seeing the Berserker in action was far worse than hearing about it but this way he wouldn't be caught off guard. It was the best thing to do, right?

"Lathan," she began, trying to find the right words, "there's something different about me; something I can't really explain." She heard him look up at her, but her attention went straight to her hands, not wanting to look into his eyes directly. "I have this other half who's sadistic, warmongering, powerful, and—most of all—completely insane. They call it my Berserker half, even though I'm not entirely sure how it even works or came about." She paused. "I just know I hate it so much, but I am so thankful for it at the same time."

"Thankful for it?"

"It's saved me so many times, but it's just so—just so—impulsive!" she blurted, clenching her hands and feeling them shake in frustration. "All it cares about is the death and the gore, enjoying the torture far more than the killing—sometimes. Getting out of that facility was—" She stopped and closed her eyes, blocking out the Berserker's memories once more before they invaded her thoughts. She really didn't want to know what had happened. "Lathan, I let her take over and we got out, that was all I cared about! I don't know how she did it or anything, just that when I was back outside, I was safe again. I-I _hate _that I rely on her so much!"

"Lexi, stop."

"I should be stronger than that! After all, _I _was the one to go through all of that training on Januarias 4, not her! I learned all of those things so I should be able to take care of myself!"

"Lexi—"

"There are so many times I could've killed comrades because she—"

"Lexi!"

"—wanted to have some fun!" She felt his firm hands on her shoulders and stopped talking, although the shaking was still out of her control.

"Whatever happened, it's over, alright? You're safe now."

"No I'm not," she spat, feeling the words come out of her mouth like acid on her tongue. "How can I be safe from myself?"

He didn't have an immediate answer, just sighed and shook his head. "I don't know enough about this in order to help you right now, but you _have _to give me some time. I'll figure it out."

She wanted to say, "No you won't," but stopped herself, realizing it was her Berserker half who really wanted to spit out the words. She bit her lip then and turned away.

"Lexi, no matter what is going on in here," he tapped her forehead, "I _need _you to understand that you're still safe. Can you do that for me? Can you let down your guard and let others help you?"

She knew the last question was from his past experiences with her and it made her feel foolish. She hadn't changed much at all either, totally relying on herself to do things instead of letting other people help her. She thought back to Commander Waltfeld, DaCosta, Lacus and even Heine in space. They had offered her shelter and protection, but she turned it down to go back to Orb on her own and what? Find herself again? How could she find herself when she was spread between two halves in a country that only cared about her last name? Shouldn't she have been somewhere with people who understood and wanted to help her? Given, Lathan had just proven to her he was going to do all he could to figure things out, but what about the rest of her family? Why did she just abandon her comrades in space to come back to a place she hadn't called home in years?

"Please let me help you," he repeated, shaking her shoulders lightly.

_That was why,_ she realized, feeling her breath clog in her throat and her face grow warmer from the raw emotion hiding behind her eyes. _Because I was afraid to let them help me, covering it up with some lame excuse like wanting to start over. How could I start over?_

"Lexi?"

"Fine," she said at last, turning her head down and away so that he couldn't see her face. "I'll stay a while."

Eclipse heard him sigh and whisper a small thank you before getting back to his feet. "I'll get us some coffee." She knew it was just a copout so she could have some time alone, but she was thankful for his brotherly intuition. She refused to cry, but if he was in there, she would never gather up enough confidence not to. Gulping down the tears, she raised her head and took a deep breath. Maybe, with Lathan's help, she could finally get some answers.

* * *

When Eclipse left Lathan's office, it was well passed dinner time. She didn't know she had been talking to her brother for well over four hours and now as she walked back outside and back over to the hangar, she couldn't help but wonder where all the military personnel had gone off to. There were some people still left working on some machinery, but—for the most part—everyone was gone for the night. "Most of the mechanics are either eating right now or have gone home for the night," Lathan explained. "The late shift should be coming in pretty quick, but we try to give some time so the workers can see their families."

She nodded. "Makes sense. So, does that mean you're done for the night too?"

"Me, no? I don't have a family to go back to and I basically live out of my office, so why bother?"

"Lathan—"

"Don't you start patronizing me, sis. I know very well you worked like a dog in space too."

Not wanting to lose the argument, she shut up and followed him back to his machine. She was hoping to run into Cagalli again so that the two of them could catch up, but she doubted her cousin would still be in the hangar. After all, the blonde had to eat as well and no matter how much Cagalli loved hanging around the tech geeks—or so Eclipse figured after seeing her get along so well with the mechanics—there was no way her daily duties would let her stay there all day.

Or not.

"Lexi! _There _you are!" Cagalli shouted, running towards them and waving her arm. She said hello to Lathan as she neared who returned the greeting. "When you didn't come back in an hour or so I went looking for you two."

"Sorry, Cags, we were in my office," Lathan explained. "I have been showing her a bunch of technical stuff."

"I figured as much." The blonde shrugged, making Eclipse happy to know she hadn't been keeping too close of tabs on her. It was nice to know she wasn't being followed for once. "I've just been at the simulation arena most of the day. Wanna go, Lexi?"

Eclipse was surprised by Cagalli's invite and was even more surprised to hear that she had been there most of the day already. Yes, the two of them had taken combat lessons with Kisaka in the past, but she never thought an Orb Princess would have need of mobile suit practice as well. "Well—I—"

"Cagalli!" someone called from the other side of the hangar, walking towards them in much the same manner Cagalli had done a moment earlier. Waving his hand in the air, Eclipse recognized him as being the brown-haired mechanic Cagalli had been talking to earlier. "Miriallia and I are going to grab some food. Wanna come with us?" His speech slowed as he turned to see Eclipse, the last few words rolling off his tongue in a slow monotone. "I-I'm sorry, do I know you? You look really familiar."

Eclipse immediately shook her head, narrowing her eyes in order to get a better look at him. He appeared normal enough, but those purple eyes of his were a bit unnerving.

"Oh, Kira, this is my cousin, Lexi. I know you met her brother the other day, but she just arrived this morning," Cagalli said, introducing the two of them.

"K-Kira?" Eclipse breathed, the name falling out of her mouth before he could say anything more. She was stunned. She should have expected Kira's age, given how close he was with Athrun, but he looked so damn young. For a second, she wondered what she looked like to everyone else, but her questioning and insecurity shifted instantly to anger when the boy stretched out his hand to shake hers. She felt her eyes narrow, going so far as to give her a slight headache from the intensity of the stare.

"So we _do _know each other," he said, a light smile curling up his lips.

Eclipse saw it as a smirk, the devilish smile waltzing on his face. His eyes danced with it, showing the age and knowledge behind that purple stare, but Eclipse still saw the devil sitting there flicking her off as if to say, "Come to Hell with me." This was the pilot who had slaughtered Nicol. Who had destroyed Aisha. Who had almost killed Waltfeld.

And had nearly killed Athrun.

The boy stood there for a couple moments longer, Eclipse watching his hand descend slowly back to his side. Something flashed across his eyes, almost as if he suddenly realized where he had recognized her from. If he had remembered Banadiya, then he would have known she was a pilot, or at least a ZAFT soldier.

Others had walked over to see what was going on and started whispering when Eclipse didn't take his hand, their quiet hissing solidifying the idea that she was really standing in Hell. Did they honestly expect her to touch those fingers? To touch the same hand that killed so many close friends? If she was going to take his hand, it should have been to lead him to death, not to welcome him into her life.

"Lexi," she heard Lathan breathe into her deafened right ear, the echo of the word making her regret her actions for just a moment.

She looked at Kira then, trying to find some reason for her to take back her initial reaction. After all, wasn't she supposed to start making amends? Wouldn't forgiving the one pilot she loathed be a good start? As soon as she made eye contact, his face softened and his eyes glistened.

Pity.

Well, that only made things worse.

Curling her fingers, her hand went instantly from her side to his left cheekbone, her knuckles scraping across his boyish features and—hopefully—doing more to him than just bruising his ego. He stumbled backwards and to the side, tripping over his feet when there was nothing nearby to steady him. It wasn't the hardest punch she had thrown—not having enough of her body behind it—but it was enough to make her hand throb from the contact. "Don't _ever_ pity me, you bastard!" She was grabbed instantly, but she wasn't about to continue the attack. One punch was enough and with so many spectators, she wasn't about to get in more than that.

"Lexi!" Cagalli shouted, but Eclipse only stared at Kira, watching his mouth move in the most suicidal response he could have given her.

"I'm sorry."

That was it.

The Berserker was pissed.

"What the _fuck _is that supposed to mean? You're _sorry_?"

"Lexi!" Lathan screamed, having been the one to restrain her. Still, the Berserker didn't hear him, her attention focused on the crumpled Coordinator. And how crumpled he was. Still shaken, she saw his eyes quivering, but not with sadness.

No, with fear.

Eclipse felt a short laugh leave her throat and a smirk curl up her lips. That pilot deserved to see her other half, the half who was more than willing to turn that surmounting fear into pure petrifaction.

"Lexi!" Cagalli stepped in between the two, putting hands on the Berserker's shoulders and giving them a firm shake. Eclipse snapped back to normal before the blonde could see her eyes. "_What_ are you doing?"

"Stop acting like you understand," Eclipse spat, feeling the words come out of her mouth before she could stop them. The hurt look on Cagalli's face made her regret the comment for a moment, but she shook off Lathan's loosening grip and ran away before she backed down entirely and started apologizing for things she shouldn't be seeking forgiveness for. After all, apologies were nothing but empty words. Like the wounds Cagalli held for her, she wasn't even sure time could stitch the gouges Kira had made.

_How do you do it, Athrun?_ she asked herself, coming to a halt outside the hangar. Not wanting to be found, she snuck around the side of the building and crouched down behind one of the parked vehicles, her back against the wall. _How can you so easily forgive him?_ Folding her hands, she rested them against her forehead. _I wish I had asked you—that you could've made me understand_. Defeated, her hands slipped back down into her lap. She had barely been in Orb a day and already she had bought too many tickets to too many emotional amusement parks.

And she had yet to talk to her parents.

* * *

**_A/N:_** Guess what, guys, I'm done with college! I'm not going to say I'm officially done because my grades aren't up yet, but I should be done with that stage of my life! Woot! Now I have to search for a job, but at least I don't have to worry about mindless homework anymore! The good thing about that too is I can focus more on this story and hopefully get it done relatively soon. Thank you all for sticking with me and I hope the chapters will be coming out a lot faster from now on. After all, if I can write this entire chapter over one weekend, I should have no problem with the others, right?

As for other news, I'd like to mention how happy I am to see new faces popping up on the review board. I love hearing from new people, so thank you all so much!

About the chapter: I'm happy to see my little Eclipse evolving. She's definitely turned into one emotional teenager, but I think she's starting to get a handle on things. There's a setback with Kira coming into the picture, but I have a feeling things'll quit being rocking in a little bit. After all, this is the point in the story where everyone is having second thoughts and there are tears, punches, and you name it thrown around everywhere! Well, I'm just happy my redhead is getting a chance to be tossed around as well. She's not exempt from the "war epiphany." I mean, look at the people she hangs around with. She probably has both Lacus and Cagalli on speed dial. Not to mention Namarra and we all know how those conversations end up. O.o

Another huge thanks to the readers and reviewers and—as always—a major thank you to my betas. Their lives are rough too so I'd like you all to give them a round of applause, even if it's in your own mind. They deserve so much more, but, unfortunately, I'm very limited with what I can do to repay them.

There is one last note I'd like to make and I'd like you all to take this seriously. I have been getting a lot of reviews/messages where people are stressing things I have already mentioned in my past Author's Notes. Now, I understand if a person is just trying to catch up on a chapter he/she doesn't have time to read each note—and I don't expect you all to remember everything word for word—but I would appreciate it if you guys would at least skim these. I may not put as much time and effort into these as I do the chapter, but I try to mention past mistakes and corrections as I go along with this story. Like many of the other writers on this site, I am just writing and posting as I go. If I have time, I hope to go back and rewrite this, but for now, I am posting a chapter as soon as I have written it. This story has evolved a _lot _over the past three years and some things may seem a bit off, or there might be holes in the narrative. I understand that. I am not saying don't bring them up—in fact, I encourage criticism—but please realize I may have already addressed the matter in a previous note. I read everything you guys send my way and would appreciate it if you would return the favor by taking an extra moment to see what I have to say about the story. As a solution to the problem, I have decided that from now on, if there was a major correction I made the to text, I will separate it from the note (like the questions and gripes) so you guys can skip down and just read that if you wish. I hope this clears up any future problems and confusions. (If you have any other suggestions or comments on the matter, please feel free to message me and I will reply as quickly as I can.)

* * *

**_*Corrections to the Narrative:_**

I am going to change Heine's hair color to orange. So many of you have stated that you always thought he was an orangehead and since there are so many other blondes in the show/story, I figured it was for the best. I can't remember if I made a reference to it this chapter, but—if not—I plan on making other references later on in the story.

* * *

**_Questions/Gripes:_**

_Connor Prafist: _(I'm going to focus mainly on the SIN-ED comments.) SIN-ED is a hole in my story. I had big plans for this organization when I started the story a long time ago, but gradually the narrative wanted to evolve in a different direction and I had no choice but to follow along. I am going to bring them back soon—and hopefully answer some of your questions—but, unfortunately, I have to tell you that I can only make subtle hints at things and not just give you a bulk amount of information. There are some secrets that lie with SIN-ED I can't really reveal yet and since Lexi—the main POV character—doesn't really know about/understand them herself, I can't tell everything. I know that might just sound like a copout but please understand I have intentions. Thank you for bringing up so many questions so I know what information to share and what I can still keep secret, but I might not be able to answer every one of your questions.

_Maderfole: _ The Lacus and Lexi time will be coming up soon. I can't remember if I mentioned this or not, but the _Archangel, Eternal,_ and _Kusanagi_ are all in space for about a month. That's a _lot _of time for them to be doing practically nothing. O.o

* * *

Thank you all and I'll see you in the next chapter!

_Strata_


	43. Preferably Alive

Preferably Alive

Eclipse had been ordered to stay away from Kira for the rest of the day. Yes, ordered. After all the confidence and self worth she had gained from following her own commands, there she was nodding silently in response to Lathan's lecture. What could she say? No, and then go over and start beating the shit out of Kira even more?

Wouldn't that have been nice?

"Lexi—Lexi, are you listening?" Lathan asked, pushing her shoulder to break her out of the trance. She just nodded and he sighed. "Honestly, sis—"

"I'm sorry, Lathan, but I _refuse_ to play nice with that pilot."

"Well, isn't that a little juvenile?" He snorted and leaned back against the Stealth's lift. Lathan had found her about twenty minutes ago standing next to her beloved suit. She didn't know when he had started his search, but after a couple of minutes of swallowing her anger, Eclipse had wandered around and found her suit. Basically, she had been happy to see it again. At least until Lathan had joined her and started his lecture.

"Lexi, you coming home is a huge step," he explained. "I remember how it was when you were shipped off to basic training and, at that time, I was just praying no one from Orb found us. Your anger was still a pain in the ass back then and I was so sick of the dinosaur-sized shit hittin' the fan that—Would you just _listen _to me?"

Despite what he was probably thinking, Eclipse _was _listening. She had turned away a couple words into the conversation and towards the Stealth. As usual, her older brother was right. The only problem about the whole encounter, however, was he had failed to understand her anger didn't just come in spurts anymore. In fact, it lasted much longer and trying to lecture a seething soldier with Berserker genes was wishing for a long and painful death.

Lathan sighed and walked around in front of her to block her hypnotized stare at the Stealth. Crossing his arms, Eclipse listened as his sigh turned to a frustrated growl. "Because your soul searching seems to be sending you backwards down your psychological mountain," he began, "I took the liberty in calling Mom and Dad for you."

_That _got her attention.

"They'll be here in roughly a half hour so wipe that 'as pissed off as the burn unit in Hell' look off your face and start practicing your 'obedient daughter' smile. I _refuse_ to play happy peacekeeper this time so you'd better get your act together or that fan's gonna be blowin' the shit backwards into your open mouth."

"Why the _hell _did you call them?" she asked, the question twisting into more of a sharp-edged accusation than a genuine inquiry. "And why now?"

"Sis, I may not be entirely sure why you came back, but I _do _know Mom and Dad had something to do with it. You wanna start making peace? Begin with the toughest ones on your list and the others'll start looking like a slice of cheesecake."

"And what if I don't like cheesecake?"

"Put in your own form of sugar and calorie-riddled dessert and you still end up at the same finish line."

She wanted to babble, wanted to argue, but as far as she got was a snort and a frown. When in doubt, just keep the lips shut, but that was beginning to be much harder than she had thought. It would be so easy to throw a tantrum and then head back into outer space, but her pride was keeping her feet firmly on the ground.

"Now, I'm assuming you'll need some time to psychologically prepare, so meet at my office in a half hour." Waving, he turned away, but soon stopped, his body lurching forward and his shoulders shrugging upwards. Spinning on the balls of his feet, he pointed over at her. "You'll be okay by yourself? No more bitch slapping?"

Exhausted, she rolled her eyes. "Lathan."

"And you can't go in the Stealth. If I hear you'd been in there," he warned, "I'll put a CA transmitter in _both _your ears."

"Sadist."

"Masochist!" he yelled back and practically ran out of the building. Maybe he was smarter than she had anticipated.

* * *

_Two minutes_, she thought, watching the digital seven change to eight and the side seconds restart their count to sixty. _I'll leave in two minutes_. Sighing, she fell back onto the floor and stared up at the Stealth. Heeding Lathan's warning, she didn't go into the suit, but she did sit on the cockpit door for a while, slowly making her way back down to the floor as the time ticked closer. And there she ended up, sitting on the cold cement floor wishing there was someone she could call and talk to. Seeing only men flash across her mind's eye she laughed. _Yeah, like any of them would listen._ Cagalli appeared then, but Eclipse shook her head. _Too close to the family._ Namarra came up and she just laughed again. Lacus ended the emotional support slideshow, but again Eclipse shook her head. The Clyne Faction was in too delicate of a position for her to be asking, "Lacus, are you there?" through radio frequencies. She sighed.

One more minute.

Thankfully, no one had come in to disturb her during her emotional meditation for the past half hour. Two soldiers had opened the door, but left quickly afterwards, probably seeing her legs swinging back and forth out of the cockpit.

_Get up, Eclipse_, she thought, trying to order herself to sit. _Get up and get it over with._ She still didn't move.

"Mom—Dad—stop!" she heard Lathan stutter after the echo of the clanging door faded. The noise itself hadn't startled her, but her brother's panicked voice was frightening. And he rarely raised his voice.

"No, if she wants to be late, it can be for her own engagement," their mother explained, her heels clicking dangerously on the ground. "I _refuse_ to be stood up by—" She stopped talking when Eclipse scrambled to her feet, her heels slowing down for a split second as if she was surprised.

Her father, however, kept walking and only stopped when he was centimeters from Eclipse's body. "_What _are you wearing?" The venom in his voice was so thick she thought he'd keel over from too much poison exposure.

Too close to him, she had to take a step back to look him in the face. Eclipse was practically his mirroredimage, from the red hair to the grey eyes. She didn't get his height—Lathan was blessed with that—so all her life he had towered over her, crushing her to the ground by the sheer intensity of his stare. His fists shook at his sides and if it wasn't for their no violence ideology, she might have been afraid he would hit her. Then again, parental discipline wasn't listed under their form of violence.

She tensed, now remembering she was supposed to have changed and not make the situation worse. Shit. "It's my pilot uniform." She cringed, expecting him to respond but he didn't. He couldn't have known she was part of ZAFT—unless Lathan was forced into saying something—so he had to have some kind of comment. She hated the fact that he stood there without asking her to explain. Then again, her parents always had a tendency to jump to conclusions, instantly assuming she was a bloodthirsty lunatic who had killed more people than the amount of fingers and toes in her entire immediate family. Technically, they would have been right, but she still didn't like how her father's eyes judged her. Her parents only thought of their little world of endless happiness and no violence. If they had been in the war, they probably would have backed away from that ideal, knowing it to be foolish. But there her father was, glaring down at her and attempting to make her understand what he was feeling. She saw his right hand move at his side, but it never reached out to strike her.

It didn't reach out to comfort her either.

Lathan and their mother walked up beside them. Like their father, their mother only stared at Eclipse, using the silent treatment as if they thought it would twist the mind of their daughter back to what they wanted. If Eclipse looked like their father, than Lathan looked like their mother. A scary resemblance, actually, when Eclipse saw her frown and remembered how Lathan looked moments before.

She wished they would speak, yell, scream, something. Even abuse she could handle, but the unspoken threats were just suffocating. "Say something."

"Dad—" Lathan started, but their father cut him off.

"Why?"

"Why is a very vague question."

"Then why are you wearing that uniform? I heard you flew to Orb in a mobile suit, but you'd better tell me it's not yours."

Eclipse paused and searched his face for some kind of forgiveness for what she was about to say, but she saw nothing but cold rejection. She could only answer his question one way and he was _not _going to like it.

"Speak."

More orders. "I am ZAFT elite, Lunar Eclipse." She saluted despite the rage mangling his face. "Soldier number 8704298 registered with the Le Creuset Team currently assigned to the Zala Team. Pilot of the MW-979ca STEALTH."

"Enough."

"Kill count, unknown."

"I said—"

"Ordered to seek and destroy—"

"—stop."

"—the special organization, SIN-ED. Can use any means necessary to eliminate the target."

Silence followed the explanation, the final "et" of "target" echoing softly off the walls. Eclipse dropped the salute and looked at her family. Lathan shifted nervously and her father's eyes held disgust now instead of anger. Swallowing, his face contorted in a nauseated grimace like he was just forced to drink a cup of bile. She stared at her mother the longest, the older woman's eyes surprisingly dry through the whole conversation. In fact, they seemed empty as if seeing her youngest child meant nothing.

"I'm proud of myself," Eclipse said, breaking the silence, but not the eye contact with her mother. Her eyes widened briefly before they settled back to their empty stare.

"I don't believe you," her father said, but she didn't take her eyes away from her mother.

"I've become stronger, father."

"For what?" he asked, but what his wife said proved to be the scarier of the two questions.

"And what have you done with all that power? Do your accomplishments outweigh your failures?"

"Mother—" She held up a hand and Lathan stopped.

Memories bounced around in Eclipse's mind then. Januarias 4 when she had killed MR and tortured civilians only to get false information and execute innocent people. To the _Vesalius_ when she had laughed at Miguel's death. To the time she had killed Greed.

Her Berserker half.

"Has your violence done any good?"

She remembered Banadiya when her reckless fighting rendered her helpless to save Commander Waltfeld and Aisha. When she could only sit back and watch Nicol die. And watch Athrun self-destruct. And when she couldn't find Dearka.

When she watched FS and Stray go insane.

Eclipse's eyes faltered and shifted down slowly to the ground. Her mom scoffed. "In the end, violence is nothing but a primal impulse teasing the weak-minded to think they can create a peaceful security."

"Disgusting," she heard her father whisper and felt the air shift when he whipped around to leave.

She couldn't just let them go, not after that. She wasn't useless. There had to be a reason she chose war instead of peace. But she couldn't think, only dwell on all the lives she failed to save and all the people she had felt deserved death. Standing there in front of her parents, she _did _feel disgusting.

"Mom—Dad—" Lathan said, his shuffling feet probably trying to keep them from leaving on such bad terms. "You can't—"

"Move, Lathan. Don't make _your_ situation any worse."

_That's right, _Eclipse thought, lifting her head to see her father pushing Lathan aside. _They would've been just as upset with him. His fighting involved keeping the pilot of a machine safe, but it was still—_ She stopped. "To protect." They all turned to her. "I learned to fight to protect everyone. Just like a parent punishes a child, I fight so that—"

"We know of a parent's duties, but you don't fight to teach, you fight to kill," her father said, his face going as blank as his wife's. Eclipse opened her mouth to continue the argument, but her mother cut her off.

"You may be blind to it, but the blood on your hands stains so deep it mixes and taints your own. Our blood no longer runs through you." And they left, her mother's last statement echoing through Eclipse's mind. She watched them, saw them clasp their hands together and walk through the door; saw them show complete love and devotion to one another, but not the gentle forgiveness to their children. She fell to her knees.

"Lexi—" Lathan began, but the words choked in the back of his throat, a squeak exiting his mouth instead of comfort.

Turning to the side, Eclipse braced her hands on the cold ground and wretched.

* * *

For the next couple of weeks, Eclipse rarely left the Stealth. A lot of things had happened in the world since her heartfelt conversation with her folks. There was a large-scale battle at Panama where the Earth Alliance introduced their new mobile suits. From what Eclipse could tell, they were cheap knockoffs of the Strike, but it was the best they could get on such short notice. And because they were so cheap, they were easy to mass produce, so perhaps the numbers were better than the quality after all. That had yet to be proven entirely, but watching the reports while upgrading the Stealth had become a common pastime and Eclipse found herself impressed with how many Strike Daggers—the mass-produced mobile suits—the Earth Alliance could put in the field. In the end, the mass driver in Panama was destroyed, leaving the Earth Alliance with only one more option if they wanted to get into outer space.

Orb.

Cagalli had been hanging around and watching the reports with Eclipse as much as she could, but she was often at the main house, trying to get updates on the situation from the political end of things. For the most part, only rumors and speculations were running around, but they were still true and scary. If the Earth Alliance came to Orb, things were bound to get ugly.

The crewmembers on the _Archangel_ thought so as well, often talking in groups about the matter. Eclipse had seen them discussing the Panama incident, but never ventured over to join the conversation. A part of her didn't want to bring up the Kira ordeal and—even though she was trying to erase her bad feelings—she still held a small grudge against that ship and its crew. The captain seemed nice enough, but Eclipse wasn't willing to engage in anything more than a hello and a weak smile whenever she came in to ask Lathan something about repairs. She had tried bringing up the Stealth in a conversation, but Eclipse just gave small answers, sharing some information, but not enough to keep the conversation going. The captain had given up after a while, but excused herself with a smile, putting a hand on Eclipse's shoulder and walking away to join an older blonde pilot. Eclipse was happy for the engagement, but was still hesitant when it came to talking freely to them, especially the captain.

Lathan had been silent about the parental discussion, apparently just as distraught as she had been with what had happened. Their parents had actually called to see Eclipse once more—and about four more times for Lathan—but she had refused. They didn't press the matter. Eclipse felt she had to come up with a better argument before she spoke to them face-to-face again. Besides, if they wanted to apologize, they could come and visit her on her own terms, not call and ask her to meet them at the house.

Right after the incident, however, Lathan's guilt had made him productive when he locked himself in his office and programmed two more earpieces like he had promised. He said it was the only way he could get the matter off his mind, but she knew it had more to do with him feeling sorry about the whole thing. She was never going to call him out on it. After all, he was only thinking of her wellbeing so she couldn't really blame him too much. Besides, he even agreed to help her upgrade the Stealth in between his other duties to make it up to her. That meant the repairs were going to go a bit faster thanks to an extra set of hands, but he was often exhausted. There were some nights she found him asleep and drooling on the consol. At least he had finished the earpieces and even made a few adjustments—blending into her ear a bit more being one of them. The transmitter was in her right ear right then, syncing with the computer on the Stealth and taking a bit longer than she had expected. The other ear was listening to Cagalli and welcoming the mundane conversation.

"So, I decided to follow your example," she explained, playing with the flathead screwdriver in her hands. "I may not have been as helpful to Kisaka's home town as I wanted to be, but I saw the world like my father suggested."

Eclipse looked up, searching the blonde's face before she started talking again. She didn't want to offend her cousin. "You _do _know that going to one tribe and in one desert doesn't really amount to seeing the world, right?"

Cagalli sighed. "I know, but the culture was totally different and the area poor—"

Eclipse held up a hand as she turned the outside dial on the CA earpiece. "I didn't mean to make it sound like it wasn't worth while, just that you should be careful before you go around saying you've travelled the world." Cagalli nodded and stared at the screwdriver in her hands. Eclipse sighed. "I can tell you've learned a lot, Cags, so—even though some may not be as understanding," she saw the blonde rub her cheek, "I think you did the right thing." That brightened her mood a little and Eclipse smiled, glad she could ease a troubling matter on her cousin's mind.

"Initiating command code sequence," the Stealth said through her earpiece. "When ready, type VCOMM onto the screen and state sequence."

"Hold on," she said to Cagalli and twisted her torso to reach over and grab the keyboard, punching VCOMM as directed. "Coffee Addict," she said, and began opening and closing her mouth at awkward angles to make sure the earpiece was snug. There was a sharp pain behind her eye when she moved one way, but it went away quickly.

"Command code accepted. Initiating ending sequences. You might feel—"

"Holy shit—" she screeched.

"—some discomfort."

"Lexi?" Cagalli asked, grabbing her shoulders before she fell sideways off the lift.

"Damn you, Lathan!" she cursed, snatching the screwdriver from her cousin's hands and throwing it down at her brother on the hangar floor. Sidestepping the falling tool, he flicked her off and went back to fiddling with his computer.

"Lexi, are you alright?" Cagalli asked, waiting for Eclipse to nod before taking her hands off her shoulders. "Damn, I didn't think it'd be that intense to be linked up with your suit."

"It's pretty neat later on, but the initial process sucks balls!" She yelled the last two words to her brother.

"Whatever you do with your sex life is your problem, sis!" he responded, flashing a toothy grin. Eclipse debated spitting on him, but after seeing some stragglers in the hangar turn her way, she decided to let him win that round.

Cagalli stuck around for most of the afternoon, the two of them laughing on the Stealth's lift as if nothing had happened between them, or she hadn't joined ZAFT, or she hadn't punched Kira. Eclipse laughed as if her parents didn't hate her. "And then the commander walked in and by that time the glue was stuck on his—" Eclipse stopped, the message alert on the Stealth going off. Cagalli's imagination had already taken over by then and she hugged her stomach in laughter, Eclipse hoping her fit wouldn't send her completely over the side. Crawling into the seat, she pressed two buttons on the side and stared at the monitor.

_ Hey B-Bud, I have a riddle for you: How long does it take for two Berserkers to destroy an island? Wanna find out? You're in Orb. I'll be there in two hours._

_Bob_

_P.S. No mobile suit required._

Eclipse read the message two more times before falling back into the seat. She didn't even know she had been sitting up.

"Lexi, you okay? Is something wrong?" Cagalli asked, sticking her head through the open cockpit. "You look pale."

"I feel pale," she admitted, shutting off the screen before the blonde could see the message. "S'cuse me," she muttered, pushing past Cagalli. "Lathan! How soon 'til she flies?"

Her brother looked up from his welding. Flipping up his mask, he turned off the blow torch. "What?"

"What's the ETA on completion? When can she fly?"

He paused for a second, using his left hand to check off his invisible list of duties. "Roughly ten hours."

Eclipse cursed. "Until she can leave the ground?"

"That's until total upgrade completion. About two hours if I book it until she can fly."

"And if I help?"

"That _is_ if you were helping." He paused, putting his hands on his hips and staring at her hard. "Why do you ask?"

"I have—" She hesitated, not sure how to explain to him what was going on. If Cagalli wasn't there she might say it outright, but since she could feel the blonde's eyes on the back of her head, she bit her bottom lip. "I have some personal business to attend to."

"In a mobile suit?" her brother pressed.

Eclipse sighed and made eye contact with him, hoping she wouldn't have to say something they would both regret. As far as Cagalli knew, she was just in the ZAFT military, not chasing after some secret organization. He was her brother so he should understand. Yes, he wanted to look out for her wellbeing but he should know by now it wasn't that easy to keep her locked up. "Lathan," she said, his name coming out slow and crisp. Hopefully, that would be enough.

He stared her down for a couple more seconds before turning away. "Fine, but _you _have to get permission. I refuse to be your whipping boy."

"If I helped would you be able to finish quicker?" Cagalli asked, leaning down and looking at Lathan too. It seemed like an obvious question, but the two siblings couldn't help staring at her dumbfounded. "Since the other mechanics are monopolized at the moment," she explained, blushing a little, "and even if I'm not as good as you guys, I'm sure I can't screw it up too bad."

"I'm game," Lathan replied after a moment of consideration, but Eclipse was a little more hesitant. Not that she didn't mind Cagalli helping, she was just skeptical about her knowledge. But if Lathan was okay with it, she should be too, right?

"I dunno."

"Stop worrying, sis. C'mon, Cags, let's make a molehill out of this mountain."

* * *

"Wow." Lathan whistled, propping his feet up on the consol and staring at his watch. "Getting permission took approximately, one hour, forty-nine minutes and fifteen—nope sixteen seconds."

"Shut up," Eclipse grumbled, slipping her red helmet under her arm.

"I take it Father wasn't too keen on the idea," Cagalli said, a small smirk on her lips. She leaned next to Lathan's feet, a huge grease trail extending from her chin up to her forehead.

Eclipse didn't respond, not wanting to explain how hard it was for her to get permission to leave the island so she could go meet her assassination partner and destroy an island. Just saying she wanted to meet a friend wasn't going to cut it for the Orb Representative and having such a vague report during war times could get Lord Uzumi into more trouble than he was willing to get in. "Laugh if you want. I got the permission now tell me you upheld your end of the deal. Can she fly?"

"What deal? _We _did all the work. You owe us something then."

"Lathan—"

"Yes, yes, she's ready to go," he replied, waving his hand in annoyance. "If you want to take her, then go."

"Thank you," she grumbled and stepped up on the lift.

Cagalli put a hand on the railing before Eclipse could grab the lever. "Mind telling me what's going on? Lathan seems okay with it, but I'm not. Why do you have to leave again? And why like this?"

"I'll be back."

"That's not what I mean." Her face grew soft and stern at the same time; a look she must have learned from her father. "Lexi, what's going on?"

Eclipse sighed. "I can't really tell you, Cags."

"But you _can_ tell me about pranks in the guy's locker room?"

"Cags," she sighed, her name alone causing the blonde's face to go straight to nervous worry. Eclipse braced herself for the lecture, knowing Cagalli had a tendency to start yelling as soon as someone started doing something she didn't agree with. Then again, she wasn't that shallow. Looking at her face, Eclipse figured her lecture was prompted by concern and not whether or not she agreed with Eclipse's thinking.

The blonde's mouth opened and then closed before any words could come out. Frowning, she turned away and crossed her arms over her chest instead of blowing up at Eclipse and probably putting a jagged knife through their reunion. _Maybe she has grown up_, Eclipse thought, smiling and putting a hand on the girl's shoulder. Squeezing it once, she pushed the lever on the lift and started upwards.

"The HiMat system's been updated so there shouldn't be any more huge cockroaches to worry about," Lathan explained, rocking out of his chair and looking up at her. "Working on the Freedom was beneficial after all. I never would have expected the suit to end up here of all places though."

Eclipse just nodded, knowing all the details from the other side of the battle line, but still not wanting to get into that conversation, especially since she was about to see Namarra. She might not have been so nervous if she knew what her fellow Berserker wanted—the message was a bit vague and unusual for the Natural—but since there was virtually no information in that note, she could only sit there and let her imagination run wild.

"It's not armed—at least not entirely. You still have the EARP Daggers, only a hundred bullets in your CIWS guns, the two blades under the arms and on the feet, and one of the two beam rifles." Eclipse looked at him then, cocking an eyebrow. She shouldn't have been so suspicious or angry at him, especially since she had suggested the upgrades and then rushed them as soon as the message came from Namarra, but she couldn't help it. Namarra had said there was no need for a mobile suit, but that statement only caused more wary curiosity than relief. "Sorry, sis, but I was in the middle of upgrading your weaponry when you wanted me to switch to the flight systems." He held up his arms in a helpless defense. "You're out both beam sabers and the Scylla, but I _did_ manage to refill the Colloid." He paused. "Oh, and your extra battery's still kaput, so don't do anything too reckless."

"Why does everybody keep telling me that?" Eclipse asked, nodding at the same time and stepping onto the cockpit hatch. Holding onto the frame, she turned and—mostly out of the habit—saluted the two of them. "I'm not sure how long this'll take."

"Keep us updated?" Cagalli asked, still standing with her arms crossed.

She nodded and headed into the suit, issuing a relieved sigh once she was safely buckled in the seat. She hadn't expected her departure to be so tense. Maybe she just wasn't used to actual goodbyes. For the most part, every time she had gone somewhere, a couple of waves had been involved but nothing more. Now she had two relatives glaring up at her and she didn't even think the reinforced armor could protect her.

* * *

There was no meeting spot assigned in the message, and no further information from Namarra to specify exactly where they were supposed to kill each other. All she mentioned was Orb, so the only thing Eclipse could do was leave the main island and hope to catch her on one of the outer islands. It seemed like a good idea at first, but when fifteen minutes turned into a half hour and even on to forty-five minutes, Eclipse began getting antsy. Another thing she couldn't figure out was how the Natural was even going to get into the Orb airspace without being spotted. That question was answered a second later when the Stealth picked up a distress signal. It wasn't exactly like a distress signal she had seen before, more like an acute variation. The Stealth picked up the waves anyway, listing them as "Unspecified Idiocy." Apparently, Heine hadn't told Lathan about the personality her suit had gained thanks to his new system.

Either that or he had enjoyed the dry humor of it all.

The signal came from an island roughly five miles outside Orb's official border. The government often kept an eye on the island for any suspicious movements but somehow Namarra had managed the get there unnoticed. Judging by the size of the signal, she might even have a mobile suit.

"Coffee Addict, scan the island."

"No mobile suit detected, but another signal received. It is the letters B-O-B in Morse code."

Eclipse shook her head and laughed, pushing the levers forward to land the Stealth roughly a half of a mile from the shore. Turning off the suit, she stared at the cameras before opening the hatch just to make sure her fellow Berserker didn't plan on ambushing her. Seeing nothing in particular, she opened the cockpit. "Namarra—hey, I know you're out here," she yelled, putting one hand on the top frame and a foot on the hatch. "You wanted me here so stop playing Hide and Seek and come out." No response. She didn't really expect one, but common courtesy said Namarra should at least whistle. Knowing the Natural wasn't one to read the manners' manual—let alone follow it—Eclipse just sighed. "I'm gonna leave if you don't—"

Ping.

It was an interesting sound. She really didn't have much time to appreciate the musical tone and how the bullet ricocheted off the left arm of the Stealth because another shot followed closely after the first. Since neither bullet hit her, the shooter either had bad aim or didn't want to kill her. She hoped for the latter. "Namarra?"

"Why don't we play a little game; just the two of us. I'll stay out of my mobile suit and you stay out of yours."

She didn't sound too far away, but she was hidden very well if Eclipse couldn't spot her. Not that she expected anything less, though. The most interesting thing about her proposition, however, was not the game—Namarra had always seemed inept at having fun during life-threatening situations—but the mention of a mobile suit. If she had one too then why couldn't the Stealth find it? Sure, the Earth Forces had the technology to build them, but even though they had the schematics, could anyone pilot them? Out of all the Naturals, Namarra seemed the best bet, but it was a scary gamble. If Namarra was being used the same way Eclipse was supposed to be used, there were a lot of dead people.

"So, what's your answer? I can kill you right now if you'd rather we do it the easy way."

Eclipse was about to ask about why Namarra _had _to kill her, but as soon as she opened her mouth another bullet ricocheted just above her left hand on the frame. "Fine, are there any rules to this game? First to spill blood gets the other as a prisoner?"

"Wow, for a Berserker you think like a weakling. This is to the death, honey."

Ignoring the endearment, Eclipse took a breath. She finally gained enough freedom to think on her own again and the second thing she had to decide? Get killed by Namarra or kill her.

Yes, a very ego-friendly decision.

Putting a foot into the zipcord, she rode it down to the ground before she gave a response. "And why do we have to kill each other?" Another gunshot bounced off the Stealth. "I don't have anything against you." Yet another shot. "We've kept each other alive in the past. Why the sudden change of heart?" That bullet grazed past her ear. "You retrieved your sniper rifle, I see." In the dirt between her feet. "Would you stop shooting already!"

"Aw, I was hoping you'd dance for me."

"Sorry, I'm not as jumpy as your other targets."

"A pity." She walked out of the woods after that, leaning the rifle up against a tree and grinning. Of course she was smiling; she was having fun after all. Sporting a camouflage bikini top and jean shorts, she looked ready for the beach more than for an assassination. Fixing her ponytail, she tossed a duffle bag a couple of feet in front of her. It clattered on the dirt, making Eclipse sigh when she guessed what was in it.

Guns and ammunition.

"What is this, _Baywatch _mixed with _Die Hard_?"

"This is just to make things interesting. No extra clothing—little defense—and no holsters, you grab what you can easily run with."

"You've been planning this."

The Natural smirked. "Also, inside is an identical top for you and some shorts. I'd hate to be at a disadvantage."

"Of course you would," Eclipse muttered, still making no move towards the bag. "I need a reason why, Namarra."

"The playground is this island. We'll hide our suits at a spot in the middle of the forest so we don't get any unwanted attention. The trackers will be disengaged and the radios locked down."

"Namarra."

"I guess you can call this full contact Tag. The person who's 'It' get two hours to kill the other person. If she doesn't succeed, the other person gets a chance. I've set my mobile suit to send out a high-pitched frequency every time we have to switch. We should be able to hear it, but the waves are so fine no one else should pick it up."

Eclipse just sighed, knowing Namarra wasn't going to give her a straight answer. There had to have been _some_ reason why the Natural was playing this "game." Looking at her then, she seemed hesitant, almost unwilling to be explaining the rules she had come up with. "Fine, I'll play along. So, what does the person who's not 'It' do?"

"Run."

"She can't fight back?"

"Only if the fighting is in close quarters, otherwise she just has to survive."

Eclipse stared hard at her counterpart, wondering what was going through that head of hers. This seemed like a lot of work if she was just trying to kill her. If that was the case, why give her a chance to kill the Natural as well? Eclipse hadn't gotten any assassination orders, so what was with the 'I'm giving you some hope' scenario? "Namarra—"

Twirling one of the guns in her hand, she aimed it at Eclipse and fired, the empty click muffled by the rustling leaves. "Hm, didn't even flinch." She smirked. "This is definitely gonna be fun!"

"How can I be sure you're going to follow these rules? I'm a bit skeptical about what's going on."

"Skeptical? Of me?"

Eclipse's eyes narrowed, not amused. "Promise me you won't just blow my head off when I'm 'It' because you thought it would be fun to go dancing in the rain." Namarra just smiled and Eclipse frowned. "Alright, we'll do it your way. I have my mobile suit's CIWS guns pointed precisely at your position right now. Give me your word."

After a second of hesitation, the Natural took a large step forward, putting the two roughly two feet from one another. "Y'know, it looks as if your machine has been worked on recently and based on that poor welding job on the left leg, I'll say the mechanic was a newbie. Tell me, did _you_ adjust the calibration for those guns? Or did you let the mechanic do it? And do you trust that the mechanic did it correctly? You could be aiming at me, but end up hitting everything else around me in a three feet radius instead. And," she continued, the smile growing more and more devilish as she spoke, "now you could be hit merely because I closed the distance between us. Still wanna fire?"

Eclipse frowned, realizing the embarrassment she had walked into only after she made the threat. Of course Namarra wouldn't be intimated so easily and leave it to her to notice the quick work Lathan and Cagalli did on the Stealth. "At least give me a reason for why the hell we should run around half naked shooting at each other."

"Call it girl bonding."

"What?"

"Just humor me, Lexi." Her face was serious then, something about the way the side of her mouth twitched gave Eclipse the feeling she didn't want to be there. Eclipse was about to call her on it when she raised her gun into the air and exclaimed, "Now, let the games begin!"

It was going to be an interesting afternoon.

* * *

FS wasn't sure what had started the whole thing, only that he was pissed it _did _start. His big welcome party to space was basically a handshake with a grenade attached and an exclamation so fake he could just hear Wrath's phony smile curling up his face through the transmission. Next thing he knew, a machine gun sounded in the auditorium and the alarm went off saying the oxygen in the satellite would be gone in roughly four hours. Hell, they were lucky the gravity was still working. Sometimes having an overly intelligent team could have its drawbacks.

Or maybe just a team who didn't give a damn.

A civil war between the SIN-ED members seemed foolish and only a bit impulsive. Sure, most of the members were unstable, but weren't the "stable" people keeping them under control? Perhaps sending Wrath and Stray together was a bad idea. Originally, he had thought Kross and Miato could keep things running without incident, but as he was weaving around the bodies littering the hallways with the Lust twins he couldn't help but think he had a little too much faith in his organization.

"Uh, Pride—" Melanie began, but FS held up his hand. A younger teen—about twelve—rounded the corner in front of them, instinctively aiming the gun in his hand. Panicking, the boy shot. The bullet went wide, missing Phoebe's left arm, but still pissing her off nonetheless. Recovering from the attack, she swung her right arm up and pulled the trigger. The shot ricocheted off the when the kid ducked for cover.

"This is ridiculous," Phoebe grumbled, backing up to hide behind another wall.

"Even the kids are fighting," Melanie said, crouching behind her sister to refill her magazine.

"Damn it, I wish Wrath had been a little more gracious with information over the radio then, 'We're fucked.'"

"What do you expect, Pride? He's probably enjoying himself," Melanie said, watching her sister curl around the wall and fire another shot. There was a small "thunk" and then the sickening sound of dead weight falling to the floor.

"C'mon." Phoebe motioned for them to follow her down the hall.

They knew they had to get back to the shuttle dock, but the satellite was littered with people killing any and everyone. From what FS could tell, they were all spooked. After so much the SIN-ED members had been through—all from some sort of human experimental programs—he couldn't figure out why they were running around so scared. Had someone messed with the medication?

"Pride, down!" Melanie shouted, putting a firm hand on his shoulder and pushing it hard to the ground. FS dropped to a squat and brought up his gun. A bullet passed over his head and kept going on down the hallway, probably hoping to put a hole in either a wall or a fresh body. Still crouching, he and the Lust twins brought up their handguns at the same time. His finger tightened against the trigger, but he stopped at the last second, hearing his comrades' guns go off together. If he could save bullets, it would be good for all of them in the long run. The shooter at the end of the hall collapsed with the two bullets in his body, one in his chest and the other penetrating just above his left hip.

What happened next was based off of honed instincts, too many years listening to the smallest of sounds and praying none of them were there to kill. It wasn't just the quiet brush of a footstep, but the squishing sound of a shoe sole soaked in too much liquid. Quiet, yes, but still unmistakable. FS twisted around and aimed high, figuring his opponent would be walking instead of crouched low based on the amount of pressure the squishing gave off. No matter how silent someone could walk, blood-soaked shoes were very noticeable. One of the drugged Naturals rounded the corner, holding two SMGs waist high.

"Lust!" FS yelled, knowing that would get both of their attentions quicker than saying their names separately. Melanie was the only one to turn and look, hooking an arm around her sister's and pulling her off to the left side of the hallway and into a smaller inlet. They squeezed in as best they could but they couldn't cover their bodies completely. Bullets grazed their fronts, forming deep red streaks across their arms and upper chest.

FS had run down the hallway, sticking close to the wall and then diving around a corner. One bullet grazed across the top of his shoe, the Sin feeling the laces loosen and his right foot nearly slipping out. Another shot, however, hit his calf. He could feel the bullet after it went through, the slug going so fast his brain didn't register the pain until it was already stuck in the wall. Gulping, he tried to slow his breathing and not think about the blood soaking through into his jeans. Leaning back, he waited for some kind of break to turn around and start his own barrage. _Shit,_ he thought over and over again, trying to drown out Lust's painful screams.

Taking a breath to shove his own injury from his head, he closed his eyes. The bullets were fading towards the other side of the hallway, the shooter most likely finding the Lust twins to be the easier target of the two. Given their little cover and closer distance, FS understood his choice, but he wasn't about to let it be so easy. Opening his eyes again, he focused on where the shots were landing and waited until he could have enough room to turn and fire.

Tensing, he was going to curl around the wall and start shooting, but the barrage stopped, a dying scream echoing through the thick silence left by the Natural and his trigger happy fingers. Lust had stopped screaming, but FS could tell they hadn't moved. Their rapid gasping was enough to give away their position and he could see them clutching their arms in the inlet. So, that meant there had to be someone else in the hallway who killed the assailant.

Fearing the new shooter would get to the girls, he rolled out into the open and aimed. Not getting a good look at the person until he was already pulling the trigger, he tried veering the shot to the left into the open wall and away from any potential victims. The new shooter did the same, his bullet barely grazing the hair on FS's head.

Silence followed again, but it wasn't as tense as it had been moments before. In fact, the Lust twins were so relieved they both collapsed to their knees, their hands falling forward and slapping onto the tile floor. "Gluttony, thank goodness," Phoebe breathed. Stray looked just as pleased to see them, running over to the girls and seeing how badly they were injured. They had a lot of cuts and grazes—and most deep enough to cause some bleeding and discomfort—but nothing the twins hadn't handled before. Helping them stand, he led them over to FS.

"Jaeger," FS said, accepting his hand. Now on his feet, he tried putting pressure on his injured leg and ended up hobbling to lean back against the bullet-ridden wall. "You have a lot of explaining to do."

The Sin gave a weak smile. "I guess I do, don't I?"

"But not here," Phoebe said, pulling her sister's arm up and over her shoulders as Melanie put some pressure on a deep gauge just above her right knee. It wouldn't take long to heal, but right then it made her a bit immobile. "I hear more people coming this way." Stray nodded and put FS's arm across his shoulders, handing him the gun. Phoebe grabbed and cocked her gun before the four of them shuffled forward as two more bloodied bodies slammed against the wall at the farthest end of the hall.

Stray led them down a tiled corridor, once the hall leading to the cafeteria but now nothing more than a morgue. Bodies lined both walls, some recognizable and some with only bone splinters and brain matter to call a face. The floor was slippery as they walked on, the four of them reducing their quick steps to slow skating across the tile. Melanie gulped loudly behind FS. "Oh God, it's soaking through my shoes," she whispered, her sloshing feet and blunt remark alerting FS to the warm liquid squishing between his own toes.

"We're almost there," Phoebe soothed, but her next question proved she wasn't as confident as her voice portrayed. "Right, Gluttony?"

"I'm hoping there aren't enough SIN-ED members left alive to have grabbed _all _the shuttles. We'll head to Hangar 6." It was meant to be a comforting statement, but not to FS. His organization was literally falling apart in chunks around him. The blaring alarm and body parts were only constant reminders.

Phoebe yelped and the guys turned, watching helplessly as Melanie tripped over an arm and pulled them both to the ground. Their hands hit the tile first, one of Phoebe's palms splashing hard into a blood puddle thanks to her quick reflexes. The blood jumped up and onto both of their faces, Phoebe catching it in the eye and Melanie in the mouth. They did well to silence their pain, but Melanie couldn't help the sudden rush of bile leaving her stomach after the metallic taste.

After everything he had seen those two do, FS was surprised by their reaction to so much bloodshed. He had always thought they lived for that kind of violence, but watching them struggle on the slippery floor, his outlook on them reversed. Perhaps it was different when they were the ones on the wrong side of the gun barrel. Most of the people in the hallway were probably people they had been in the laboratory with. While FS and Stray didn't connect with any of their fellow soldiers on Januarias 4, that didn't mean the Naturals were just as detached. Then again, maybe Lust's mortality was just coming into perspective. They could put up a brave face when they were in control of what was going on, but as soon as their hands were wiped clean and no longer involved, they got a little nervous.

The two men offered hands, but the Lust twins got to their feet easily enough, bare knees stained up to the ruffles of their skirts in red blood. "Gluttony, you have to tell us what went wrong. Why are there so many—" Phoebe hesitated, looking down at one of the bodies sitting up against the wall with her face turned awkwardly to the side. "Why are there so many Naturals?"

FS looked at his friend then too, watching the different emotions wave across his face. Stray had always been the one to keep his human-like emotions, not locking them away like so many others. That was why he had seemed so animated, sometimes over exaggerating what was going through his head, but FS had seen through that ruse a long time ago. Sometimes the reactions on his face didn't match how he felt, proving he had mastered his emotions rather than putting them behind closed doors.

Finally, Stray sighed. "That's because it's the Naturals' faults—or at least Miato for not telling us the drug supply had run thin."

"Miato?" FS asked.

Stray nodded and started their walk to the hangar once more. "Reports stared coming in soon after Wrath and I arrived about some Naturals loosing their short term memory and snapping at the littlest of things. They complained of severe body aches and migraines that would keep them incapacitated for hours at a time with no relief. Miato looked into it and said he found nothing out of the ordinary. He gave those individuals extra doses of Gamma Glipheptin—the drug neutralizer—and it seemed to be working fine until more and more Naturals started complaining."

"You ran out then?" FS asked, guessing what might have been going on.

Stray nodded sadly. "We were slowly gaining ground with Blue Cosmos and a relationship was building, but they still refused to give us access to their medical supplies. We were running out of time so, we had no choice but to steal them. Wrath and I took ten others with us, but we were barely two hours away when Kross called us in a panic and told us to get back ASAP."

"So, you returned to this?" Phoebe asked.

"There were two representatives from the Earth Alliance docking today," FS cut in. "We were supposed to start working on a mechanism to counteract the N-Jammers. Do you know if they got away?"

"If they weren't in the hangar when their shuttle exploded, they might be okay, but judging by the look of things in here," Stray waved his arm out in front of him, "they'd be lucky to walk out of here with any recruits let alone a good head on their shoulders."

FS cursed.

"What I don't get," Melanie continued, leaving FS to his anger, "is why the Naturals suddenly went berserk."

Stray shrugged. "Miato thought they were either off the drugs too long and the neutralizer was having no effect, or, as they aged, the drugs started affecting their brains at a faster rate, like a worm digging a hole in the dirt and curling up when he got tired, just to start doing the same thing the next morning. He also hinted at sabotage and seeing as you Naturals aren't affected," he nodded to the twins, "and Wrath seemed his normal self, I think he was right."

"Wait, 'thought' and 'hinted?'" FS asked, noticing the past tense when he referred to Miato.

Stray's face grew bleak before he spoke, almost as if he was searching for the right words to say. It wasn't a comforting look. "Wrath and I found Miato first, dead as a piece of bread torn apart by birds and looking just as digested." FS cursed again and the twins cringed. "Kross was apparently the one greeting the EA representatives in the hangar. I doubt there's anything left of him now."

"Wrath?" Melanie asked. "We talked to him on the radio as soon as we arrived, but've heard nothing since."

"I lost him as soon as we left our shuttle. He was laughing and running around like a madman, a shotgun in his hand and an SMG strapped to his back. If he survives, he's one badass moron."

More gunfire ahead of them stopped the brief moment of information gathering, the sound coming from the next adjoining hallway. FS brought up his gun and so did Melanie, the four comrades deciding to swap stories and intelligence as soon as they got out of there.

Preferably alive.

* * *

**_A/N: _**Hey guys, it's so much fun to be able to update so quickly from now on! Gotta love too how a chapter originally supposed to be 7k ended up to be over 9k. O.o Anyway, I'm getting to the parts in my story I've been waiting so long to do so I'm hoping my next update will be even faster. After all, an all-out duel between two Berserkers is going to be the best thing this side of the century! Well, we'll see if they even go all out, but I have a feeling it'll be a lot of fun. I'll be sure to spend a lot of time on it and really drag it out. There hasn't been much action lately.

I have a feeling some of you are asking, "What about Dearka?" Yes, I know he is rotting on the _Archangel_ right now, but she's kinda avoiding them. Funny too how no one's mentioned a specific redcoat from ZAFT, but we'll get to that later. O.o I'm hoping no one will call me out on it, but since I still think there are people out there who refuse to read these author's notes, I'm prepared. (AKA: hate mail.) Anyway, I definitely appreciate the readers who take the time to at least skim these things. I'd send money or candy or something, alas, I am poor and have no way of doing that. How about cyber kudos?

At this point-and every for that matter-I'm really looking at the suggestions you guys make. As you all know, I have a pretty thin line to walk with the canon and all, but if you have any ideas, please feel free to let me know. I probably don't have to remind you, but there's a one to two month period in outer space where they're basically sitting on their asses either staring at computer screens upgrading mobile suits or playing card games three hours straight. (_Uno _anyone?) I could throw in some character interaction if you guys want me to, or just move on with the story. Let me know because I don't want to bore you, but I don't want to let you down either.

Special thanks to my Betas. New year, new chapters, old badasses. (Don't ask, I'm running out of shoutout ideas. O.o) And thanks to all the readers and reviewers out there!

* * *

**_* Corrections to the Narrative:_**

(This is probably the last time I'll mention this, but I really hope you all read these author notes. I'll probably be making more corrections as I write the later chapters, so this part might be pretty busy.)

* * *

**_Questions/Gripes_**:

_OrangeP47:_ I had a feeling that transition was a bit of a jump, but, like you hinted at, there was really no other place for me to start. I debated using all the technical mumbo-jumbo, but then I realized, I suck at that. So, I went with the less mumbo and the pretty standard jumbo. So, that's what happened and I'm sorry it felt off to you, but thank you for pointing it out.

_Death-Scimitar: _I'm sorry you feel hurt, but it's hard to respond to awesomely-addictive crack. We'll leave it at that. (Sitting right behind me on the bed)

* * *

Thanks for reading the chapter and be ready for some semi-fanservice in the next chapter. Berserker vs. Berserker is bound to be...interesting.

_Strata_


	44. Girl Bonding

Girl Bonding

Namarra cheated.

After having known her and understood her actions—not to mention her level of insanity—for the past couple of months, Eclipse should have expected the foul play, but she was so caught up in her own quest for solace, she decided to go along and ignore all the red flags. Now, as she was running through the rain on the beach—in a bikini top and shorts no less—trying to dodge both bullets and raindrops, she could only curse. "Damn you, Namarra!" She just heard her laugh and her footsteps slow as she aimed. The shot was muffled by the rainfall, but it was still an interesting sound to hear a speeding bullet cut through falling droplets and fly past her ear. Sure, she might have been hearing things, but it was a bit more nostalgic thinking of it the other way.

Wow, maybe she _was_ turning into a masochist.

Another bullet grazed the top of her shoulder, the bare skin burning after the attack and it didn't feel any better when the warm rain melted into the wound. Cursing, she jumped over a fallen tree and veered back into the forest. "It's your turn to run, dumbass!"

"It's more fun this way!" Namarra shouted, Eclipse imagining her skipping as well because of the chipper way she said the phrase.

Ducking under some branches, Eclipse zigzagged through the trees, wincing every so often when her sprained right ankle twisted awkwardly on the uneven ground. That was a courtesy from her nice tumble down a steep hill and the deep cuts across her stomach were thanks to the bush she had landed in. She wasn't entirely sure on how injured her opponent was, but Eclipse had watched her take some less than intelligent leaps off rock faces and waterfalls. At one point the redhead had hyper extended her elbow, but Namarra didn't even seem to have registered the pain.

Eclipse's left hand reached into her pocket to pull out an extra magazine. She had two left and only one gun. Grand. She had dropped her second gun about three hours ago, approximately eighteen hours into the "game." The rules of the game itself weren't what made it fall apart, more like the people playing. It was all going smoothly until Namarra got bored and decided to spruce things up by firing her gun when Eclipse had practically won. She had her pinned against a tree trunk with a knife to the back of her neck when the Natural wiggled out of her grip, reached out her finger and pulled the trigger of the gun at her waist, grazing her thigh and narrowly missing Eclipse's foot. The shot had startled her enough that Namarra got free and started shooting. Somehow, Eclipse had managed to run away unscathed and the game had been hunter vs. hunter ever since.

Feeling the top of the magazine, she wrapped two fingers around it and pulled it out of her pocket. Jumping over a downed tree, she misjudged how heavy the rain had made a low-hanging branch and took a twig against the forehead. A leaf stuck there and the magazine dropped to the ground. Cursing, she spun around, slipped on the soft earth—the rain not intense enough to hit to forest floor, but it was still slick—and scrambled behind a trunk after grabbing the magazine. Swiping off the leaf, she waited and listened for Namarra's footsteps.

The Natural's feet slowed as she neared Eclipse's position. It was possible Namarra saw her duck behind the tree, but she had had a good lead thanks to the Natural's involuntary slowing to aim her gun and fire. Seeing as they had limited ammo, Namarra had to have tried at least seventy-five percent of the time.

Walking now, Eclipse tensed as the Natural's feet stepped by. If she was spotted then—and she wasn't able to knock the gun from her hand—Eclipse would be dead before she could even curse Lathan for even helping her get into ZAFT way back when and starting this whole masquerade. The redhead still had her gun, but a shooting match seemed to be getting nowhere. Hand-to-hand combat was making more progress on both exhausting them and making them take more risks, but that wasn't going to do any good if one of them could just fire a gun and say, "Too bad, so sad." Holding her breath, Eclipse reached out and grabbed Namarra's right foot, pulling it upwards to send her scrambling to the ground. Her hands hit first, the gun slapping hard into the weeds nearby and getting lost in the foliage when Namarra was forced to turn away and dodge Eclipse's combat knife. Namarra rolled across the ground, tucking her head under and getting as much distance between the two of them as she could. Eclipse chased after her for a little bit, slashing down at the human ball, but making no real contact. She jumped away, however, when Namarra unsheathed her own knife and swung it out wide. Eclipse jumped over the attack and stepped a couple of feet backwards to get set for the onslaught.

Namarra scrambled to her feet, putting a hand on a boulder and pushing herself up slowly. "Now, who's gonna win this round?"

"We're been at this for _hours,_ are we done yet?" Eclipse asked, fiddling with the magazine in her hand before finally deciding on sticking it back into her pocket.

The Natural, however, had other plans. She smirked and whipped her free hand at Eclipse—slightly occupied with putting away the magazine—sending a fair-sized stick speeding towards her face. Eclipse brought her arm up to block it, dropped the magazine and spun at the same time. The stick bounced off her left forearm and to the side. With the knife still in her hand, Eclipse brought the blade up across her left side and lower back. Knowing Namarra to be someone to go through with her threats, Eclipse figured she'd aim for a killing blow.

Or at least something to put her in a _lot _of pain.

As anticipated, Namarra's knife jab to Eclipse's side scraped off the metal of her own weapon, leaving the Natural vulnerable. Eclipse finished her spin and brought her right elbow down on Namarra's back.

Or so she planned.

For a split second she hesitated. There on the Natural's back were bruises, a _lot _of bruises. Knowing how much face-to-face time the two of them have been giving each other, she would have expected those wounds to be her fault, but they were a yellow-brown color still with the deep purple and blue in the middle. They were older than just a couple of hours ago, but still severe enough to leave lasting welts. _That's strange._

Namarra didn't notice any of it, probably figuring Eclipse got hung up on some of Mother Nature's debris. She would have avoided the attack anyway, having collapsed instantly to the ground when her jab was parried. The dead weight and gravity pulled her quickly to the dirt so she could dodge the attack. And throw her opponent off balance. Eclipse fumbled after the miss, spinning on wet grass not working as well as she had thought. Namarra rolled onto her side then and swiped her feet out in a half circle, sending Eclipse stumbling onto the forest floor.

Eclipse did the one thing she was always taught never to do when she was falling, try and catch herself. She jammed her fingers on a tree trunk and when she tried to bring her other arm across, the wet and rotten bark slipped off, forcing her to the ground in a less than advantageous way next to the fallen Natural.

Having flipped over onto her back, Namarra kicked out and hit Eclipse's stomach. The redhead buckled in pain, but was determined to keep the Natural from lashing out again. Bringing up her knife, she set it at her stomach and watched with a sadistic smile as the Natural took the blade through the shoe and into her right heel. The knife didn't go in too far—Namarra most likely catching onto what Eclipse had been planning—but it was enough to issue a small, painful yelp from her lips. Her foot bounced backward and she turned into another roll, leaving Eclipse lying with the bloody-tipped knife.

"Shit, what d'ya do that for?" Namarra cursed, twisting and getting to her feet in one fluid motion. She tried putting weight on the heel but cursed, Eclipse watching her face contort in restrained discomfort.

Eclipse got to her feet too, trying to regain her lost breath and squeeze out her own pain, but the hand grabbing the skin around her stomach wasn't enough. Eclipse had been very confident in her hand-to-hand combat until Namarra had been her opponent. Now she was exhausted and had more bruises than bones in her body.

And she was lucky none of them were broken.

"Why are you bruised so badly?"

"What d'ya mean? We've been at this for nearly twenty hours. If I'm not bruised," she spit off to the side, "it means you suck at this."

"There're some older marks on your back. What happened?" Eclipse spit as well, wiping the painful drool and bile mixture from her mouth.

"Why do you care?"

"Namarra—"

"Ready for round two?" she asked quickly, interrupting the girl talk and going right back to what most likely made her a bit more comfortable. Fighting was such a simple, emotional bullet train. Stomping her heel against a tree root one more time, she looked up and smiled, having gotten used to the pain.

Eclipse spit again and watched her carefully. The redhead had to admit she was having fun, the adrenaline racing through her drowned out the frustrations and the heartbreak she had been receiving from her welcome back home. In fact, the fight was a gracious relief, allowing her to vent her anger at the world and everything else while still staying within the bounds of legality. Well, for the most part. But Namarra's actions were still suspicious. If she had wanted her dead, she could have done it a long time ago. Hell, they could have destroyed each other five times over by that point, but it was almost as if neither of them was trying to. They were both venting, she could tell, but Eclipse had no idea why. What was going on in that Natural's head?

The redhead spit one last time for good measure and wiped her mouth before giving Namarra a reply. "That was only round one?"

The Natural smirked and reached down to the front of her waistband, pulling out .45 caliber handgun and making Eclipse wonder how she had managed to run around for so long with that scrunched—well—there. "Wait for it," she said, checking the magazine. "Wait for it."

Eclipse's knife hand tensed as the Natural aimed the gun.

"Ding!"

Namarra could have claimed Eclipse cheated then, because she had thrown the knife before the Natural had even started saying the word, "ding." Call it payback. The knife didn't penetrate the weapon, but the metals scraped against each other, the high-pitched screech drowned out by the low rumbling of a coming storm. The blade tumbled then, spinning in the air end over end after the ricochet and heading toward Namarra's bare shoulder. Cursing, she pulled out of the way and fired at the same time, probably hoping the bullet would distract Eclipse enough that she would stumble during her charge. Eclipse did stumble, but it was more for her advantage. Ducking low, she dove into Namarra's stomach, the force taking them both violently to the ground.

Namarra landed back against another tree root, her spine bending awkwardly across the jutting wood. Eclipse, however, didn't come out unscathed either, her knuckles scraping against the bark and rugged knots. That stumble hadn't given her body enough leverage to pull away from the tackle in time, leaving them both injured in the lunge. Grand. Cursing, she left some skin on the bark and pulled her hands free just in time to throw up a forearm to block the Natural's swinging right.

Namarra's fingers cracked as they made contact with Eclipse's right arm, but not the bad kind of crackling, more like it was a much needed relief for the cramped fingers. In fact, Eclipse would have waited for a thank you if she wasn't in the middle of a counterattack. Swinging her left arm across her body, her bloody knuckles scraped across Namarra's lower jaw, her blood and jagged skin probably doing more damage than the punch itself. Namarra had absorbed the blow, arching her back even more across the root and moving her head with the attack, coming away with nothing more than a weak metallic taste across her tongue. The move had also given her a little more leverage. Eclipse's equilibrium was thrown off forcing her to try and clamp her knees harder against the pinned Natural's sides, but it wasn't so simple. Namarra had hoisted up her knees at the same time and cradled them between the redhead's legs. Bracing her arms on the ground, she hoisted Eclipse up and over her head, sending her tumbling a couple feet behind her.

Eclipse recovered quickly, however, somehow managing to duck into an awkward roll to absorb the throw and get her back onto her feet. Up before her opponent, she didn't miss the opportunity to possibly end the game. Bracing herself, she did a roundhouse kick to Namarra's side as she was getting up, anticipating her movements a bit better than the Natural had figured. Or not. _Damn, this is fun and all but—damn! _the redhead thought. Namarra smirked and brought both hands up to block the kick, Eclipse cursing when she saw the unmistakable flash of the handgun still in the Natural's grip.

Pushing the kick back, Namarra swung up the gun and shot, aiming in Eclipse's general direction, but not having enough time to go for the instant kill. Eclipse grabbed the barrel of the gun as it fired, feeling the rush of the bullet both as it left the gun and when it grazed past her ear. She also felt the slide as it automatically moved backwards to reload and the unmistakable pain of pinched skin between the metals. The blood was instant in her left palm, but the pinch was still too tight for her to just wiggle free without tearing a huge chunk of skin from her hand. Pulling the gun forward—deciding to take advantage of the situation and dislodging her palm at the same time—she tensed to give another punch, but ended up cursing when Namarra's forehead met her own. She must have been too distracted to aim the headbutt because typically the target was the nose, but the surprise attack was enough to make Eclipse stagger; however, not to let go of the gun. They both fell to their knees, dazed.

Namarra recovered first—the blow giving her a nice migraine, but she had braced herself better than her opponent—and tried dislodging Eclipse's gel-like grip. Nothing worked, the skin tearing with each shake, but was never completely torn away. Namarra finally managed to steady the gun on her chest, Eclipse's hand and dead weight not allowing her a perfect head shot.

Her finger pulled the trigger.

Bang.

Namarra was more than impressed by Eclipse's reflexes, having averted the shot at the last second up and away from her body. She had yanked her pinched skin from the slide before the gun went off, the chunk of flesh dropping to the ground on a patch of dirt, a pale peach color against the black earth. The exposed muscle now grasping the bottom of the barrel, Namarra watched a trail of blood streak down her arm, following the red stream until she made contact with faded grey eyes. Namarra let out an excited laugh.

"Final round," the Berserker hissed.

* * *

"I can't believe we're letting Gluttony pilot," Phoebe moaned, strapped to the chair and keeping pressure on a gunshot wound to her upper arm. The bullet had been pulled out not five minutes ago and was actually floating around somewhere in the shuttle, but the wound in her upper thigh still held its unwanted gift.

Melanie was pressing a cloth to that one, one hand reaching up and bracing herself on the ceiling so she could keep herself steady. "He's the only one healthy enough to."

"More like the only one able to use both hands," FS muttered, fixing the bandage around his palm. "Melanie, tell me how you came out unscathed?"

"I was the one to set up the explosives," she replied, sounding so nonchalant the others wanted to slap the cocky look off her face. "We're lucky to get out alive because of me."

FS and Stray exchanged glances, biting their tongues because they knew arguing would only make things worse. Yes, Melanie was the one to find the hand grenades near the last shuttle and, if it wasn't for their awesome coverage, she and the explosives would have—well—exploded. So, the three of them took all the damage while Melanie got to play grenade launcher.

"Lucky bitch," Phoebe muttered, wincing when Melanie added some extra pressure to her leg.

FS sighed and shook his head, massaging his forehead with his free hand. His whole organization was gone. He had fled them in an utter panic, more worried about his own skin than the better good of SIN-ED; or whatever was left of it. His ignorance made him sick. Missing something as simple as the drug supply? It was such a juvenile mistake. He was so blind.

"Revelin, where are we going?" Stray asked, flipping a few levers above his head. When he didn't reply, FS felt Stray's glare turn his way. He didn't want to respond after that look. "Revelin, I have to know where we're going."

"Give me a sec."

"Where _can _we go?" Melanie asked.

"Does Hell count?" Phoebe retorted.

"Speak for yourself," her sister muttered.

"What was that?"

FS was going to yell at them, but their arguing was giving him a little time to think about their destination.

"Revelin."

"Do we have atmospheric entrance gear?"

Stray shook his head, frowning. "No."

"Stuck in space then?" The pilot nodded and FS started massaging his forehead again. There was only one place he could think they could go, but his headache grew at the thought of it. ZAFT was rumored to have been watching the Mendel Colony since Eclipse and the rest of her team had investigated all those months ago. If they were keeping tabs, the security had most likely gotten lighter over the months—given the war effort—but it would be the easiest spot for them to be found.

"Mendel?" Stray suggested, the look in his eyes proving he was thinking the same thing as his friend. Not wanting the girls to hear, his lips moved with the words, "Do we have a choice?" FS didn't respond verbally, but he mouthed his own curse and looked back down at the controls on the consol in front of him.

Phoebe and Melanie continued their bickering, probably trying to blow off their frustration by using their blood relation as some kind of masking device. Out of all the other ways they could blow off steam and agitation, FS was thankful they chose the less bloody and more clothed of the options.

FS vaguely listened, the noise like the white snow of the broken television they had back on Earth. They had no idea if ZAFT would be there when they arrived and, in the condition they were in, they would make one poor attempt at defending themselves. Three of them were unable to walk—Stray was hit in the foot—and even though they all had at least one good arm to shoot with, it only meant they could aim and fire while backed in a corner. Great, they could be an immobile army stuck with their asses to a wall and an array of machine guns peppering them with bullets.

Yes, fun.

"How are our rations on this shuttle?"

"Non-existent," Stray replied, his mouth twitching as his frown sank even more. He looked annoyed, his eyes narrowing to match his lips. "You're avoiding the issue."

"We'd be walking—no, limping to our deaths."

"Yes, because we're in such a better situation here."

They stared at each other. What else could they do? Stray was making sense and so was FS. Both on different levels, and yet both valid points. Shit. Phoebe and Melanie had stopped their bickering and watched the two, Phoebe shifting her shoulders so she could see them all comfortably. And there they all sat, exchanging glances in silence. Each Sin had his or her own opinion, but they all had to agree on something. The question was, what?

With the engine off, they stared in a deafening silence, the adrenaline slowly leaving their bodies and their eyes getting heavy. As soon as they had reached the shuttle, they took off, no questions asked and no time taken to see if anyone else wanted to join. They had all been on a paranoid kind of sleepwalking ever since, their brains and limbs working, but not exactly in a healthy way. The biggest problem then, however, was the fact that they had to figure out what they were going to do before they all fell asleep. The last thing they needed was to be drifting aimlessly with all them bleeding out.

"H…is so…there?" The radio brought them back, their heads all jerking at the same time as if it was the magic word to break them out of their hypnotized trance. FS and Stray exchanged glances. "Any…all?"

Turning to Melanie and Phoebe, they finally all agreed on one thing and nodded. Stray brought the mic up to his mouth. "Depends on who's asking."

* * *

The Berserker stretched forward, grabbing the front Namarra's bikini and pulling the surprised Natural down into her waiting fist. Eclipse swung her right hand hard, connecting with Namarra's left cheek and sending her tumbling to the side. Not wasting another opportunity, the Berserker twisted her opponent's gun hand, bending it awkwardly backwards and putting a knee into Namarra's stomach. The Natural's mouth opened in a scream, but the breath was pushed out of her, the shriek becoming a silent cry as Eclipse's weight most likely bruised more than a couple of ribs.

"Now who's having fun?" Eclipse asked, leaning close to Namarra's face and smiling at her pain-filled eyes. An involuntary tear trickled from the corner of her right eye and the Berserker smirked, bending closer. Parting her lips, she paused a moment over the tear and glanced sideways at Namarra's suspicious—but surprisingly scared—gaze and felt herself smile, her hot breath blowing against the moist skin. The tear continued its trail down the side of her face, but Eclipse caught it before it left the Natural's cheek, licking her tongue over the salty surface. Namarra tried to pull away and bring up her free hand, but the Berserker tightened her grip on the Natural's wrist, stopping just before she knew the bone was going to snap and cut through her skin. The other hand she pinned to the ground with her elbow and forearm, the bone crunching into Namarra's bicep.

Leaning back again, Eclipse let out a quick chuckle when she saw Namarra's contorted face, and laughed even more when she saw the blood streak left by her tongue on her opponent's cheek. Apparently, that headbutt had done more than just made her dizzy. Swallowing, Eclipse felt the hot blood slipping down her throat and smacked her lips a couple of times to enjoy the metallic taste. "Why don't you scream for me?" she asked, jabbing her knee harder into Namarra's gut. The Natural cringed in pain, but still remained silent. Now glaring at the Berserker, she didn't the only thing she was able to and spit in her face.

The saliva trickled down Eclipse's cheek, her smirk flipping into a frown as her shoulder shrugged upwards to wipe it off. "Cute." Namarra's eyes narrowed, but soon closed in pain again when the Berserker shifted her weight lower onto her abdomen. How Eclipse had missed that look over the past weeks. It was nice to be able to fight without any boundaries again; almost as if it were old times when she was taking out SIN-ED members and no one gave a damn.

Yes, just like the time she had been called a monster.

Bringing back her right hand, she punched down at the pinned Natural. Namarra brought her newly freed arm up to block, a deep laugh screeching from her throat as Eclipse beat her fist into the defenseless soldier. Laughter wasn't exactly a response the Berserker had anticipated. Eclipse stopped her assault after nearly eight punches, feeling the Natural's blood trickling down her fingers and onto the forest floor. Namarra pulled down her arm then, a fresh cut across her brow dribbling across her forehead and into the crease above her eyes.

Her Berserker eyes.

"It's about time we got serious. How about we even the odds?" Namarra asked, her eye twitching when the blood got dangerously close to the corner.

"This is going to be nothing more than a cat fight," Eclipse muttered, her hand still twisting Namarra's wrist back awkwardly. She bent it even more to prove a point, but the Natural didn't seem to care. In fact, she didn't even seem to notice.

"And what Berserker doesn't enjoy that?" Namarra asked, smiling with the tip of her bloodied tongue sticking through her teeth. A nice set of bite marks were set across that tongue, making the grin nothing more than a childish attempt to piss her off. Well, it worked and Eclipse's sense of boredom from the all-out bitch fight turned to an adrenaline-induced wonderment. She found her Berserker half did enjoy the prospect of a cat fight in any definition of the term.

Namarra attacked first, pulling her free arm across Eclipse's body to try and rake her with her nails. It was definitely a feral attack and Eclipse almost laughed from the impulsiveness of it all. At least she would have if her attempt to dodge was enough to pull her away entirely. Namarra snagged the bathing suit top as she passed, pulling Eclipse down and to the side. The grip and pin loosened after that. It shouldn't have been that easy to bring down the Berserker, but Namarra had pushed upward with her injured wrist, amazingly not forcing the bone to snap and break through the skin. Thanks to the Berserker gene, however, pain was rarely an issue when the only thing on the mind was primal pleasure.

Eclipse tucked into a roll, forcing her body to keep going instead of getting stuck under the Natural's pin and have a repeat of the last time. It wasn't an easy task, but after some fierce elbows to Namarra's ribs and neck—while getting her own facial treatment from her counterpart—she managed to roll away and up on her feet. The Natural did the same after a quick recovery and they were both back to square one.

Eclipse had one knife left in her left hand—one of the smaller combat knives she could grab—but she was lucky to have any kind of weaponry at all. Her empty gun had been dropped—or thrown—sometime in the excursion, but she still had one magazine left. A lot of good that would do if she didn't have a gun to put it in.

Or, she might end up getting creative.

Namarra seemed to be in the same boat weapon wise, most likely having only one knife left and possibly another gun. Eclipse wasn't entirely sure what she had, but even though the Natural enjoyed a good fist fight every once and a while, she knew Namarra loved her firearms. Eclipse probably grabbed more knives and ammo, but Namarra most likely grabbed more guns and planned on throwing them away when they ran out of ammo.

Damn, that island was going to be one weaponry junk house as soon as they were through with it.

For the next moment or so, they stared at each other. Namarra was rubbing her wrist—feigning injury most likely since Eclipse knew she couldn't feel it—and Eclipse was fixing her bikini top. Her Berserker half had given her the luxury of not caring about her appearance, but she felt she should give her upper body a little sense of support. The last thing she needed was to be free—and with no body armor, for that matter—while running around an isolated island dodging bullets. Not to mention she might get a bit chilly in the cool, damp air. At any rate, the whole thing was rather humorous. Two Berserkers worrying about the minor hiccups in life and not about the bigger picture.

Like killing each other.

Eclipse made the first move that time. Reaching into her left pocket, she felt the top of her remaining magazine. Namarra watched her actions, her stare shifting back and forth from Eclipse's hands to her eyes, trying to figure out what she was up to. Pushing down on the top of the magazine, Eclipse slipped out one bullet, and then two more when she saw the Natural's pupiless eyes narrow. One bullet just wasn't going to be enough of a diversion.

"I know what you're up to and it won't work," Namarra said, her injured hand moving to her forehead to wipe away the trickling blood before it got too close to her eyes and distracted her. Pulling the limp hand down the line of her face, a blood trail streaked from the wound, to her cheek, and then stopped at her chin. Her arm dropped to her side afterwards dangling back and forth like a puppet without its strings.

"Well, seeing as we're genetically built the same, I wouldn't be surprised if our primal instincts acted similar."

Waiting an extra second—hoping to catch her by surprise—Eclipse gripped one of the bullets as best she could and threw it at her Berserker counterpart. Namarra dodged as expected, her sidestep to the left looking far more graceful than a tired and injured soldier should be able to pull off. Her shoulder ducked low, her knees bending and her body weight shifting forward onto the balls of her feet. Crouching down slightly, she leaped forward and toward Eclipse.

Eclipse threw one more bullet—adding to the diversion—and braced for the close quarters combat after the Natural dodged. She had expected as much, knowing her Berserker half couldn't stand a gun fight unless it involved overkilling with machine guns or sniper rifles. Besides, Berserker vs. Berserker made her blood freeze and boil at the same time, an interesting combination when she could feel her face overheat with excitement as a shiver traveled from the tip of her neck straight down her spine.

Namarra jabbed her knife at Eclipse's right arm, hoping to keep her from throwing—or even make her drop—the last bullet hiding between her fingers. Eclipse dodged by stepping backwards and turning sideways, the knife going safely through air instead of flesh as intended. Namarra had other things in mind, however, when she attacked that side. Her body bent downward with the thrust and while Eclipse was distracted, the Natural reached around with her left hand to grab Eclipse's knife. Her fingers wrapped around the blade just where it met the hilt and pulled, kicking backward at Eclipse's knees at the same time so she had to choose between dodging and her last bit of weaponry. To Namarra's surprise, Eclipse chose both. Turning her feet to the side, she squatted slightly and forced her knees out wide, her weight balanced on her toes and her heels up in the air like some bad ballerina pose. Namarra's kick went right through the middle. It was an awkward move, but effective for the most part. Before the Natural could pull her foot back through, Eclipse closed her knees, Namarra's ankle caught between her legs. Eclipse went with the flow, falling down backwards and pulling the knife at the same time. Namarra went down too—releasing the knife instantly—but was able to stay upright by doing the splits when Eclipse let go of her ankle. Rolling backwards, Eclipse used her hands to hoist herself back up to her feet. Namarra regained her footing as well, shaking off the blood flowing from the cut in her palm and immediately starting up the attack once more.

Eclipse kept the knife in her left hand as she parried Namarra's attack, the bullet still lingering between her right fingers and the tip starting to cut into the soft skin at the base of her knuckles. It was more annoying than anything, but the Berserker didn't want to just drop the bullet. Given, at that time she really didn't know what she was going to use it for, but she was sure her primal instincts would come up with something.

Namarra spun on the balls of her feet, side slashing at Eclipse and laughing when every attack either ended with a parry or a dodge. They were getting nowhere but, damn, it was fun.

Eclipse was having much the same problem, a slash at Namarra's neck turning into a duck and low kick at Eclipse's ankles. She jumped over the attack, but didn't expect both of the Natural's feet to swipe by like upside-down helicopter blades, so when gravity brought her back to the ground, she ended up getting tripped anyway. Falling down onto her butt, her body braced for the leaping tackle, but it never came. Instead, a knife flew in her direction, the blade slicing the side of her neck and sticking upright behind her in the dirt, now turning to mud thanks to the increased rainfall and the heavenly angel's bowling tournament. The wound wasn't terrible, but it still pissed her off, knowing Namarra had gotten that close to killing her and she could do nothing but sit on her ass.

Namarra loomed over her as she sat in the mud, smirking and unsheathing the last knife from the back waistband of her shorts. Damn, no wonder she wanted to have a "grab what you can" game because she could pack a lot of weaponry. She smiled and Eclipse cursed. "Stop laughing!" She stabbed the nearest foot, but Namarra hopped away.

So cocky.

Reaching up and over, she snagged the piece of her skin on the dirt and threw it up with the bullet at the Natural's face. Some mud went with the flesh-bullet combo and while the mud made a nice splatter pattern on her forehead cut, the flesh hit her right eye and the bullet her upper cheekbone. The attack startled her, Namarra forced to step back and recover. Eclipse took advantage of the opportunity and—while avoiding the panicked attacks—got around behind her, putting her blade at the Natural's throat and twisting the knife out of her hand. Eclipse's blade sunk into her neck, cutting Namarra's skin, but the Berserker had to wait for the right moment to pull the knife across. She had to wait for that perfect moment when the blade grazed the tendons and arteries so that when she sliced across the throat, it would be a killing blow, not just a maiming one. Her tongue ran across her lips as she pushed, and her teeth opened in a sadistic smile when she knew the moment was close enough. Her strength would make it a killing stroke even if she didn't exactly reach the distance. Tensing, she pulled.

But stopped.

Blinking, she shook her head and let the blade fade forward as the feral need drained from her mind. She had almost killed Namarra.

"Enough," she breathed into her ear instead, the adrenaline still high in her system, but the fatigue starting to show through once she had regained some control of her mind. No two enemies should have been fighting and running for almost twenty hours straight. It seemed like blood lust overload.

"We're not done until one of us is dead," Namarra responded, her breathing coming ragged through her open lips. Eclipse figured it was because of the cut across her neck, but she didn't want to assume and then let her guard down. She was still berserk after all and had a tendency to do the unexpected. "Go ahead and kill me if you want to be done."

"Namarra—" Eclipse started, but never finished. The Natural grabbed the knife—managing to get more of the hilt this time—and pulled it forward. Eclipse's hand went with it and it wasn't until too late she understood what was going on. "Fu—" she started and tried pulling away, but she wasn't quick enough. Namarra put the side of Eclipse's knife hand in front of her mouth and bit down hard on the wrist.

Her jaws sank through the soft skin, both rows of teeth penetrating between the two bones and sinking deeper and deeper, but it wasn't until Namarra ground those teeth back and forth across the flesh that she felt and tasted the warm blood in her mouth. The movement was probably overkill, but the Natural couldn't resist indulging her Berserker side even a little bit.

Numbing pain shot up through Eclipse's forearm and into the shoulder, her entire body going limp from shock. It had to have been a pretty bad wound if the Berserker couldn't even block it out.

Knowing she was stunned, Namarra took the advantage, shaking loose of the hold and driving an elbow into Eclipse's stomach. To finish the attack, she swung her right arm around and punched her jaw, sending Eclipse to the ground. "Aw, you missed your chance," she cooed, spitting a couple of times to get the blood out of her mouth. "Since when does a Berserker hesitate at the kill?" Eclipse had every intention of replying, but her body had other things in mind. Turning to the side, she dry heaved, having nothing in her stomach worth throwing up. "How pathetic," Namarra said, walking over and winding up for another kick to her side. Eclipse rolled a couple of times after the blow, still trying to get her breath back. "Don't tell me this is the pathetic way you die? In your own bile?"

Eclipse turned her head upwards and matched Namarra's glare, the two pupiless eyes locking stares. The fight in Eclipse was far from gone and they both new it, but looking at each other then, they saw something else: excitement. They were having fun. Every time someone had seen their eyes, he or she was terrified and screamed in a futile attempt to mask the piss draining between their legs. Eclipse and Namarra, however, were not only able to match the glares, but they couldn't help laughing, a chuckle escaping Eclipse's lips first. It was all so ironic. The only other person to accept their monstrous half was a person with the same sleeping demon inside of her. Namarra joined the laughter and soon they both collapsed to their knees in maniacal amusement. It was all so insane.

But neither of them had ever felt so alive and accepted until that moment.

* * *

"I'd say I believe it's you, Wrath, but I really can't understand a single word you're saying," FS said, taking the radio away from Stray after a couple of failed attempts to make some clear contact with the other end.

"Come…Mendel…gone."

"There's no way we're going there just because you say it's safe."

"Fu…you…Pride," the radio stuttered, FS rolling his eyes. He would have admitted he knew that to be Wrath just by the how foul his mouth was and how he was the only one who seemed to have enough balls to speak to him that way. He kept the observation to himself, however, and gave up the mic when Melanie took it from his hands. If there was anyone to get his attention, it was one of the Lust twins. After all, they had connections with the other SIN-ED members he didn't even want to know about let alone replicate.

"This is Lust."

"Mel…ie?"

"Prove to me you're Wrath."

"Last month…ogie-style…seven…asms."

Melanie seemed to think about it for a second and the others just cocked an eyebrow. They understood the gist of that and leave it to Wrath and Lust to come up with that kind of proof for identification. "Wrath was never one to keep his tongue tied. He probably bragged about that minutes after he ducked out."

"Glutt…two mon…thong."

The attention was on Stray now and he leaned back and thought about the response much like Melanie had done. FS felt he was a bit calmer than he should have been in such a revealing situation, but he shouldn't have expected anything less from his eccentric friend.

Stray stroked his chin for a few seconds, nodding to himself every once and a while and counting off his fingers as if trying to decide on exactly how long ago any of that had happened. "Color?" he asked.

"G-string."

Funny how that was the only phrase to come through clearly.

Stray turned to FS and Melanie and nodded. "Yup, that's Wrath."

FS sighed and Melanie gave a small giggle before returning to her sister who was trying to cover up her hysterical laughter. FS took the mic back before any more secrets slipped out. "We'll rendezvous before we land in Mendel. If we see any signs of ZAFT we'll run."

"Rog…hat."

Stray started the engines once the communication ended, changing directions to start heading to the L4 colony cluster. FS watched him suspiciously, noticing that he was now humming quietly to himself. He also had a bouncy—almost perky—look to his movements, as if he was dancing in his head. To what music and for what end FS really didn't want to know.

Stray turned to him after a couple of moments, blinking innocently and cocking his head to the side. "Problem?"

FS sighed.

* * *

"To be honest, I thought you'd be dead by now."

"Oh ye of little faith," Eclipse replied, falling back against a tree and putting pressure on her injured wrist. She was still berserk, but she could feel her genes slowly going back to their dormant state. Even a Berserker had to feel some kind of exhaustion. "I can hold my own, y'know."

"I figured as much—well, hoped for that matter because I didn't want this to be a boring waste of my time."

"You really don't think I'm strong, do you?"

Namarra shrugged as she fell back against a tree trunk across the way. She was still snapped as well, but no doubt her berserk edge was fading too. "It's not that I don't think you're strong—in fact I have a much higher level of respect for you now—but it just surprised me to see another Berserker, let alone someone who doesn't fight the same way I do."

"What, you mean someone who doesn't cheat?"

"Actually, yes," she admitted, reaching up to test the blood flow on her neck. Pulling back her hand to see the damage, she continued. "But even if you really didn't cheat—we won't talk about the incident with round two—I can tell you still hold the same bloodlust as me. I was just surprised you didn't kill me before, especially since you were berserk."

"I guess I didn't want to kill someone just like me." Eclipse shrugged and then cringed when her ribs throbbed with the movement. She had to catch her breath before she could explain more. "I will admit we are different for other reasons as well. For example, I seem to prefer close quarter combat while you like using your firearms."

"Depends on the circumstances. I'll kill someone with my teeth or even a flying fork if I have to."

That brought a small smile to her lips and she held up her wrist for proof. "Maybe Berserkers are just resourceful and it has nothing to do with preferences."

Namarra shrugged and ended up doing the same thing as the redhead had done seconds before, cringe in pain. "I really have no idea. I don't know much about this—what shall we call it—phenomenon?" She made it like a question, but Eclipse really didn't have a better term suggestion so she continued. "I just know it happens either when I'm terribly pissed or when I'm unusually sad."

"Same here."

They both faded into silence then, the two of them probably trying to figure out how badly their bodies were injured. If they were able to move within the next couple of minutes their fight would most likely start up again, but with their Berserker halves fading away and their pain tolerance slowly slipping, Eclipse doubted either of them wanted to move let alone start throwing punches.

Namarra finally broke the silence after their eyes had faded back to normal. "Y'know what, my back really hurts."

"That's what happens when you jump down a waterfall with your ass first."

"I slipped and you pinning me over that tree root really didn't help."

"Sorry, I wasn't trained as a chiropractor."

Namarra smiled and then paused, holding up a finger but then cursing when it ended up being the pointer on her sprained wrist. "This doesn't leave the island. Me jumping off the semi-miniature waterfall that is. What happens here stays here."

"Good, because I think I missed the bush on my last bathroom break."

Namarra paused again. "You mean my shots were so good you didn't _need_ a bathroom break, right?"

"Like you said, nothing leaves the island."

There was another second of silence before they both broke down in laughter. They were pretty sure it had something to do with sleep deprivation, and the fact that everything hurt so much it was past the crying stage and onto the giddy laughter. It felt good. Well, the first couple of seconds felt good.

"Ah, my back!"

"Ah, my eye!"

"What happened to your eye?"

"There was a piece of bark sticking out!"

They laughed again, both falling down onto their sides and clutching their stomachs.

"I'm so hungry!"

"I saw some fish under the waterfall."

"You wouldn't want to go get some, would you?"

"Hell no."

They paused as they rolled onto their backs, staring at the little bits of sky they could actually see. Only moments ago it seemed as if the island was in the middle of some huge storm, but now the clouds were clearing and neither of them knew where the time had gone. It almost seemed nostalgic, two friends—well, people—watching the moving clouds, throbbing in pain. Yes, very memorable.

"Can we have a truce now?" Eclipse asked, now picking at the naked muscle on her left hand. Reaching down to her boots she untied the left one and took off her sock, wrapping the cloth around her hand and then doing the same thing for her bloodied wrist. "Or at least a ceasefire?"

"I was hoping for that ten minutes ago."

"What, as soon as you didn't kill me, you wanted to give up? You started this charade."

Namarra sighed, shaking her head. Eyes shifting to the forest floor, she grabbed her sprained wrist and tried twisting it around to see how much movement she had. "I guess I'm like you then; can't ignore a direct order. However," she continued, "I tweaked things to amuse my inner child—or sadist, in this case."

"What was your original order then?"

"To capture you."

"How cliché."

"You have no idea," she responded. "Thus, my reasons for the game. Besides, he never specified if he wanted you breathing. Just said, 'Bring her body to me.' Which, considering his personality, is kind of creepy for him to say."

"I feel so honored to be singled out."

Namarra laughed. "I don't think 'honored' is the right word. More like nauseous."

"So, who's the 'he'?"

She hesitated a moment. Eclipse couldn't tell if she was considering her loyalties or her head had gotten knocked around so much she totally forgot his name. "He's Muruta Azrael, leader of Blue Cosmos."

"Blue Cosmos?"

The Natural nodded. "I don't really know who gave him the authority to boss me around, but the guys and I have been following his command for the past—oh, I dunno. It's been a long time."

"I take it the guys are the other three amigos I always see you with?" Her only response was a weak smile and then her eyes went instantly to the ground, Eclipse seeing them fade dark like some terrible memory. That made her gulp. Anything that could make Namarra feel like that had to be bad. "What happened?" It was a simple question, but the answer seemed stuck in her mouth. "I can't help you if you don't talk to me."

"_Help_? Since when did you want to help me?"

"Namarra."

The Natural still stared at her feet, her hands now picking apart a twig she had found on the ground. She looked so young, Eclipse never noticing before because she had seemed so superior when they were fighting. Actually, she didn't even know her age. Never bothered to ask.

"Namarra, you can trust me. What happened?"

"Whatever that's worth when a Berserker says it," she replied, looking up shyly with a small smile. Eclipse didn't return the look and finally she sighed. "More like what's happening. The past few weeks have been," she paused, trying to find the right word, "interesting. They don't interact with me anymore or when they do, it always ends in a fist fight. We're even sleeping on different ends of the complex now."

"That explains the bruises."

"No, it explains shit," she spat. "It's as if suddenly I've become a diseased rat to them and they let me know at any second they can. It's just so—so—" She stopped, snapping a twig in half and—defeated—dropping it to the ground. "It's stupid."

"So, you don't know what's going on?"

"No."

Eclipse just nodded. What could she say? She knew how it felt to lose people close to her, but the attachment those four seemed to have surpassed what she had had with FS and Stray. In fact, after the display near Carpentaria, Eclipse envied Namarra. She had what she had wanted.

"Honestly, I'm scared to go back. Shani almost strangled me the other day."

Eclipse didn't remember seeing any marks around the Natural's neck, but after seeing the bruises, she didn't doubt they could still be there. But Shani of all people? Hadn't he been the one to calm her down that night at the movie theater? If Namarra was right and they were changing, those were some drastic personality shifts. What the hell could they be doing? Slowly, Eclipse traced the healing marks around her own neck. What was going on? Suddenly, the war seemed small compared to what might be happening behind the curtain. "So, what're you gonna do? I've never known you to give up."

"I may not have a choice. I rarely see the guys anymore and Azrael keeps me so busy with medical visits and simulation training there's no way I can look into it. So—maybe—leaving for a while will give me a chance to help them?"

Eclipse could tell she was baiting her into making some kind therapeutic answer, but she didn't have much to say. That was the decision she had come to when she had wanted to save FS and Stray, but that had yet to even come close to working. In fact, it probably worked worse than it would have if she had stayed by their sides. Finally, she sighed. "Namarra, I can't tell you what to do. In fact, I _don't _know what you can do. If you want help with looking into the matter, I'll be willing to give you that assistance, but we can do that easily through messages. I will, however," she added when she saw Namarra's lips begin to fall into a frown, "invite you to stay in Orb."

"Orb? Why would I want to stay there?"

"We're pretty much a mob of misfits and they'd never turn you away."

"Never?" She cocked an eyebrow, a bit skeptical now. "Do they know you're a Berserker?"

"No, but I doubt it'd matter."

"Only because you have connections, right? I heard rumors of a certain governmental family member returning home. That isn't you by chance, is it? Been moonlighting as a Berserker assassin lately?"

Seeing her point, Eclipse didn't reply immediately. Knowing that her family heritage was probably why she wasn't attacked on the spot as soon as she entered the country, she couldn't blame her for the speculation. So, what would they do to Namarra? Yes, she was an Earth Forces soldier—for the most part—and after all, the _Archangel _was docked there as well so there shouldn't be too much of a problem. But none of that even mattered, because Eclipse knew something else as well. "What choice do you have?"

Bringing her hand up, Namarra scratched the back of her head, pulling her fingers down to rub her neck. "Well—"

"Don't feel pressured to answer now." Eclipse cut her off, holing up a hand. "It's not an easy decision to make."

"I'll do it."

"Huh?"

"I'll come back to Orb. They have good technology and if you'll help me, I should be fine."

"Namarra—" She stopped, thinking the Natural was being too impulsive, but knowing that if she kept the conversation going, she would only get angry and probably end up following through with her rasher options. Yes, she was frustrated with her quick decision, but she'd have to wait for another moment to get her to think it through more. Like when her fingers weren't tracing a bruise around her neck and her eyes weren't fading away, lost in some reality-based nightmare. "For now, that's fine. So, should we at least make a fire or something? I mean, it's dark and we're starved."

"I don't want to move."

Eclipse opened up her mouth to argue, but thought about it for a second. "Y'know what? Me neither."

"No fire then. I'm going to bed."

"I hope some wild animal eats you."

"I saw some maggots over by your tree earlier."

"Love you too." Eclipse turned her head and closed her eyes, happy their bickering fest was far from over. After all the serious talk, it was nice to know some things would never change.

Even though her eyes were closed, the redhead couldn't fall asleep. Her body throbbed like she was just stuck through a meat grinder and then put back together with duct tape. It wasn't a great feeling and particularly sticky. After all the rain, she had hoped the sweat would be washed away, but she was just as grimy as after any other battle. And without a shower, sleeping in dirt. Eclipse sighed.

"_Kazesasou, kokage ni, utsubusete naiteru._

_Mi mo shiranu, watashi wo, watashi ga, miteita._

_Yuku hito no, shirabe wo, kanaderu, GITAARA._

_Konu hito no, nageki ni, hoshi ha ochite." (***)_

The verse was quiet, as if Namarra was on the verge of sleep and the song was more for comfort than for personal pleasure. The words whispered through her lips, the tune elegant, but also terribly sad. Eclipse was surprised to hear such a beautiful voice escaping the Natural's lips, but as she kept listening her shock shifted to a weary depression. The words became grim as the verse went on, like it was an elegy. Her breath caught in her throat as the song continued.

"_Yukanaide, donna ni sakende mo._

_ORENJI no, hanabira, shizuka ni, yureru dake._

_Yawarakana, hitai ni nokosareta._

_Te no hira no, kioku haruka._

_Tokoshie no, sayonara, tsuma hiku."_

She faded out at the end, the words slowly sighing from her lips and the notes a faint reminder of what they were before. Eclipse closed her eyes and squeezed them hard, concentrating on her breathing. The last line made her shiver and crying now seemed pointless, not to mention embarrassing. But the song and deep emotions made her exhaustion even heavier, her mind gliding downward until finally she fell asleep.

* * *

(***)

Song: "Akatsuki no Kuruma" ("Wheels of Dawn")

Singer: FictionJunction YUUKA

Personal Notes: I take **no** credit for this song whatsoever. I do not own it, nor do I own any part of it. It is an insert song for _Gundam SEED_ and as such I felt it okay to put in the story. Since music is a main theme for this story, having the songs from the series worked well for both the plot and characterization. There will be more songs in the future for those same reasons.

Sincerely,

Strata-Assassin

* * *

**_A/N: _**So, we finally get to one of the showdowns of the story. I hope I did it some justice and I know neither of them got terribly hurt, but they have a mobile suit battle to fight soon so I couldn't just have them breaking limbs left and right. Besides, I don't think either of them would let the other get that close, especially when they went berserk. Well, Eclipse came close to snapping Namarra's wrist, but-again-I had to tone it down a bit. Damn though, they're gonna be in a _lot _of pain come the next chapter or so. O.o Good job girls.

The SIN-ED guys seem to be in some trouble themselves. Between fighting with each other and trying not to bleed out, it's a wondering they get anything done. They're gonna be fading into the background again here pretty quick because of everything happening at Orb. Don't worry, our favorite Berserkers aren't done with them yet and they'll be coming back around soon. I _almost _killed off Wrath, so thank _Death-Scimitar_ if you're one of the people who like his character. I had all my plans written down that he died, but-well-we'll have to see where things go from here. It might get a bit interesting, especially since him and Stray will be in the same place at the same time again. Poor FS.

I think the best thing about what comes after this chapter is the fact that Namarra and Lexi are basically going to be roomies now. Scary, isn't it? I can't express my sympathies enough to Lathan. Poor kid.

Special thanks to my Betas for taking time out of their far-more-interesting-than-mine lives to look at this chapter with a magnifying glass and a red pen. And trust me, this is at least the seventh draft. O.o _Death-Scimitar, CSSStravag, _and _Maderfole_ definitely deserve more credit than words can state.

Also, special thanks to all my avid readers and reviewers! I love hearing from you and I even broke 300 reviews that last chapter! Kudos, guys!

* * *

**_* Corrections to the Narrative:_**

(Nothing that I could think of for this chapter.)

* * *

**_Questions/Gripes_**:

_Overall observation on Lexi's parents:_ Ah yes, the parents. There's a long history there that I can't really get into until the next story. They have good intentions-I think-but just have a poor way of showing it. They can be impulsive-we can see their children share the same trait-but they tried to make up for the mess, just didn't exactly keep Lexi's feelings in mind. I'll probably bring them around again in the coming chapters, but they are who they are and, unfortunately, are terribly stubborn/narrow-minded. I think they've been on the high end of the ladder a bit too long and just don't listen to reason anymore. It's a pity really, because their kids turned out to be pretty awesome. *shrugs* Or maybe I'm bias.

* * *

Thanks again for reading/reviewing and I'll see you all again in the next chapter!

_Strata_


	45. To Play God

To Play God

It was just Wrath and seven other SIN-ED members on the shuttle when they landed at Mendel. Wrath's craft only had one remaining space suit so he left them on the shuttle and met his four other companions to figure out what they were going to do next.

Phoebe docked their shuttle nearby and they all managed to scrounge up some spacesuits of their own. Technically, Mendel was people-friendly—especially since they sealed all of the docking hangars—but there was always that chance because they weren't exactly in the same area as they had been the last time they had camped out in space.

Mendel was a mess. They had landed on the other side of the satellite, but the rubble was much the same. The only real difference, however, was that they seemed to be in a more scientific-based area than the high-class neighborhoods they were chilling in nearly half a year before. The dock they used was positioned next to a research facility, and thanks to some pissed off antics by FS, was now open to the general public—at least whomever would want to venture in. He had his experience from Januarias 4 to thank him for such hacking skills, but whatever he had done was on the scale of brilliance because not even SIN-ED could get into that side of the satellite before. Given, he had needed Stray's help to get some machinery working to move the rubble so the shuttles could land safely, but it was good teamwork nonetheless.

The complex took up about five acres and the biggest facility stood about four stories high, the crumbling walls looking less than sturdy as the floors went up. The other small buildings around the taller one were small with only one or two stories, the whole place looking like a ghost town with the glass lying on the ground and some of the doors thrown open at awkward angles.

"How did I _not_ know this was here? I thought I asked you guys to search the _whole _satellite?" FS asked, his eyes narrowing at the rest of the team. He took off his helmet and wiped the sweat off his forehead, his hand moving slowly from his hairline down to his chin. Given the temperature, he shouldn't have been sweating. It was cold in the colony now that the climate control had been disengaged and the temperature was probably stable at 30 degrees Fahrenheit or so. The others took their helmets off as well when they reached the main door to the biggest building—most likely feeling just as claustrophobic. Their breath made small mist clouds in front of their faces and Melanie even shivered.

"The area was sealed off and it's not like you gave us a lot of time to find an alternate route in the place," Phoebe explained, Melanie helping her kneel down so she could see the hinge on the metal doors. It looked as if something had jammed the double doors against one another, making them a bit hard to move. "It's almost as if this was a separate part of the satellite altogether."

Not really paying attention to her excuses, FS pushed her aside and used the piece of rubble in his hand to bash at the metal. His desperate decision echoed throughout the area, making more than a few of the Sins nervous. They weren't totally sure ZAFT had abandoned the satellite and all of that noise would alert them for sure. That kind of carelessness was something the Lust twins or even Wrath would do, so why was FS the one banging a clump of cement against the steel frames and not them? The doors rattled and moaned in response to the abuse. One side had been bent enough that FS could reach in and pull the two apart. They didn't give right away. Wrath—being the less injured of the five—stepped in to help, but FS pushed him out of the way.

"Pride, just let me help!" Wrath hissed, but Stray was the one to get his attention.

Putting a hand on his shoulder, the Sin pulled him backwards slowly. "Revelin."

FS slapped the hand away and stared at his friend. The curses coming out of his mouth and the rude hand gestures proved he was pissed, but his sweat-ridden forehead and frantic eyes confirmed there was something else going on behind that stare. His pupils dilated and shrunk almost as quickly as his breath left his lungs. They darted from Stray, to the Lust girls, to Wrath, and then back to Stray before they made the same path again.

Stray felt a lump growing in his throat as he watched his friend. Did he miss something? Could losing SIN-ED really have affected him _this _much? "R-Revelin, calm down." He swallowed. Did he finally—"No," he said out loud, putting both hands on FS's shoulders and shaking them firmly. "Revelin, what's wrong?"

FS's breathing slowed back to normal and his eyes settled back down onto his comrade, a couple of blinks bringing his commanding stare back to his face instead of the scared underling. But his pupils still moved abnormally, giving away his true emotions even though his voice sounded like his usual, composed self. "Wrong you ask? Jaeger, SIN-ED's lying in a bloody heap floating space and, to top it all off, this door won't fuckin' open!"

"It's just a door. No need to get worked up."

"Just—here." Wrath squeezed past FS and pulled on the open door. Melanie helped Phoebe back to her feet and slid her arm over her shoulders. They both shared a look; one Stray didn't miss. His pulse sped. Something had gone wrong.

Terribly wrong.

Wrath had the door open within the next couple of minutes, Melanie almost having to step in when two people—injured or no—were looking better than one.

"About time," FS muttered. "If ZAFT is still keeping tags on this place, they probably won't be able to find us in this damned building." He walked inside first and the others obediently followed. "We might even be able to contact some survivors—at least more than what you managed to round up, Wrath."

"Survivors?" Melanie asked.

"From SIN-ED"

"Ah," Wrath replied and followed FS into one of the research offices. Stray saw him exchange a look with the Lust twins as he passed and bit his lip.

What the hell was going on?

* * *

Eclipse groaned and turned over, her muddy hair plastered against the layer of salt and dirt already on her cheek. A sharp pain shot up from her right hand to her shoulder. She didn't even remember rolling over let alone lying on her injured wrist and arm. As she scrambled onto her back her neck cramped, her ankle turned wrong when she shifted, and she bit her swollen tongue.

It was definitely a bad morning.

"Ah, fuck."

Instead of just turning her head—thanks to that dreadful neck cramp—she had to twist her body entirely to look over at her soon-to-be hospital roomie. Namarra was on her back as well, her wrist tight on her left elbow and trying to rub away the pain that was there. Her contorted face and constant cursing was a good indication she was having just as bad of a morning. Eclipse couldn't withhold a chuckle however, hearing the Natural's curses come out in a mumbled gurgle because of the cut across her neck. She sounded like there was a wad of saliva wedged deep into her throat and she just felt like swashing it back and forth instead of spitting it out.

Namarra heard the laugh and immediately reached for a nearby stick to throw it. Or attempted to anyway. Having no force behind the toss—thanks to some cramped and rather painful muscles—the stick just bounced on the ground roughly an inch or two from her hands. "Shut up," she managed instead, letting her body go limp on the ground once more.

Eclipse was about to start laughing full force when her stomach and chest caved in pain. At some point in time, they should probably move. Hah, when?

"I'm hungry," Namarra complained, forcing herself into a sitting position.

"And I'm thirsty. You'd think, after all that rain, we'd have enough of that water stuff."

Namarra laughed once—more out of mockery than anything—but Eclipse was in too much pain to let it bother her too much. "More like we shouldn't need baths, but I smell like a sweat-soaked jock and sock bag while you look like a three-year-old's mud pie."

"Then what do you propose?" Eclipse asked, shifting herself into a sitting position as well. "The waterfall you happened to cliff dive off of is about a mile to the east."

"More or less," she agreed, locking eyes with the redhead. Even though Eclipse hadn't known Namarra for long, she still recognized that look. They were both thinking the same thing, neither of them wanted to do it, they didn't have a choice, and they'd be bitching at each other the whole time.

Great, one of _those_ looks.

Eclipse sighed. "How good's your memory?" she asked, her voice strained as her muscles screamed while she hoisted herself to her feet.

"Better than yours, I'm sure," she scoffed, pushing on the tree behind her to get to her feet as well. Eclipse rolled her eyes, knowing she walked right into that comment. Keeping her opinions to herself, however, she took a couple ginger steps towards her new teammate. Namarra met her halfway and they just stood looking at each other. Ironically, they were already out of breath, both trying to hide their exhaustion, but both failing at the same time. Namarra's neck wound looked nasty, the brown and dark red blood had crusted around the wound, the scabs looking more like dried bug exoskeletons than any healthy blood clot. Red streaks were smeared all the way down past her collarbone, and—given the stain—some blood had even soaked into her bikini top. There was a nice bruise around her left eye and on her right cheekbone, but neither of them swelled up enough to hinder her sight. Her bottom lip was a bit puffy from a cut there, but still nothing looked serious. Even the cut at her hairline on her forehead looked to be shallow.

"You look—"

"—like shit," Namarra finished for her, bringing up a very bruised right hand and wrist to point at the redhead. "Damn, what paper shredder did you fall into?"

Eclipse laughed. "Probably the same one that spit you out. Now, what foot or leg hurts the most?" Namarra pointed down at her right foot where Eclipse poked her heel. "Okay, my right one isn't doing too well either so we'll have to make sure my left foot is stepping when your right foot does and vise versa. We'll be able to hold each other's weight that way."

"Seems like too much work."

"Do you have a better idea?"

"Damn."

"My sentiments exactly. Now, let's get this over with." Weaving an arm behind each other's backs, Eclipse put her right hand just under Namarra's right armpit and the Natural did much the same, slipping her left hand just under the redhead's left armpit. For the most part, they were the same height, which made walking a bit easier, but as soon as they put their arms around each other, they tensed.

"This is awkward," Eclipse admitted first, trying not to turn her head to talk to Namarra directly.

"And again we agree on something, so let's just not think about it and get some food."

Eclipse nodded and they took some slow first steps. Everything seemed to be going pretty smoothly and when their legs got to moving more, the muscles loosened. Maybe it wasn't going to be too bad after all.

"I guess we _are_ in an agreeing mood this morning," Eclipse said.

"Huh?"

"You _do _smell like a jock and sock bag."

Namarra frowned; Eclipse could hear it in her voice. "If I wouldn't go down with you, I'd so trip you right now."

"Hm, _definitely_ an agreeable morning."

They made it to the waterfall by noon and, luckily, they found the pool at the bottom without having to jump down the falls. In their condition, they wouldn't make it out again. "How about you fish and I'll build the fire."

"Why do I have to fish?" Namarra complained, leaning up against a tree for support.

"Because you can actually grip a fishing pole," Eclipse replied, holding up one bandaged hand and swollen knuckles on the other. Namarra held up her own hands for inspection and cursed when she knew she lost the fight.

"I can grip, but barely pull one in." She pointed to her wrist.

"You'll figure it out," the redhead replied and smiled before heading back into the woods to find some kindling and logs.

Their survival skills were better than they thought. Even though the wood was mostly wet, Eclipse actually felt good enough to make a few trips to find dry kindling. For a while there—after attempting to grasp her knife and make some sparks by striking it against a stone—she had gotten desperate enough to call the Stealth and order it to shoot at the wood, but a fire sparked to life before she could do anything drastic. Sure, the attack probably would have blown away her and put a nice puncture hole in the Earth, but she had wanted nothing more than to cause more destruction. So, two socks—she had thought they would make better kindling than bandages—and three wood trips later, she had a good fire roaring. Namarra did well fishing and with four fish, albeit small ones, now on sticks near a fire, the two could clean up a bit.

There was a small side pool that some rushing water and fallen rocks had managed to block off from the strong current near the waterfall. It was hardly the hot springs, but it was relatively warm and they could at least clean off all the dirt and grime. That was more important than anything. Neither was shy, so it wasn't the matter of bathing in the same pool, more like both being vulnerable in front of the person who had tried to kill her not a day ago.

They both side glanced at each other and held the awkward stare for a while. Finally, Eclipse sighed and reached behind to her lower back, just behind the waistline of her shorts. The knife was sharp—so she had two nice gashes to add to her repertoire—and the dried blood plastered the flathead to the small of her back. She had started keeping the knife there since she had come to Orb. Ironic really since that was the one place she was safe. She had yet to find a proper sheath, but her body had calloused well.

Pulling out the flathead, she grabbed the hole at the top with her thumb and index finger, swinging the blade back and forth. "There, last one, I promise."

"I knew you were holding out on me. Impressive, especially since you kept your Berserker from using the weapon." Moving her hand, she reached into much the same spot and produced a similar blade. Hers, however, was black with a crimson tint, much like her hair. Spinning it once, she threw it into the ground at Eclipse's feet. "I take it we're both satisfied?"

Eclipse shrugged and they both stripped down, getting into the water with more than a few curses as the water leaked into their cuts. The pain subsided soon, becoming nothing more than a dull ache slowly slipping away thanks to the soothing water.

"You mind if I ask you a question?" Eclipse wondered. Namarra looked up from scrubbing some dirt from her shoulder, but never argued. "Why exactly did the guys go insane like that?"

"They're not insane," the Natural corrected, sounding a bit annoyed with the accusation. "Their medication just," she paused, "changed."

"Medication?"

"They're Extendeds. I'm sure you've heard of them."

Eclipse nodded, remembering what FS and Stray had told her a long time ago back at Mendel. The drugs would eat away at their minds. Suddenly, it all made sense. "Do you know why there was a sudden change?"

She shrugged. "After one of my sessions, Azrael made some kind of brilliant exclamation and the guys were being put into pod machines instead of just given pills. The first time wasn't so bad, but after a couple of weeks they didn't even recognize me. Those pods are only prototypes and yet they can do all that? They can make them do…" She trailed off and Eclipse let her go silent, watching her reach around to trace the bruises on her back. She had already said more than the redhead had ever anticipated. "I'm not like them, if you were wondering."

"I wasn't gonna ask."

"I know, but I guess you deserve to understand. I know I told you before I was on drugs, but that's really only for the tests they run on me. When I was training I was on some for about a year, but they took me off it."

Eclipse thought about that for a second, splashing her face with water. She had also been given medication for about a year during her training on Januarias 4. She should have expected their lives to have been so similar, but it still surprised her a little. "Tests because you're a Berserker, right?"

"I'm guessing you've had similar treatment?"

She nodded. "Do you know why we're so special?"

"Aside from our very powerful alter egos?" Namarra shrugged. "I'm thinking we know about the same amount of information."

"Not much then, huh?" Eclipse sighed. "When this is all over, we'll find out more, agreed?"

They locked stared and eventually nodded. "Finally, allies then?"

"Only seems appropriate."

They fell silent after that, finishing their bath in a comfortable quiet that both appreciated. Only when they were both stepping out of the water to pull their fish away from the fire did Eclipse speak again. "Can I ask you another question?"

"Only if I can return the honor."

Eclipse shrugged, wringing out her short hair as best she could while she stared at the flames. "Fine." Namarra flicked her hand, telling her to go on with it. "Why did you go crazy when Lust mentioned," she paused, stopping herself before she said the word, "your brother's name?"

The Natural froze, her hands in the middle of twisting the water out of her own locks. She took deep breaths, quick ones at first, but soon they slowed as she gained some control. "I don't know; it's really as simple as that. I just hear his name and I can't concentrate, I can barely function, and I just lose all sense of control." Her voice rose towards the end of the statement, her hands twisting her hair into tighter knots than the strands could probably handle.

Eclipse's muscles tensed as she watched her, not sure if the subject alone was enough to trigger the fit. Remembering what had happened last time, she didn't think she was well enough to fend off the attack. Actually, the tensing was too painful, so she relaxed when Namarra had started to do the same. "You don't have to explain any more," Eclipse replied.

Her eyes turned upwards towards her, shifting slowly down again once they made contact. "Thanks."

The redhead also wanted to ask about the song she had sung the night before, but she held back, not sure of it was linked to Namarra's brother or not. Remembering the lyrics, it probably was and she really didn't want Namarra to freak out around a small communal bath of all things. "Now, you owe me two questions," Eclipse said. "Ask away."

The Natural cocked an eyebrow and started wiping off the water on her arms so she could dry off quicker next to the flames. "Alright, why did you go to Orb?"

"Because that's where I used to live and, after all the tests they were doing on me, I was basically kicked out of the ZAFT military."

"So, you returned home?"

Eclipse shrugged. "In a manner of speaking."

"You the prodigal daughter?"

"I don't like to consider myself that."

"I can see why. Parents avid supporters of total pacifism and you a ZAFT pilot—oh, and a Berserker to boot."

"You seem to know a lot about me," Eclipse said, a bit agitated by the interrogation. Yes, she walked into it, but at least she had backed off when she had noticed Namarra's discomfort. Maybe she was just growing soft over the months.

Hm, that was a disheartening thought.

"You're not famous, but you're pretty damn close."

"And I know nothing about you."

"Isn't that how this stuff always tends to work out?"

Eclipse sighed and turned her back to the fire. "If we're gonna start working together, I have to know more about you."

"Sounds fair." Namarra shrugged. "Help me find information about my teammates and then I'll tell you anything you want to know."

_Great, more time sitting around with nothing answered,_ the redhead thought, almost ready to tell her she didn't want to do anything until she knew the truth. But what good would that do? Having Namarra her enemy again wasn't a good idea. "Fine."

Namarra smiled and turned around like her counterpart. About a minute passed as they both dried off, now feeling the warmth of the fire instead of the cool winds. It was warm out, but air drying was never a comfortable experience.

"Do you think they can really help me?" Namarra asked, breaking the silence and handing Eclipse two of the fish.

"You mean Orb, right?" The Natural nodded as she they both sat down. "I think they can do something. Are you sure you don't have any more information?"

Namarra grabbed the other two fish and squeezed one a couple of times to see how hot it was. "I _do_ have more information—ouch!" She brought her fingers to her lips and narrowed her eyes at the cooked seafood. "Just nothing I can share right now."

"What do you mean, can't share?" Eclipse did much the same thing, sticking her tender finger onto her tongue.

"Or, more like, it wouldn't be of any use right now. I need a computer, some medical books, and another hacker plus yourself. We need to get into the Blue Cosmos database."

"I figured it'd come to that," Eclipse admitted, waving the fish around and hoping that would cool them off faster. She was hungry.

"You agreed."

"I know."

Namarra was about to say something else when she caught onto what Eclipse was doing and started laughing softly. "Y'know, with your luck those are gonna go flying and I _refuse _to get more for you."

"Meh, a risk worth taking." The waving actually worked and even Namarra started trying it when her stomach reminded her of her own hunger. One of her fish did fall off, but the Natural just picked it up off the ground and ate it anyway. Food was food.

In between chews—Eclipse had to have been going at it—the CA earpiece shifted and the volume must have been adjusted because suddenly the Stealth's message alarm was blaring. It could have been damaged during the fight or after everything that was going on, but, either way, it had adjusted without her knowledge. The food fell out of Eclipse's mouth when it opened in a painful scream. The stick and last fish dropped from her hands and her finger went immediately to her ear, turning down the annoying alarm and reminding her to replace it with something a bit more musical and less deafening.

"What's wrong?" Namarra asked, her mouth propped opened for the next bit of food.

"Messages from my suit. A _lot _of messages."

"Messages? How do you know?"

"It's a long story. Short version, my brother built me a communication device." She held up an index finger and turned her head down at to the side. "Coffee Addict, read them to me starting with the first one received."

"Order acknowledged. First message sent at 1000 hours June 13th by a Lathan Rymyr." Eclipse looked up and judged the time. It was probably 26 hours past when the message was received. She cursed silently. "It reads: Sis, I need you to come back. Orb's been given an ultimatum by the Atlantic Federation. It's not good. What the _hell _are you doing?"

Eclipse cursed louder and looked up to meet Namarra's curious stare. She waited until she took a bite before she shared the news. "The Atlantic Federation gave Orb an ultimatum. Do you know anything about this?" The Natural shrugged and the Stealth started reading the next message.

"Message two sent at 1500 hours on June 13th by a Cagalli Athha. It reads: Lexi, Orb might end up a battlefield! Where are you?"

Eclipse cringed after the message, just imagining her cousin screaming and freaking out on the other end of the line. _Shit._

"Message three sent at 1615 hours on June 13th by a Lathan Rymyr. It reads: Lexi, Cags could really use her closest cousin at the moment. Hell, we could all use some of your bright personality so _where are you_?" She cringed again when the volume went up on the last three words. Her suit either needed more of an attitude adjustment than she had figured or Lathan was just that pissed. Namarra snorted on the other side of the fire, probably seeing the look, but Eclipse wasn't as amused. The next message was from Cagalli and then two more from Lathan. He didn't give much detail about what was going on, but hearing Cagalli's freak outs—even in an e-mail—was enough to make her worry.

"Shit, shit, shit!"

"Do you know any more details?" Namarra asked, now onto checking her injuries. Her elbow seemed to be feeling worse right then—no doubt having cramped up over the night—but her neck wound looked to be the most severe. The only problem was neither of them had proper first aid equipment on hand. Everything was back in their machines.

Eclipse shook her head. "No, but we should probably get back to our mobile suits. We'll know more when we turn on the news reports."

"Hah, when you move, I'll move," she scoffed.

"Message seven," the Stealth continued, "sent at 1850 hours on June 13th, origin unknown. It reads: Eclipse, it's Athrun. I'm on Earth. Can we talk?"

That one surprised her a bit and Namarra must have noticed the look because her eyes narrowed in response. "Not good?"

"No, just surprised," Eclipse said, shaking her head and waiting for the last message. At least she hoped it was the last one. How the hell did she miss so many?

"Message eight sent at 0100 hours on June 14th, origin unknown. It reads: Eclipse, it's Yzak. You're not listed as a soldier anymore. What the _hell_ is going on? Please tell me this is the Stealth and you're okay."

Another surprising e-mail and even more shocking because both him and Athrun sent her a message within seven hours of each other. If only they knew.

"Last message sent at 0900 hours June 14th from a Lathan Rymyr. It reads: Damn it, Lexi! Twenty-four hours until we have to reply and you're still MIA! You'd better be dead, that's all I gotta say."

Eclipse sighed. "Coffee Addict, time?"

"1330 hours on June 14th."

"Alright, Coffee Addict, begin start up preparations. I'll be there as soon as I can."

"Roger that." And the connection cut off. Eclipse cursed and then got to her feet. Well, tried. Her sprained ankle buckled and when she put down a hand to stop herself from falling completely, the many wounds across her knuckles screamed for attention.

"Shit."

"See, that's why I'll start moving when you do. So far, no good."

"Namarra, Orb's in some deep shit and we _have _to get back to our suits. Where's yours?"

"Middle of the island." She nudged her head backwards and to the right. "On good legs and feet I'm thinking a half hour walk."

Eclipse rubbed her forehead, knowing neither of them had good legs _or _feet. "Coffee Addict, can you come to my position?"

"Negative. Autopilot system offline."

"It's what?" Eclipse half shouted, now angry her brother had wanted to do that tune up to her suit in the first place. Or was she the one to recommend it? She didn't even know anymore. Either way, they were forced to walk the distance after all. The Stealth repeated its response after Eclipse questioned it, but the redhead ignored the whole thing, saying a quick thank you halfway through. She really needed to talk to Lathan now, even if it was to get the outside data to fix her machine's operating system. So there were a bunch of things to talk to him about, but she was definitely going to start with Orb's agenda. She was getting the gist of the situation, but without a good briefing she couldn't just fly in. With the country in such a delicate position, she would probably get shot down before welcomed.

And she had Namarra with her.

"Shit."

"You need a new swear word."

"Thanks for the commentary, now, get changed."

* * *

They had expected it to take a while to get back to their mobile suits, the girls going their separate ways when they had reached the "middle point" between the two machines. The Stealth was another kilometer or so away, but without Namarra's stabilizing shoulder it was going to be one hell of a walk. The day before, every tree and branch was a welcomed source of cover, but now, however, they were nothing more than annoying and hazardous obstacles. Yes, they had their moments where they were good at providing a perch for Eclipse's exhausted body, but those moments were rare. "Coffee Addict, how far am I from your position?" she asked, putting a hand against a tree trunk as she pulled herself up a hill. She probably could have looked up to see if she could see the machine, but she was forced to pay too much attention to where she was putting her hands and feet.

"Approximately fifty meters. Given your speed, I would say another hour or two until you are here."

"Cute," Eclipse muttered, taking a couple more painful minutes to reach the top of the hill and not appreciating the Stealth's witty comments. Putting all of her weight on her good, left ankle, she looked around for her suit. A giant, black mobile suit in broad daylight shouldn't be too hard to find. In theory anyway. Knowing the machine's rebellious streak, it probably activated the Colloid. Seeing her beloved killing machine sitting near the base of the hill, however, Eclipse smiled lightly and carefully began her trek down. Somehow managing to get to the machine without tumbling headfirst to the ground, the redhead stuck her foot in the zipcord and rode it to the cockpit. Once her body sank into the clean material, Eclipse couldn't help shivering. She still felt filthy even after the bath. Standing up, she walked back onto the cockpit door and rubbed her hands up and down her arms. Some more dried blood flaked off and Eclipse sighed. Poking the top half of her body back inside, she reached down to one of the storage compartments and pulled out a long, black blanket. Wrapping it around her shoulders, she grabbed the keyboard and tried to catch Lathan in his office back in Orb. The other chat line she left open for Namarra. The two of them had decided to leave a frequency open so they could connect their suits.

Namarra jumped onto the line almost immediately. "Eclipse, is this you?"

"I read ya, Namarra. Do you know anything yet?" Flipping a few switches, she managed to bring the Natural's face up on the screen. The redhead sat down after that, knowing the whole experience was going to be so much easier with her sitting in the seat. Besides, the blanket was going to make things feel a little better.

"There's nothing for me, but I now remember the base pretty busy with preparations when I left. Ammo loading, mobile suit docking—the works really."

"And you never put two and two together?"

Namarra narrowed her eyes, Eclipse catching a glimpse of a dark green and black pilot suit as she stuffed it into a side cubby. "Are you kidding me? The world's in a fuckin' war and you're asking me why I didn't think twice about some missiles being pushed around at the base?"

"Damn it, Namarra, it was a simple question."

"No, it was an accusation and you—"

"Lexi, thank God, where _are _you?" Lathan interrupted, his face appearing on the other screen. Namarra shared a few more frustrated curses, but soon grew silent as Lathan started his end of the bitch fight. "Y'know what? It doesn't matter. Can you get back to Orb?"

"How much time until we have to give them a final decision?"

"About eighteen hours. If you come back now, I might be able to pull a few strings and get you back in here to stock up on ammo."

Eclipse glanced over at Namarra's screen, the Natural now pulling her long hair back into a bun. They locked stares for a moment—Namarra hearing what was going on—but she never said anything; simply shrugged.

"Lexi?"

"How many strings can you pull to get an EA pilot in with me?"

"What?"

"Plus her mobile suit?"

"Sis, you're insane!"

"We can say she's an Atlantic Federation liaison."

"And is she?" It took Eclipse a moment, but finally she shook her head. Namarra made some smartass remark, but the redhead didn't pay her any attention. With a mouth like that, putting the Natural in a diplomatic situation would be terrifying. Thousands of lives were on the line and with no real power in the Federation—well, everyone would be pissed. "Damn it, Lexi, this isn't a joke. With all this shit going on, you want to be funny?"

"She's an ally of ours and—I'm assuming—we both need some maintenance before this battle starts. You _know _we can be of some help."

"Wait," he held up a hand to the screen, "you think this'll end in a battle?"

"Lathan," Eclipse said, his name alone showing how naïve he was being. "Orb won't back down and I doubt the EA will let them."

"They're probably hoping for the fight," Namarra chimed in. "It looks like the guys are on one of those ships outside the border."

"Is that your friend talking?"

"Yes, she's an ally," Eclipse answered, running some scenarios through her head. If Namarra's comrades were on a fleet and they were as much of a threat as Eclipse figured, the Federation was definitely looking for a fight. "Lathan, we need in."

"No, just you."

"It _has _to be both. We need medical attention as well as ammunition."

"No."

She was going to shout back, but stopped herself. This wasn't her brother's fault and he probably had fewer contacts in Orb than she did. No matter how close their blood was to the government, they still had records. Sure, Eclipse could probably call up the same Orb smugglers who got her and the Zala Team into the country before, but somehow that seemed like a really bad move considering the circumstances. Besides, Lathan had every right to be suspicious and want to protect his home country. She wasn't about to abuse their relationship and just bring Namarra back no matter what.

"Fine, we wait for the battle to start and we join in then."

"What?"

"We need more time to prepare and I have a feeling when we're ready, so will the EA." She turned to Namarra then and they locked stares again. She didn't want to give away her name until the Natural was ready to. "Give Lathan your mobile suit code and he'll make sure Orb knows you're an ally. You _can _do that much, right?" she asked, turning to her brother at the end. He looked a little offended, but nodded nonetheless.

Namarra paused, almost as if she was thinking the whole thing over again. Eclipse hoped that was why she was hesitating because the redhead didn't want to follow her skeptical side and believe Namarra was going to lie about her suit and give a false code so one of her comrades could sneak behind the Orb lines and slaughter everyone.

Damn, this was getting complicated.

"Namarra." There, she said her name that time and she could see Lathan scribbling on a pad of paper. "I'm putting a _lot _of trust in you right now. You wanted this." She didn't agree, but she didn't disagree either. They were both making one hell of a leap of faith, but with a battle looming, a risk was the only thing to take.

"My suit's GAT-X713 DECAY, code number 718417." She looked at Eclipse then, her eyes still showing she was wary of the redhead, but there was still some yearning for something. Trust?

Eclipse didn't know what was going to happen after the battle, but she knew she could at least keep her safe during it. They both still had separate missions—Namarra to save her teammates and Eclipse to protect Orb—but they could at least do it without worrying about friendly fire.

"Got it, Lexi. I'll do the best I can and I wish I could see you before the battle starts, but good luck. Don't die."

"Cliché as ever." She gave a small smile, but it faded as soon as she remembered the second thing she was going to bring up. "Oh, I do have another favor to ask." Lathan sighed, his eyes slowly blinking, as if his lids were covering up the eye roll. "I need the data for autopilot on the Stealth. It's offline apparently and I can't fix it without the proper information."

"Alright." He looked off to his right, Eclipse hearing the familiar sound of him typing on the keyboard. After a few more mouse clicks, he hit one key loudly. "Transferring."

"Thanks, bro. Send Cagalli my best." He did a mock salute and was gone. Eclipse sighed and leaned back in her seat, cringing when the cuts stung.

"I'm surprised he didn't say anything about those bruises."

"My brother and I seem to have some kind of unofficial pact where we don't pry into each other's lives unless the person initiates the conversation."

"Must be nice."

"With this job, it tends to be helpful."

"No, I mean to have a brother. Older, right?"

Eclipse nodded and she watched Namarra's eyes go down and to the side, a weak smile crooking up her lips. "I don't believe in pitying a person for losing someone close, but I _do_ know what it's like to watch someone you love get killed. If you ever need to vent—"

"I won't."

"—you know how to reach me," Eclipse continued, ignoring how fast her partner went from feeling pathetic to being defensive. Sighing, she pulled up the Stealth's operating system and started making the adjustments. Some kind of auto movement might be nice in the coming battle, especially with her being so injured.

She did as much as she could and then started tending to her wounds, waiting for the Stealth to confirm and sync what she had just done before making some more adjustments. Leaning down, she reached into one of the lower compartments and pulled out her first aid kit. She was about halfway through wrapping her sprained ankle when Namarra cursed loudly. The redhead looked up at the screen and she cursed again.

"I just ran out of hydrogen peroxide."

"Geez, your wounds weren't _that _bad were they? To use a whole bottle?"

The Natural bit the side of a piece of tape and tore it in half. She wrapped it twice around her left bicep to make sure the bandage stayed secure. "I forgot to refill it, alright? I went out on a mission last week and poured half the bottle down some poor schmuck's throat."

Eclipse cocked an eyebrow, but didn't argue. Holding her own bottle up in front of the screen, she shook it a couple of times to measure the amount then propped her chin up on her free hand. "I have about half left."

"Well, good for you," she grumbled and bit off another bit of tape.

Eclipse shook the bottle again. "How much you need?"

"Why, you done?"

"No, but I only use as much as I need to use."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Yes or no, Namarra?" The Natural sighed, but soon ended up throwing a bloody rag at the screen. That was as close to a yes as Eclipse was going to get. "I'm bringing my suit over."

"Fine."

Eclipse was more than excited to see Namarra's machine. She may not get a chance to hear the full mobile suit ramble like she had for the Stealth, but any kind of visual would be greatly appreciated. And to see how advanced the Earth Forces had become with their technology was a tempting notion as well.

The walk didn't take too long and staring at her screens, the redhead found herself impressed by the machine kneeling down next to a rock face. Over its shoulders was a black cape, but it didn't move with the wind, making Eclipse think it was armor instead of thin material. Since it was attached to the shoulders and neck, it had to be for some kind of defense or even for stealth purposes like the Mirage Colloid was for her suit. The head and face was humanoid like the prototypes with red eyes, but the left side of the face was interesting. It might have had something to do with her alter ego, but the left half of the face was stripped of metal, the wiring exposed and looking like some kind of giant burn scar. Eclipse knew Namarra was more careful than to leave any part of her suit vulnerable—so the spot might have been covered by some kind of clear material—but the look gave the redhead an eerie feeling. The rest of the body was a combination of black, brown, and green, blending in with the background, but with the black cape-like armor covering most of its body it looked much like the Stealth. There was no weaponry in sight so Eclipse couldn't have been sure how armed the suit was—or gauge its power—but, knowing the Natural, there was something ready to do overkill damage on some puny tank hidden nearby.

Eclipse dropped the cockpit right in front of Namarra's open hatch, the two doors nearly touching. There was a gap of about three feet between them, probably symbolizing more than the girls wanted to admit. Walking out onto the hatch, the redhead tossed the bottle of disinfectant at the sitting Natural. "Finish it if you want. I think I'll be fine." Namarra muttered a quiet thanks and Eclipse sat back down in her machine. She was glad her comrade seemed to have a competent suit. It wasn't as if she had any doubts, but for a while there she was actually thinking Namarra had one of those mass produced Strike Daggers. That would have been ridiculous.

After watching the Natural for a time, she brought up the Stealth's operating system, making a couple of adjustments to the controls. With as many injuries as she had—and most of them on her hands—she had to lower the resistance just a bit. Her muscles wouldn't be able to handle her original settings, but with looser controls, she hoped her stomach would be able to handle the quicker movements and that she wouldn't be turning 180 degrees instead of 90.

Somehow she didn't think she could afford such a mistake in the coming fight.

* * *

Eclipse stared hard at the screens, every so often looking up and over at Namarra sitting in her machine. She shifted uncomfortably in her seat, wishing she hadn't put on her pilot suit. With the time limit quickly approaching, she couldn't just be sitting around in a bikini top, but Orb's fine humidity was more sticky than comfortable. They had both tolerated it for the past half hour when Lathan sent Eclipse a message about how Orb was still going to stress their neutrality. That was to be expected and now the Atlantic Federation fleet was on the move. The Earth Forces weren't about to back off, especially not when Orb had a mass driver that could send them into space.

"Damn it, they should just get off their asses and build one themselves," Eclipse grumbled. "Namarra, any news from your end?"

The Natural shook her head. "I'm still getting the same message: Meet at these coordinates for further instructions. It's getting annoying."

"Have they moved yet?" Eclipse asked, meaning her comrades.

"No, they're still in the hangar."

"What ship?"

"One closest to the flag ship." They both cursed after that bit of information. If it wasn't going to be hard enough to convince them, they had to go through an entire fleet.

"So, how important are these three?"

"Lexi."

"I was just wondering—wait. Did you?"

"You know my name. It's only fair." Namarra smiled when Eclipse sighed. "Besides, I know it annoys you. Every time your brother mentioned it your right eyelid twitched. Yup," she continued, pointing to that side of her face, "just like that."

Decay's sensors went off first and then the Stealth's, the Atlantic Federation probably nice enough to give their AWOL pilots a heads up before they started their missile assault on a neutral country. Both pilots went for their helmets, Eclipse taking one extra second to enjoy the light wind blowing across her sweaty forehead. This humidity was definitely a bitch and even though the climate control was still functional inside the Stealth, the redhead couldn't help but wish for a place with a couple more days below seventy-five degrees.

"We're about ten minutes out. I'm assuming your suit can fly?"

"Brilliant deduction, dumbass."

Eclipse brushed off the comment and closed the hatch. Now, she regretted her offer to be a verbal punching bag. "Then keep up with me and we won't have any problems, capiche?"

"Roger that." They took off then, the Stealth leading the way back to Onogoro Island. Namarra's suit kept up fairly well—having boosters on the back, both shoulders, and even the thighs for extra momentum and stability—only trailing behind when Eclipse set the HiMat wings at maximum thrust. Seventy-five percent output seemed to work well for the Natural so she kept the steady pace and hoped it wasn't putting too much of a strain on the Decay. The cape that had been covering the Decay when the redhead first saw the suit had folded over the cockpit, holes conveniently placed in the shoulders and the back so the Decay could fly around without damaging the defense mechanism. The boosters on the shoulders and legs gave more bulk to the suit, however, almost making it look un-proportioned, but it never seemed off balance. The Decay's agility seemed at par with the Stealth, actually, and seeing as Namarra had similar missions as Eclipse, it only seemed appropriate. Eclipse was going to ask about more specific schematics, but knew Namarra had other things on her mind.

Chaos was always a good word to describe a battlefield, but Eclipse never truly appreciated the term until she saw the pure power of it, rendering her home country to a junk heap after only ten minutes or so of fighting. The Atlantic Federation had the upper hand even if it was only because of their numbers. Orb was putting up a good fight, matching shot for shot, but when one Orb machine was destroyed, only one took its place. For the Earth Forces, two took its spot.

"Damn, this is bad."

"For who?" Namarra countered and stopped next to the Stealth. They hovered there for a moment, Eclipse trying to access the whole situation and the Natural trying to contact her comrades. The redhead cursed again and brought up her list of weaponry. The Stealth was no where near ready for this.

"Fuck!"

"Lexi, I found 'em. I'm gonna try talking to them."

"Need help?"

"No, I can't have someone—let along another pilot and mobile suit—pissin' them off. I'll let you know if I need back up." Namarra ended the transmission after that and Eclipse sighed. Like she was going to ask for help. Punching a sequence on the keyboard, she brought up two more video screens besides her main camera. One was on the Earth Forces landing on the Izanagi shore—the Orb forces seemed to have that under control—and the other one was on Namarra's Decay. For a second she watched the mobile suit head to the Earth Forces fleet and she cursed. There was the eerie feeling it was _not _going to turn out well.

An alarm flared on the main screen. "Air drop above Onogoro shore," the Stealth announced and Eclipse bit her bottom lip. Things were definitely going to get interesting with all the injuries she had, but she couldn't just leave her birth home to burn, no matter how many bad memories she had there.

"Coffee Addict, we're going to intercept."

"Roger that," her suit replied and Eclipse pulled her machine over towards the island and the Orb tanks about to be overwhelmed by sheer numbers.

Eclipse landed just after half a dozen Strike Daggers had already taken out a fair share of Orb tanks. On the way down, however, the redhead couldn't miss the opportunity to destroy a preoccupied enemy. Unsheathing the blade in her left foot, the Stealth sliced across a standing Strike Dagger and plunged the sword into its side. The blade sunk into the cockpit and was pulled downwards as Eclipse fell to the earth, most likely making a messy display of the pilot once sitting behind the controls. The attack didn't slice far, however, the blade not sharp enough to tear through the improved armor on the Strike Daggers. It was a fatal attack nonetheless and Eclipse pulled the Stealth's leg backwards, dislodging the blade and focusing on the next kill long before the Dagger fell to the ground motionless.

Another enemy came up behind her. Placing the Stealth's foot firmly on the ground—and sheathing the blade—she dropped the sword in her right wrist and sliced the head from its shoulders, the metal thankfully not as thick around the neck. The pilot was blinded and definitely not happy since his next couple of attacks were nothing more than pissed off swings from a machine that had yet to gain any kind of visuals. The Stealth dodged each slice easily and only when the Strike Dagger started falling off balance did Eclipse take her chance to cut it from the game entirely. Kicking the suit in the side, she sent it a safe distance away before pulling out her only beam rifle and shooting once into its battery pack. It exploded as expected and Eclipse brought her buckler up to protect the cockpit from debris. Putting her rifle back at her hip, she turned and looked for the next opponent.

As usual, her enemies found her. There were four of them—one on each side of her like some deadly Compass Rose—beam sabers out and ready to run her through. How fun. She turned and faced the one in front of the burning Strike Dagger. She had to try and take them out one at a time, but with reinforced armor and so few beam weapons, it was going to be tough unless she had a little help. Some shells riddled the Dagger's armor, the Orb tanks coming to support her. More Orb forces distracted the machine to her left so she spun to the right and reached out to grab the Dagger's head. The sword under her left wrist flipped up at the same time, the blade cutting into the armor above the cockpit and slowly making its way to its head. With her right blade, she cut the beam saber from its startled hand. Spinning, her left hand clamped down on the head and she shoved the machine at the charging Strike Dagger behind her. The machine panicked when he saw his comrade flying at him and brought the beam saber up to block instead of his shield. Stabbing through the cockpit, he nicked the battery and the two machines exploded.

A sweat drop dripped from Eclipse's nose and onto her arm after that series of attacks. Her hands burned with pain and the bandage on her exposed muscle had nearly been rubbed off, her grip almost too much for the tape to withstand. She coughed once and felt the air burn through her lungs as she breathed. She definitely shouldn't have been fighting.

The Orb tanks keeping the two machines occupied behind her exploded, making her tired mind remember the other Strike Daggers. Spinning back to them, she emptied her CIWS bullets in their general direction. If they were going to stick with their original attack plan, they were going to be charging with their beam sabers out in front. The bullets did little to slow their charge, but it was enough to knock out one camera and scare the other pilot as three bullets shorted the saber in his hand. He dropped the weapon immediately and drew the beam rifle from his side. The one with the broken camera swung widely, but still on target. Eclipse had to bring the Stealth's right arm up to block and the beam went right through the sword sticking out of her wrist. The blade dropped to the ground and Eclipse ducked under the next swing. The mobile suit with the beam rifle shot at the same time, his attack going over the crouched Stealth.

Eclipse lunged forward and stabbed upwards with her left hand, driving the blade into the arm of the machine with the rifle. Sure the blade would stick, she pulled the suit forward over her machine. The other Strike Dagger—its cameras still out—swung blindly again, chopping downward at Eclipse's makeshift shield and slicing the suit in half from the waist down. Smirking, Eclipse pushed the remaining half onto the blinded Dagger and brought out her own beam rifle, silencing them with a shot each.

_This would be so much more fun,_ she thought, prying her right fingers from the controls one at a time, _if I wasn't half dead_. She had a little time to catch her breath as the other Strike Daggers were taken care of by the Orb forces.

"Damn, that was impressive, pilot! Thanks for the help," remarked one Orb soldier over the radio. Eclipse just nodded even though they couldn't see her. Her injuries were coming back full force by then and she couldn't breathe let alone form any kind of verbal response. She hugged her hand to her chest and just concentrated on breathing as she watched the screens. Izanagi Island was being overrun and even though the three M1 Astray girls were putting up a good fight, they still had limited battle experience, especially in an all-out swarm battle like this was. Namarra was holding her own, which was good. She had met her comrades—or what she concluded to be the other three guys she had been travelling with in mobile suits—in the air and was flying around like some mosquito avoiding a fly swatter. One suit was teal with two cannons mounted on its shoulders and standing on what looked like an Earth Forces version of a Guul. But it was a black with some red attachments and looked way too bulky to merely be for transportation. The last suit was the largest of them all with a white body and three large green shields on its back and sides. At least they looked like shields. Since he was flying on his own, they were most likely boosters as well.

Eclipse couldn't hear much of the conversation, but it didn't look as if the Earth Forces' new mobile suits wanted to hurt her fellow Berserker, just annoy or even scare her. That meant Eclipse had a little more time to clean up things on Orb soil, but she didn't know how long she would be able to hold up. One more burning cough and breath meant all of the flying around and fighting wasn't doing well for her internal bruises.

"More units approaching from above," the Stealth announced, drawing the redhead back to her suit's grim predicament. Cursing, she let go of her hand and gripped her fingers one-by-one back on the controls.

Grabbing its rifle, the Stealth took aim and fired at two descending Strike Daggers. One enemy machine opened fire at the Stealth, but she avoided the shots easily and counterattacked. One shot went through a Strike Dagger's thigh and nicked the battery given the angle. The explosion caught a parachute of a nearby mobile suit and sent the machine falling hard onto the sand. Eclipse dodged a couple more shots from the other suits before aiming and shooting at that one through the cockpit before it could recuperate.

Turning away from the shore, she saw about a dozen more mobile suits about to land. Her grip twitched on the controls as she took a strained breath. Another sweat drop fell down her forehead and into her eyes. Reflexes took over at that point and she flicked her head to the side—to send the drop away—just in time to hear Namarra's conversation turn sour.

"Orga, listen to me—"

"Shut up, girl. Shani, why don't you do the honors? We'll get rid of the—"

"Orga! Why does he—"

"Shut up, Clotho!"

Eclipse glanced up at the screen and cursed. If things were about to get serious, she had to get over there and fast knowing how injured Namarra was. It was a good plan until she remembered how vulnerable the Orb Forces would be if she took off. Even in the condition she was in, she was better than no one. One Strike Dagger hit the ground and then lunged at the Stealth. Eclipse fired a shot through its left shoulder and dodged its panicked attack as it fell to the ground. A shot through the top of the cockpit silenced him.

The next couple of seconds were interesting. Instinctively, she had turned to stab the enemy coming at her back, but when she spun, the machine already had its head and upper left arm blown off. It staggered a couple of steps and then fell backwards, the two damaged areas sparking and smoldering from the attack. The Stealth traced the shots to a white and blue mobile suit hovering above her and off to the right. It looked a lot like the prototypes, but just shinier and taller according to the limited schematics the Stealth provided. Based on the HiMat wings and the priggish aura emitting from the cockpit, she figured it was Kira in the Freedom Gundam. She scowled but still kept things civil when she brought up a communication transmission.

"I suppose you're waiting for a thank you."

"Oh, it's you," the pilot replied, nothing in his tone indicating he was angry about seeing her, but his words showing he was sad about it. He really needed to stop pitying her.

She narrowed her eyes, letting him know she didn't appreciate his reaction. "Can I trust you not to fuck up here?"

He hesitated a moment before answering, most likely startled by her choice of words. "I will defend this country with my life, if that's what you mean."

_How noble, _she thought, but bit her tongue. She could quarrel with him later. "Normally, I pray for your death, but I need you alive right now. Don't let Orb burn."

"Roger that." He saluted on the other end of the communication and Eclipse returned a nod before cutting it off. She didn't trust the guy personally—hell, she didn't even like him—but she knew he was powerful and even though he seemed to be playing the tragic hero by only maiming the enemy mobile suits, his aim wasn't half bad. Taking a moment, she watched him fly off—followed by the recovered Strike—before pressing a couple buttons and initiating the Mirage Colloid. It probably wouldn't do much against such impressive opponents as Namarra's Extended comrades, but it might give her a surprise advantage.

* * *

Shani's suit—the Forbidden—swung his scythe high over Namarra, the Decay easily able to duck under the attack. At any other moment she may have mocked him for his poor piloting skills, but right then she was desperate to just get their attention. They had been blowing her off the entire time and the fact that Azrael was yelling at them probably didn't help matters, but if they had been their real selves, they would never have been in that situation to begin with. "Shani, stop—I'm not gonna fight you. I can help you!" Shani didn't reply verbally, merely swung once more over her head. Orga and Clotho had started flying towards the mainland, most likely eager to get to their real battle. She tried chasing after them, but Shani cut her off again. "Damn it, if you guys would just hear me out!"

The Calamity—Orga's suit—and Raider—Clotho's machine—combo slowed and turned back to the evading Decay. "Chicibo, listen," Clotho started, but faded out.

Namarra, distracted by possibly getting through to one of them, hesitated on the controls. Her muscles cramped as her foot let off the thruster. Leaning forward, she opened her mouth to talk and took her hand off the joystick. He had used her nickname.

There was a chance.

"Clotho—"

"Namarra!"

The Natural heard Eclipse's scream, but didn't have enough time to fully react to Shani's swing and with her hand off the controls, she couldn't put up any kind of real defense. His scythe sliced through her suit's left thigh and down through her right knee, severing the limbs completely. She had managed to avoid more serious damage—with her left hand pulling the Decay up and away—but the body rattle and annoying sensors made her feel more like it had been a fatal blow. Her head bounced around in the cockpit and the more she tried to brace herself, the more it hurt. The Decay was working on stabilizing itself—trying to compensate for the missing limbs—but the suit wasn't as advanced as her other teammates' so the computer was slow and Namarra's body couldn't handle much more. She closed her eyes and tried to make her stomach calm down, but failed. She retched.

Shani's finishing swing was coming, the Natural could feel it. She opened her eyes just in time to see the Forbidden's scythe slashing across the front of her suit, the tip jamming into the right side of the cockpit. She heard the metal folding and cracking in response to the pressure and felt her muscles finally relax. If she had to be killed by someone, one of her comrades couldn't be too bad. And at least it would be quick.

Namarra had seen her share of weird things in her life, but Shani missing a close-ranged kill wasn't one of them. The tip of the scythe cut open the front of the cockpit, tearing out her screens and controls along with riddling her legs and arms with sparks from the severed equipment. The wires snagged on the jagged corners as they were torn away, making Namarra more than happy those wires didn't wrap themselves around one of her arms or fingers and pull it out of the suit.

Her mind calmed down once she realized she wasn't going to be slit in two, her eyes moving slowly upward to see the scythe being pushed away by—well—nothing. Sparks and the smell of burning metal came from about halfway down the curve of the weapon, but whatever was blocking the attack had managed to push the swing back enough to keep the Decay out of immediate danger. Looking away from the blade and over to the Forbidden, she saw his suit was only partially there. She could see the green top of its Geschmeidia Panzer, but nothing of his body. All she saw was a glossy reflection of herself and yet it wasn't her at the same time. Everything was distorted, but from far away she knew it looked nothing more than an invisible savior. It was Mirage Colloid, Namarra knew, but was it another machine?

"Eclipse?"

The blade held out for a little bit longer against the scythe until it finally sliced through. The half fell harmlessly into the ocean, but the scythe had to finish its swing and the Natural knew there was only one way it could go. She braced herself as best she could, feeling the full weight of the invisible machine falling back against her own.

Shani's blade severed the Stealth's left arm, sending a reaction down the wiring to fry the systems for the Mirage Colloid. The machine appeared in the air and both females could just see the smirk curling up Shani's face. Another, weakened enemy was just what he needed to brighten his day. He didn't attack right away—most likely his suit was too bulky to have a quick recovery—the Stealth and Decay having a little time to stabilize themselves and anticipate the Forbidden's next move.

"If he fires his Hresvelgr plasma cannon we're dead," Namarra said, biting her bottom lip as she pulled a shard of glass from her thigh. Cursing loudly, she quickly put pressure on the wound and threw the piece of glass out the gash in front of her.

"Then we should try to run." Eclipse was fairing just as well except her problems involved a certain bite wound on her wrist and some skin pulled away on the opposite hand. She had disinfected the areas as soon as her body let her move to her suit, but the throbbing pain was now up to both shoulders. She was lucky her hands were gripping the controls because she couldn't even feel her fingers.

"Yeah and he'd have us overrun in less than a minute."

The Stealth's screens started flashing red then and Eclipse looked at the Forbidden. He was going to fire the plasma. "Shit. Nam, cut your boosters." Eclipse never got a response, but she knew the Natural had heard. She may have limited visual, but her radios were fine.

The Forbidden fired and the Decay dropped just before he shot. The blast went over its head as well as the Stealth's when Eclipse went into a dive. Reaching out with her one good arm, she grabbed the Decay's right elbow and they took off into open water, away from the battle zone. The Stealth was slower with the added weight, but Shani's recovery time was even more sluggish after the blast than after his other attack. "Enemy suit not following," the Stealth announced and both female pilots released their breath.

"I'm gonna swing around to the rocky area on the far end of Onogoro Island. Let's just hope the fight hasn't gotten that far."

"Fine," Namarra replied and Eclipse left it at that. No doubt there were a lot of things running through that head of hers and the redhead didn't want to bother her. They were done with the fight for now.

Landing in a rocky area probably wasn't her brightest idea, but they needed cover and since they were both ready to black out—at least Eclipse could feel the head rush and her vision turn white—they also needed seclusion. "Coffee Addict, I've marked the landing point. Go there, hide the two suits then activate the distress signal."

"Roger that."

"Namarra?" she asked, but heard no response. Taking a couple of quick breaths, she felt her head fall backwards against the headrest as her vision grew white then, finally, black.

* * *

"This is it," FS muttered, the computer screen flickering as he watched the files being copied to a separate disk. "With this SIN-ED still prevails."

"What're you talking about, Pride! We just happen to stumble upon some unfinished research and you just assume it's legit? This is nothing but mindless rambles of a religious nutjob!" Melanie screamed, pointing a finger at the screen and waving her other arm around frantically. "This shit doesn't answer anything! Just tells us that religion and science are _not _meant to mix together!"

"Melanie's right, Pride," Phoebe added, sifting through some papers on a nearby desk. The computer screen was the only source of light in the room, but she could see the words on the papers just fine. Not like she needed reports to tell her the truth, however. "It's just a theory. We shouldn't put too much trust in it."

"No, it makes perfect sense! You haven't seen her; I know she's capable of this!"

"Of bringing about Judgment Day?" Phoebe asked. "Look, I've heard of the guy who did that research. He was trying to prove devils and angels existed in the world by using scientific evidence. Berserkers were believed to have survived in people's DNA so he based his entire research off that lone fact. I'm sure his imagination went off from there."

"Then how do _you_ explain Berserkers?" FS asked.

"This is fuckin' insane!" Wrath yelled, scattering the pieces of paper on the desk down and across the floor. "You mean to tell me that Lunar Eclipse, the damn redhead you two are so obsessed with is some kind of genetic devil sent to destroy all humanity? That's bullshit! I'm not about to stake my life on—"

"Why do you think everyone wants her, huh?" FS countered, his eyes glowing from the light of the computer screen. The sweat shimmering across his forehead added to the frantic twitch at the corner of his mouth. "Them trying to control her and—ah, fuck, why hadn't I realized it before? _That's_ what Durandal and Roan were after; they were trying to copy her DNA. Can you imagine making more of her; trying to manifest that kind of power?"

Melanie slapped her hand down onto the desk near the computer. "Pride!"

"They could play God."

"Pride, enough!" The Lust girl brought her hand back to slap him across the face, but he proved to be the quicker. Wrapping his fingers around her wrist, his free hand grabbed the back of her head and he slammed it hard and down onto the end of the desk. Her forehead hit hard and she fell backwards onto the floor, unconscious.

"Melanie!" Phoebe screamed.

"Pride, what the fuck are you thinking?" Wrath shouted, taking a couple of steps towards FS. He left enough room for Phoebe to check on her sister, but still step in if something more was going to happen. "Let ZAFT believe in whatever the hell they want to. I'm not about to lose my mind and give into some bullshit!"

"Don't you see?" FS continued, waving his arms out to the side and nearly knocking the computer off the table. His hands caught it before it fell, his eyes going wide and his breath quickening when he realized what had almost happened. Licking his lips, he turned his head to the side to see Wrath, his hands never leaving the screen. "Roan saw it. The Berserker's the only one able to give us what we want. No, she may not be a _true_ Berserker yet, but give her time. Soon she'll turn into the world's executioner and start slaughtering people for the fuckin' hell of it. Trust me, Judgment Day isn't instant like the great religions say. Hell no, it's slow and torturous and only the lucky ones die first."

"Pride—ugh! Damn it! Gluttony, say something!"

Stray turned his attention to Wrath, his eyes neutral as he stood there in the doorway. His arms crossed over his chest, he leaned against the doorframe and watched the events from a distance. After blinking once, his eyes slowly moved back over to FS where they lingered for some time. Stray had normally been the one to avoid confrontation within the organization, but he had never looked so detached; so dead to the whole conversation. The light from the computer screen caught his eyes and the brief flash of his tongue as it streaked across his bottom lip. FS stepped a little to the side and more light hit Stray's face just in time to see a sweat drop trickle from the hairline by his ear and down his neck. His stoic eyes flashed fear for a second before he rolled around the doorframe and out into the hallway.

"Gluttony!" Wrath and Phoebe shouted at the same time, but he was gone.

"That's it," FS continued, the other two shivering as if his whisper had brushed down their own necks. "That's how we get her help. We have to impress her; appeal to better nature."

"She's not a god!" Phoebe replied, setting her sister on the ground and grabbing FS by his collar. He must have been too occupied with his own thoughts to not have reacted. "She can't do _anything _on her own!"

"No, not yet, but if she's given more time—yes, if we put her back into an environment like she had on Januarias 4—she must have grown soft."

"Damn it, stop your blabbering!" Phoebe brought up her left forearm and put it at his neck, slamming him backwards onto the desk. His back bent back across the wood and his feet slipped on some of the papers when he tried to regain some ground. "I'm _sick _of hearing about that girl. If you wanted to fuck her, fine, all you had to do was ask us to grab her, but calling her a god? Now that's going too far! Those two Berserkers are nothing but—"

"Two? What d'ya mean two?"

She had failed to mention that little bit of information before.

Phoebe froze as she watched his red orange eyes shift from surprise to sadistic ecstasy. They glimmered in the light, shadows racing across the surface as if his own inner demons had finally broken out of their prison. His sanity had held on for a long time, but now and the devils inside of him were free and searching for some kind of desperate idea to cling onto. Looking into those eyes, Phoebe could have sworn she saw his lashes narrow in a way that made the whites of his eyes look like a toothy grin. Shivering, her heart skipped a beat and she barely heard him ask again, "What d'ya mean two?"

"The other assassin. You met her outside of Carpentaria." Her breath quickened when he didn't respond right away. "I-I didn't say anything before because—"

FS's mouth opened then, his eyes rolling backwards into his head as he laughed. "Fate; it _has _to be fate! There's _two _of them? And they were _both _chasing us? It's a sign."

"Dare I ask what you mean by a sign?" Wrath chimed in, his hand now lingering over the handgun at his waist.

"We were _meant _to bring humanity down on its knees. Now we have to prove it to them." He shook his head, another chuckle—more like a gurgle—escaping his lips. "I can't believe there's two of them." Wrath and Phoebe waited for him to calm down, the Lust girl still keeping a firm arm under his chin. She wasn't putting enough pressure to be blocking his windpipe, but it had to be uncomfortable. Yet there he was, squirming on the table as if someone had slipped a cockroach down the front of his pants.

Eventually his fit slowed, his breath returning to normal and his eyes opening to stare into Phoebe's. She matched the look, but soon had to buckle in pain when she felt his knee jam up between her legs. The hold loosened and FS reached over to grab the middle finger on her left hand. Bending it backwards and twisting her arm to the side, he kicked the back of her right knee and forced her down to the ground. Wrath's gun was up and aimed by the time she hit the floor, but he didn't pull the trigger.

FS turned to look at him, his head cocked to one side as a happy tear fell down his cheek. "Wrath, you are to head to Earth and hook up with Sloth. Lay low until I contact you again."

"And if you don't?" the Sin asked, his gun lowering. If he wasn't going to be near FS anymore, he wasn't going to kill him. Scared shitless, yes, but not enough to kill the person who gave him some sense of sadistic freedom.

FS smiled. "Then you gather up power and wait for the moment to start your own destiny."

"If we all lay low _now, _we could get SIN-ED up and running again soon. Isn't that what you want?"

FS shook his head and wiped a strand of hair from Phoebe's pain-filled face. "We have to act now. We'll do something so horrendous the Berserkers will have no choice but to be impressed and then we'll have them on our side. We'll work together to get rid of those deserving death."

"And then what?"

Chuckling, he let go of Phoebe's hand and pushed her to the ground with his foot. "Then we'll kill the Berserkers before they realize we deserve to die as well. My friends," he cooed, walking back to the computer and grabbing the disk with the information imprinted there. "We'll be gods."

Stray rubbed clammy fingers up and down his arms, trying to scratch off the goose bumps gathering there. Leaning back against the wall, his body jumped when he heard the computer crash to the floor and the side of his head bumped the doorframe, leaving a painful buzz muddling around with his terrified nerves. There had to have been some kind of signal he missed because there was no way FS could just drop into the lowest level of insanity without so much as a warning. He had thought he was paying attention, but maybe he had slacked off? Had he been careless? Was this really all because of SIN-ED?

A piece of paper crunched loudly to his left and he jumped again, his head whipping around to come face to face with his old friend. FS's lips were set in a straight line and his eyes cloudy as if in some distant memory, but even though his body was standing right there in front of him, Stray couldn't see any sense of recognition there. Another sweat drop tickled the side of his face and FS seemed to notice, the right side of his mouth twitching into a clumsy grin. He brought up his hand and set it firmly on Stray's shoulder. Cold; his hand was freezing. Even the comforting squeeze was more like daggers as his fingers pressed harder than they normally did, cutting into the tender areas around his shoulder.

"You're too tense," FS said, his lips forming the words sluggishly and the breath tumbling from his lips in a warm mist. The perspiration hit Stray's face and he withheld the urge to run away. "We'll get her back, just like you wanted."

Stray said the first thing that came to his mind, almost as if his survival instincts had kicked in. "Good."

The computer sparked from inside the room, illuminating FS's face for one second, but what Stray had seen was pleasure. His old friend liked his response.

* * *

**_A/N: _**I hate mobile suit battles.

Hey guys, I thought I'd get my rant out there first, but thank you for reading the chapter and for all the support. After all the free time I was bragging about, I thought I was going to finish this chapter rather quickly, but it turned out that I just kept putting it off and I got so frustrated with it at one point I almost let it go for a week or so. I'm so sorry! Some people have been messaging me about an update and I appreciate the thought, so thank you guys and I hope this wasn't a total let down.

Oh, I'd also like to say I'm sorry about the language. I know there are a lot of people out there who really don't mind seeing the f-bomb dropped in constantly—and we all know it's accurate given the age, the circumstance, and what not—but I'm not that big of a fan. I tried taking it out and putting in a different swear word, but nothing really worked as well. There are far more swear words in this chapter as well—and for that, I apologize. Maybe this frustrated me more than I thought it would. O.o

Yes, SIN-ED made a comeback and I think they're gonna be hanging around creepily for a while. Hm, we'll just have to see how things turn out! Aw, I kinda feel bad for Stray though. He's been though a lot of stuff lately and it sucks to see something like that happen.

I also have a question for you guys. A friend of mine suggested I start a forum for this story and the ones that come after it. I'm a bit on the fence about the idea. I think it's gonna be a bit difficult because I have to follow the canon so closely, but since my next story is of the in between time of SEED and Destiny, I'm interested to see what you guys think on it. Hm, well, let me know if it would be a good idea or not and I can set one up.

As always, a special thanks/shout out to my betas, _Death-Scimitar, CSSStravag, _and _Maderfole. _Chapters are so much easier when they do all the hard work. All I have to do is put words down on the page. They're really the ones to make sure it even makes sense. :P

Thanks again to all my readers and reviewers. You guys have been active a lot lately and I really enjoy seeing that!

* * *

**_*Corrections to the Narrative:_**

(Again, nothing this chapter.)

* * *

**_Questions/Gripes:_**

_Soma Taozi: _I hope this chapter answers a little bit about the Druggies. I'll be getting into more depth on them later, but Namarra was hinting as something when they were talking in the pool. As for my second story, yes, it will be taking place between SEED and Destiny. I am going to do my own thing on the in between time, so I can't spoil too much. I honestly don't know much about what happened in those two years, but by studying Destiny and the little hints they drop, I might be able to come up with something. Also, it was nice to hear from a new reviewer and I wish I could have responded to you personally instead of through the chapter, but thank you for your insights and for reading my story.

* * *

Thanks again, everyone and I'll try to have the next chapter come out sooner. There isn't much mobile suit fighting that I have planned so I won't get so frustrated with it all. :P

_Strata_


	46. Picking and Choosing

Picking and Choosing

"This female is also Code Red, but stable at the moment. Start her on an IV drip and get antibiotics into her system as soon as you get back to the medical tent."

"Sir, we're low on antibiotics."

"The infection on her wrist doesn't look too severe so start her on a low dosage of any antibiotic we have left. You're a medical student, right?" There was a pause. "Good, I trust your judgment. If you're still not comfortable, start her on a practically harmless dose until I get there. Although, with all these injured, it might take a while."

"Yes, sir."

"And the lacerations here on her head next to these bruises worry me. CT scan?"

"I'm not sure we have the equipment on hand, sir. Either that or there's going to be a long wait."

Eclipse felt the touch of warm fingers brushing over the bruise on her upper cheekbone. Another hand picked up her good wrist and lightly passed over the cut skin on her knuckles.

"Stitch up the wounds and…" The voice faded out, the smooth male timbre slipping into the background as her ears focused on the other sounds around her. Someone—another soldier, she figured—was shouting the words "Code Blue" and some other medical ramble Eclipse had never hoped to understand. She knew enough about mass field trauma to know Code Blue meant dead and Code Red meant severe, but still able to survive; however when they started throwing out medicine names and amounts, she just zoned out.

"Damn Earth Forces bastards!" she heard the same man yell.

"Found the foot!" a different person shouted before her doctors' conversation tuned back in.

"Have you found any kind of identification?"

"None on the bodies, sir, but the suits are listed as part of the Orb Special Forces. These machines don't look made by Morgenroete though."

"They're probably not. We're lucky to have so many allies, soldier. Take good care of them and when you're finally able to identify them, notify the families."

"Roger that."

Eclipse's head was swimming; there was really no other way to describe it. Her eyes darted from one voice to the other, trying to discern the male tone, but having no recollection of where she was, let alone who was talking. Her eyelids wouldn't open. She could still feel pain so there were no meds in her system yet, but she just couldn't make that final leap into unconsciousness.

A cold disk slipped under the zipper of her pilot suit, making her eyes jump with the feeling, but her body failed to react. "She's having difficulty breathing. Raspy. Might be fluid in her lungs. Intibate and remove the fluid."

Something clamped onto her left bicep. "Blood pressure's high."

A cool instrument brushed across her forehead. "Temperature's high and rising."

"Get her and the other female to the tents."

Eclipse felt her body moving and then heard the deafening sound of propeller blades. One more medic shouted about her temperature and she finally blacked out.

* * *

FS laughed.

It was a familiar sound and one Eclipse found her body enjoyed no matter how long it had been since she had heard the chuckle. It was like a feather, a silky one used to trace the vertebra down her back and linger at the muscles just above her hips. She shivered and opened her eyes, looking towards the noise, but didn't see the same person she had anticipated. Stray was standing there instead, munching on a sandwich of his own concoction, most likely. She watched him carefully, seeing how his mouth opened and closed with the chews. His jaw muscles bulged with every bite, forcing her to look somewhere else when a familiar itch warmed her cheeks. It had never been unnatural to have that reaction around Stray, but suddenly she felt embarrassed, like she had stepped in on something she shouldn't have. But she just couldn't look away. Turning her eyes upward once more, she followed his hands, watching his fingers tapping to an unheard melody as they squished into the soggy bread. The wetness soaked his fingers, crawling up his fingernails and making a trail down his wrist to soak into the cuff of his sweatshirt. She watched the material gather up the liquid, almost as if it was swallowing the juices and savoring the taste.

Blinking, Eclipse found she was standing right next to her old friend, the fascination with his eating habits bringing her close to him, but she never remembered moving. The thought scared her for a second, but Stray's delicacies had stolen her fascination once more. Staring at the sandwich, she watched the liquid turn red, now bleeding through the white bread and looking more and more like a crimson inkblot as the juice expanded. His teeth sunk in for another bite, the bread giving way with a familiar squish and slurp as if the liquid was too delicious to pass up. When his lips pulled away, red strings stuck to his mouth, oozing spider webs draping from the teeth indents to his ruby lips.

Involuntarily, Eclipse felt her own tongue trace the front of her mouth and her jaw opened, her body leaning over to take a bite of her own. So close; she could feel the hot air bouncing from the sandwich as she breathed. And the smell. "Gorgeous," she moaned, closing her mouth down onto the bread and squishing her own teeth through the red liquid. Closing her eyes, she swashed the food around in her mouth, every taste bud lighting in ecstasy as the substance passed from one side to the other.

Metallic.

She started chewing, but seemed to have grabbed a bigger bite than she had thought. Something hard and round was rolling around in her mouth. Pulling it out, she sucked off the juices before seeing what was in her hand.

Heine's eye.

She wasn't sure how she knew it was his—it could have been anyone's green eye—but her mind was sure. Panicking, she dropped it to the ground and watched it spin. The motion made her dizzy so she took a couple of steps back, trying to get out of its view until it stopped and stared straight up. Then made a slow twist to her direction. She screamed and whipped around.

"Oof, ouch."

She had run into someone. Running her fingers together, she felt the gritty threads as they were stitched next to each other and smelt the rich fragrance of cologne. She didn't know the smell by name, but she recognized it, and that small bit of recollection calmed her, made her sink into the safe material before she turned her eyes upward to look into his face. "Yzak," she breathed.

The redcoat smiled when she said his name, but the smile was weak, as if he was only happy for the acknowledgement and nothing more. "Why d'ya do it?" he asked, eyes narrowing now to match the seriousness in his voice.

Eclipse blinked, her mouth unable to give an intelligent answer. Hell, she didn't even know what to say. Her throat went dry and her lips smacked together soundlessly, knowing there wasn't any moisture there anymore.

"Why d'ya do it?" he asked again, bringing up a hand to point over her shoulder. She flinched from that movement—thinking he was going to hit her—but didn't turn around to look. "Why would you kill them?" She was about to answer; her mouth was poised to utter some kind of response, but something on his face stopped her.

It started up near his forehead, a deep red dot that slowly grew bigger and longer as it traced its way down his face and under his right eye. A zipper was the only thing she could think to describe it. His skin opened up to display the muscle tissue underneath in a slow rendition of how he had gotten his wound back in space, but this seemed almost worse. The cut festered outward, black and green veins stretching out to grab at the paleness of his cheeks and turn them sickly white until they bled to black. Eclipse stepped back to see his nose fall to the ground and his mouth open and close as he continued his interrogation. "Why did you do it?"

She turned then to see two bodies lying on the ground, one lying on top of the other like a cross. Eclipse didn't have to see their faces to recognize the elite redcoats, green hair and sightless teal eyes to know it was Nicol and Athrun. Her breath quickened as she stared.

Step. Step. Step.

Her eyes shifted to the left.

Step. Step.

The work shoes sounded like tap shoes, the noise echoing in the hazy blackness and growing louder as they approached. She tried to run away, but her feet refused to move.

Step. Step.

Stop.

She shut her eyes.

"Increase the drug output." It was a man's voice; someone she recognized, but the name escaped her. "The Berserker's sure to come out this time."

* * *

Eclipse knew it was a nightmare as soon as she had opened her eyes, but the real question then was, did she come out of it? She looked to be in a tent of some kind, too small to hold more than three patients, but the other beds were empty. Two nurses stood off to her right, one trying to find the vein on the top of her hand and the other one setting the controls on a machine next to them. The high-pitched screech of the buttons made her breath quicken each time, a gasp breaking through her lips the moment the redhead saw the nurse reach for the green one labeled "Start."

"No! Stop!" she screamed, pulling her hand away from the female trying to start the IV. "Stop!"

"C-calm down, Miss Rymyr," one female stuttered, but Eclipse couldn't tell which one. She was paying more attention to the fact that they were trying to pump some drug into her system again. The Berserker was at the surface of her subconscious, she could just feel it standing there, one hand poised on the door handle as the other pulled backwards to knock.

"Don't touch me! Not again! Stop!"

She did the only thing she could think of and flailed, one foot painfully making contact with a nurse's gut and one hand raking across the other nurse near the machine. Eclipse knew she had to get her away from that contraption or it would start all over again.

It always started again.

"Don't—just don't! I can't handle it, okay? I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"

"What's going on here?" It was a man's voice that time; a doctor, it looked like. Eclipse saw the flash of his white coat and the mask over his mouth, but the thought alone was enough to make her eyes go wide.

The Berserker knocked.

"Hold her down, I'll give her the sedative," he ordered.

"No, no—stop! I'll behave! Please, just don't give me anything!" Eclipse yelled, squirming away from their attempts to apprehend her. One nurse had a good grip on her arm, but Eclipse pulled it and the nurse over her body to nearly bump heads with the other nurse who had run around to her left side.

"H-hey! You're not allowed in here!"

"I stood outside last time. It's not happening again."

When she pulled the nurse over, Eclipse's body went with the momentum, rolling off the bed. The redhead's reflexes tried to catch her before she hit the cold ground, but she missed the side of the tent, her fingertips clawing at the material. The IV stand tumbled with her and crashed onto the bed, one of the nurses nearly getting stabbed with it as it fell. Ready for the impact, her muscles tensed, but she fell into a much warmer and softer embrace than the hard dirt. At first she thought it was the doctor and she was going to start her retaliation all over again, but a glimpse of tan hands and his silky voice made her hesitate.

Dearka.

"Dear God, I'm dead." Her eyes widened. "Because you're dead."

He flashed a smile, his white teeth glowing against his darkened skin. "As blunt as ever."

She stared at him for a couple more seconds, the information trying to soak into her sluggish brain, but as soon as she figured out it was really him, the idea of her still in her nightmare slithered back into her consciousness. He _had _to have been dead. They couldn't find him.

The Berserker knocked again.

Bracing her hands on his chest, she tried to push backwards, but his arms held tight. "You're safe so please stop struggling. You're in Orb, Eclipse, _Orb_. I'm alive. You're alive. We'll all be fuckin' alive if you just stop!"

Her antics slowed, but her body refused to shut down, still staring into his eyes as if waiting for them to fall out of his face much like Yzak's had started to. Her hands clenched the collar of his orange jacket, involuntarily shaking as she tried to make some sense of the situation. "P-positive?"

He smiled again and Eclipse finally felt herself relax. Not even her mind could play tricks with such a comforting grin. "Want me to pinch you or something?"

"Just get her back onto the bed, Mr. Eslman. Don't add to her injuries," the doctor mumbled, wiping the sweat from his forehead. Dearka did as he was asked and Eclipse welcomed the help. Sliding back onto the cot, she still kept one hand clamped onto the bottom of Dearka's coat. She felt the tug when he tried to pull away, but she didn't hear him argue. In fact, she felt his shoulder move up and down in a shrug.

The nurse to her right took a breath and tried to find a spot on her hand again for the IV. Dearka must have felt the added tug on his jacket because he put a hand on the nurse's. "Can that wait?"

"Yes, yes it can. Her injuries don't seem as severe as I originally diagnosed. Either that or I underestimated her healing abilities," the doctor responded for her and Eclipse watched the nurse push the drug machine back into the corner of the tent. Both women sighed, but probably not for the same reasons. Eclipse was just happy to know she wasn't back to being a lab rat.

"Now, Miss Rymyr, how're you—"

"Doctor! Doctor, come quick! It's the other one!"

"The other—what?" The man spun on his heels and ran out the flap and to the tent next to hers. Squinting, Eclipse managed to see the silhouettes of three bodies struggling against each other. There were two more cots near the furthest end of the tent and Eclipse could see two injured soldiers huddling there, trying to keep as far away from their newest bunkmate.

Eclipse should have been surprised to hear about the other freak out, but since they both had psychological problems, Namarra's panicking was probably more justified than shocking. "Kai! Kai, help me! Get them the _hell_ away from me!"

The redhead's first reaction was to curse, but her second was a little more helpful. Pulling down on Dearka's jacket, she pointed towards Namarra's silhouette just as one of the nurses started screaming about the syringe stuck in her cheek. "Get me Lathan—my brother."

"Wha—"

"Now, damnit!"

"B-but—fine." He turned to leave, but was pulled backwards when Eclipse still refused to let got of his jacket.

Eclipse saw him look back at her and bit her bottom lip. "Just don't be gone long."

"They won't hurt you—"

"Please." He sighed and nodded, running out of the room just as someone fell back against the side of the tent, almost causing the whole thing to collapse entirely. She _had_ to do something. Dearka had put her back on the bed like the nurses had asked—which solidified the fact that he was good at talking orders—but since everyone was trying to apprehend Namarra, Eclipse had to get out of the bed herself. Sighing, she peeled off the tape on her arm and pulled out the one IV still in her vein. Grimacing, she grabbed a Kleenex from one of the carts, put it one her newest wound, and swung her legs around the bed to land on the ground.

"Stop! Don't touch me! Kai!"

Eclipse cringed when she heard an IV stand fall to the ground, the fluid bag popping loudly right after. She had no idea what had been in the bag, but the all too familiar screech, yelp and crash made the redhead cringe again for the unlucky person to slip on the slick grass.

Setting the tissue on the bed, she put her hands on the end of the bed and pushed up. Her legs complained at first; a sharp and painful whine that almost made her fall back down. Eclipse was stubborn, however, and bit her bottom lip. _Breathe, _she thought, taking a step towards the entrance. A stethoscope flew out of Namarra's tent just as Eclipse pulled aside the material. She looked down at the instrument and then took some more painful steps towards the commotion.

Peeking inside, she finally let loose the string of curses she was holding back. The medical staff had managed to get one wrist strapped to the cot—two brave male nurses were making sure the bed stayed on the ground—and it was constantly pulling at the frame, Namarra's hand clenched into a tight fist as it pulled against the restraint. The rest of her body was flailing around, dodging the doctor's attempts at grabbing her. One male nurse grabbed her right knee and calf, but she twisted her body awkwardly so the hold loosened. Her right free hand grabbed his hair and shoved him off to the side, taking a few brown locks in the meantime. Eclipse's eyes grew wide as she watched, seeing Namarra's left shoulder—on her bound side—lock then snap back into place when her body twisted back to a more normal position.

Eclipse gulped.

"Lexi, why are you standing out here?" Lathan asked as he ran over with Dearka trailing right behind. Her brother must have been hanging around if it took mere minutes to find him. The blonde turned and looked into the tent, a couple of curses leaving his lips as he ran in to help. Eclipse pointed and Lathan followed her finger, not like he couldn't hear the commotion anyway.

"And what the hell am _I _supposed to do?"

"You have to pretend to be her brother; that's who she's yelling for."

He looked at the redhead then into the tent just as the doctor managed to strap Namarra's other arm to the cot. There were definitely some teeth marks on his forearm. "Why do I have to be her brother when I already have a monster as a sibling?"

"Lathan."

"What?"

"The only way to calm her down is to tell her she's safe and that you're right there. Don't leave her side either."

"_What_?"

"Now go," she said, pushing him on the shoulder. "Namarra's body can't handle much more of this."

"Why the hell should I?"

"Because someone has to step up and grow a pair."

"This has _nothing_ to do with—" A clipboard and papers clattered at their feet, the metal clip stopping just under Eclipse's bare toes. Lathan looked from the ground up to his sister's face. "_Hell _no."

"Hell yes."

"I can only stand one psychotic sister."

"Just do it! I promise to do my own maintenance on the Stealth if you just _get in there_!"

That must have been the trigger because soon after he was stomping into the room and pushing the nurses aside to get to Namarra. He ducked under one of her high kicks and managed to get near her head without slipping on any of the slick grass. Eclipse saw him take a deep breath and reach out to touch the Natural's forehead. She snapped her teeth at his fingers.

Dearka helped strap the last restraint over her left ankle and turned to make eye contact with Eclipse. The slow glance and worried glimmer in his eyes told her they were thinking the same thing.

Fuck.

"Namarra, calm down." She didn't seem to hear him. "Namarra, it's Kai. You're safe now."

She turned her head that time and stared at him. Eclipse couldn't see what was on her face, but she saw Lathan's body relax. He reached over and put his hand on her forehead, brushing aside some stray strands. "Don't let them hurt me," she pleaded.

"No one's gonna hurt you." He sounded so confident, but woven together with that confidence was fear, Eclipse could hear it when he said "gonna," as if he wasn't totally sure what was going to happen after all.

Namarra sniffed and gasped at the same time, her hands flexing under the restraints. "I'm stuck."

"Because we don't want_ you_ to hurt yourself."

Her toes curled as both feet kicked against the bed. "It hurts. Get if off."

"Namarra—"

"Please, Kai!"

"Sis—"

Eclipse bit her bottom lip when she saw the Natural's body twitch violently. Namarra _couldn't _handle another fit. She had said her body just lost all control whenever she heard her dead brother's name. No wonder she embraced her Berserker side even more than Eclipse did. It seemed to be so much easier to handle.

"Mr. Rymyr, I really don't think—" the doctor started, but Dearka put a hand on his shoulder and started unbuckling the leather strap across her thighs.

Lathan caught on and nodded in the blonde's direction. "Alright," he began, turning back to Namarra, "they're coming off. Just stay calm."

Eclipse started getting nervous. She didn't know what would happen after she calmed down. It was a good thing they were near medical equipment because at least no one in the room could die. Well, maybe not quickly at least.

They were all off but one and when Lathan unbuckled the last restraint, the air around them just stopped moving. No one dared breathe, probably fearing the Natural would react to the sudden movement and start her fit all over again. With everyone having at least one injury from either her hands or her feet—hell, even her teeth—getting her restrained again wasn't going to be easy.

In the end, it was all rather anti-climatic. Namarra took the first breath and curled up on her side, hugging Lathan's hand to her chest and crying quietly. Lathan rubbed her head and back with his free hand, trying to soothe her as best as he could. Most of the medical personnel left the room—some staying to tend to the other injured in the tent—and one nurse bent down to grab the objects keeping the flap from fully closing. Dearka helped Eclipse back to her bed and they both just looked at each other. Dearka shook his head and Eclipse shrugged, a smile slowly curving up her lips.

Yes, they were definitely an interesting pair.

* * *

"Now, are you _sure _you wanna be walking around out here?" Dearka asked, his arms involuntarily reaching out to steady Eclipse when she leaned forward on her crutches.

She slapped his hands away. "Damn, what _is _it with men and being so overprotective of girls? I've been on these before, numbskull."

"Well, seeing as it's only been four hours since you were found mangled in your suit, I wouldn't exactly say you're healthy."

"That wasn't what I asked." Dearka shrugged and Eclipse sighed. "I don't trust Lathan's damage report." She held up a hand before he could say anything. "Yes, he's the mechanic, but my suit can handle its own and no two, cowardly Strike Daggers could have done _that _much more to it," she grumbled. Lathan had said that just before the recovery crew had picked up them and their suits, two Strike Daggers had attacked their descending machines. The Decay hadn't taken much more damage, but apparently the Stealth had fought them off and sustained more than a few dents. Perfect.

"A little cocky for someone who doesn't have Phase Shift armor, don't cha think?"

"And you're a little faint-hearted for someone who knows what I can really do. Say that again when I'm fully healed."

Dearka cocked an eyebrow, but didn't reply. Probably knowing anything he could say would only make the matter worse for him. That reaction actually made her curious. Dearka had never been the one to fly off the hook like Yzak, but he always had some kind of smart remark.

"You okay?" she asked. When he didn't seem to read her mind, she figured she should explain a bit more. "You're more reserved."

"Reserved?"

"You actually think before you talk now."

His response that time was intriguing. Slowly, the muscles around his eyes loosened and the questioning expression slipped from his face. His shoulders slumped as well, but not like his body was getting ready for anger—as Eclipse expected—but like he was reviewing some kind of memory in his head. She was going to watch his eyes and try to figure out what memory was haunting him, but she turned away at the last moment, feeling like she was intruding on something too personal. That actually worried her.

"A lot's happened." Was all he said and went quiet.

She looked up at him and saw his attention elsewhere. She followed his eyes and almost knocked him upside the head. He was staring at a girl—about the same age as her—with light brown hair cut short at the chin. Wearing a pink Earth Forces uniform with a yellow skirt, Eclipse figured she was a Natural and that made her even more curious. She wasn't terribly tall, didn't stand out as overly gorgeous, but, for some reason, Dearka looked at her like—well, she had never seen him look at anyone like that.

"Who is she?"

"Hm?"

Eclipse reached across his body and put two fingers on the far side of his chin. Pulling his attention back to her, she narrowed her eyes. "The girl. Given her uniform, I'd say she's on the _Archangel_." She recalled the conversation they had had about a half hour before and smirked. "Was she your bodyguard when you were in the brig or something? I didn't know you were into that."

He blushed; Dearka actually blushed.

"I—well—no—I mean—" He sighed. "It's a long story." The redhead swept her arms out wide, indicating her crutches. He seemed to get that she had time. "One of us killed her boyfriend and I made a really stupid comment."

"Wait, she told you one of our team killed the possible love of her life and you mocked her?" She blinked, mouth open. "You bastard."

"No, no, it wasn't like that. She—ugh, it all happened so fast. The bottom line is—"

"You feel bad and want to make it up to her, but she's holding a grudge. I get it."

"That's part of it, but I think I realized then the enemy's human, like we are." Eclipse watched him go quiet as he looked back over at the girl. His face softened as his hands slowly clenched in anger. Or was it guilt? "I _do _feel really bad about what I said—and she didn't let me get shot because of it—but I don't pity her. I'm curious, actually."

"Curious?"

He turned back to the redhead. "Yeah—wait—what's the face? That's not creepy."

"Depends on where you're going with this."

"I'm curious about her, okay? I hurt her, yes, but she was strong enough to stop another grieving girl from killing me. I made the comment to _her_," he pointed towards the brunette, "and she saved _me_." He pointed back at himself. "When Nicol was killed, I never would have—I mean, he wasn't even my—it's just so—" Fading out, his tense shoulders slumped again.

"That _is _strength," Eclipse agreed, watching the girl stop and lean back against the Freedom's leg. Eclipse kept looking past where she had stopped to see Cagalli running over with two white cups. Shaking her head, she returned to Dearka before she could get distracted. "So, what'cha gonna do about it?"

"Nothing."

"Nothing?"

"She's grieving."

"And as a worried friend, your duty is to keep your distance, but still be close by if she needs someone to rely on."

"Friend?"

Eclipse sighed, but mainly because his face looked genuinely confused. "What, you expected all or nothing?" He shrugged and Eclipse pushed him in the shoulder. "C'mon, let's see what the commotion's all about. I see the captain of the _Archangel_ over there too."

"Oh, I guess you didn't hear. Athrun jumped in and helped out Orb in the battle."

Her crutch slipped on the cement, well, more like she was so shocked by the news her body reacted on its own. Trying to cover her surprise, she grumbled a little about the crutches. "Does that mean ZAFT is backing Orb?" she asked once they started moving again.

Dearka shrugged. He hadn't tried to catch her that time. Good. "I thought that's why you were here originally, but then I heard about what had really happened back in the PLANTs. Lathan," he answered when she looked quizzical. "I'm sorry, Ecl—uh, I mean, Lexi—I hear that's what you're going by nowadays," he added with a soft smile before his face turned sour once more. "I didn't know ZAFT was capable of such brutality. Somehow this goes beyond the typical 'destroy the Earth Forces.'"

Her eye twitched at the name, but she shrugged off the other comments. "Shit happens."

"Yes, and it always seems to happen to you. You just have awful luck."

She shrugged again and followed Dearka over to where the brunette had stopped behind Kira and Athrun. Eclipse started paying attention to the conversation then and was pleased to hear that Athrun was starting to think for himself. Plenty of things had happened back in the PLANTs so he had to have had questions for a while and no doubt his discussion with Lacus had added to his confusion. But his concerns mirrored her own.

What now?

"I believe that what Cagalli's father says is true," Kira began, accepting the drink from the Orb princess. "If Orb was to side with the Earth Forces, the Atlantic Federation would take advantage of its power and attack the PLANTs. And the same thing would happen if Orb sided with ZAFT, the only difference would be in which country they were designated as the enemy. But either way," he continued, stopping Athrun before he could interrupt his thought, "there'd be no real change for the better. I _can't _let it go on like that. And _that's _the reason why."

"But you—" Athrun started and Kira interrupted him again.

"I know, I killed a comrade of yours; a personal friend."

Eclipse and Dearka tensed at the statement. The redhead turned away and cursed quietly while the blonde just sighed. The girl glanced back and looked at them both but didn't say anything. She locked eyes with Dearka for a second, but soon turned away.

"But I—" Kira paused, probably seeing the pain on Athrun's face. "I never knew him or even met the guy, and it's not as if I _wanted _to kill him."

_Now he's just making excuses,_ Eclipse thought, her anger growing once again. She didn't necessarily blame _him _for Nicol's death—at least she was trying to convince herself of that—but the way he went about it bothered her. _Take responsibility for once._

It was probably a good thing Kira didn't notice the angry redhead behind him. "And _you _killed Tolle."

Now it was the brunette's turn to gasp and turn away, but the look on her face was nowhere near what had just been etched on Eclipse's. Hers was pure anguish accented by quick, raspy breaths and body shakes. It looked so bad Eclipse almost reached out to comfort her, but Dearka made the move first. His hands went out to steady her, but they stopped halfway and fell back to his sides, fingers curling in frustration.

"But you never knew him either. You didn't _wanna _kill him, right?"

"No," Athrun responded and Eclipse looked back at the two pilots. "But, I tried my hardest to kill you."

"Same here." Kira turned away and looked up at Athrun's mobile suit in front of them. "Look, Athrun, it would be great if we lived in a world where we never had to fight. If only we could all live in that world forever, but this war keeps escalating." He paused and looked back at his drink. "If it goes on like this, PLANTs and Earth will have no choice but to destroy each other. And that's why _I _decided to fight."

"Kira."

"I just wanted to protect others, but now that I've pulled a trigger, it's too late to go back." Kira and Athrun looked at each other, but only for a brief moment before the ZAFT pilot looked down. "Are we gonna have to fight each other again?" Athrun's muscles tensed at the question, but he neither looked up nor made any kind of vocalized answer. That was what he had come to figure out.

Kira smiled softly then stood, putting the cup down where he had just been sitting. "I should get back to my duties now. We never know when they'll attack us again."

Athrun rose at the same time. "I just have one question. The Freedom is equipped with a Neutron Jammer Canceller. What would happen if that data—"

"If anyone tried to get that data from me for their own purposes, I'd shoot them." It was a bold statement, but one Eclipse was actually happy he made. Hell, if anyone else got that data, she'd shoot both people involved. ***(1)**

The brunette's grief spilled out then, her quivering eyes turning to tear-filled ones once the conversation had ended. Turning away, she started running, but Dearka grabbed her elbow before she had gotten too far. "H-hey!"

"What d'you want?" she yelled.

"Ah, well—uh—look—I—he's the one that killed that guy—y'know—Tolle?"

"So, what's your point? Weren't you listening to Kira? This is what he meant!"

"Uh, well—"

"Would killing him bring Tolle back to me?" Everyone went silent, the statement most likely touching each person who had been listening to the conversation. Eclipse even turned back to see Athrun, but his face held a different kind of grief, one that made the redhead's stomach sink just watching him.

_Shit._

"Of course it wouldn't," the girl continued, her voice cracking. "So why don't you just stop talking about it?" Her sobs nearly drowned out the last three words, and when she started running away again, Eclipse figured there were some crew members who understood her grief, but knew few would want to revisit that pain again.

_Such strength though, _the redhead thought, watching Dearka chase after her. _She has the perfect chance to take revenge and she just turns the other way. I guess I can't blame the guy for being curious after all. _She didn't follow Dearka. She let him handle it and after the affection he had shown earlier, Eclipse was certain he would handle the girl better than she ever could.

Cagalli lingered a bit after the talk, watching Athrun fall back into his seat before attempting to say something. Her mouth opened then closed and opened again after she took a moment to think about what she wanted to say. Eclipse wasn't sure what her cousin asked Athrun, but seeing the apprehensive smile on her lips as she spoke and the disappointment on her face when he shook his head no, gave her the impression Athrun had too much on his mind. The redhead gave a secret smile after the exchange, knowing her old comrade rarely wanted to do anything when he was in a thinking mood.

"Eclipse?"

Or not.

She was turning away to find the Stealth—and was actually in the middle of the half circle to point her in the right direction—when her good knee locked and her eyes grew to liking their lids closed, even if they were shut in pain. But she couldn't just leave without accomplishing anything. Leave it to Athrun to make her stay just a little bit longer. Lifting her crutches up one at a time, she turned back to see him. "Yo."

He laughed—a strained sound, but it was a chuckle nonetheless—and, at the same time, Eclipse saw her cousin's face droop. "You're on crutches and that's the first thing you think of to say?"

"I'm sorry. Does, why the hell are you here, sound better?"

"That's a start." He stood and walked towards her, probably seeing that she wasn't about to hobble in his direction. He must have noticed her fatigue.

Eclipse watched him come over and caught another glimpse of Cagalli behind him. There were a number of different expressions swirling across her face. One was confusion, another curiosity, and still another was, _Jealousy?_ the redhead thought, surprised to see such an ugly look contorting her fair face. But why the emotion at all? She _had _to have known they were on the same team for the better part of six months.

"Funny," she grumbled back to Athrun, not wanting him to think she had grown slow over the weeks they hadn't seen each other. She resisted the urge to smack him across the head with her crutch for the comment. It probably wouldn't have done much for her physical condition, but, damn, it would have made her feel a lot better emotionally. And maybe him as well since the past conversation wasn't exactly a happy one.

"So, seriously, what _are _you doing here? Is ZAFT planning to help Orb?"

Athrun shook his head slowly. "Not that I know of, my mission is to reclaim the Freedom and nothing more."

"With your new machine?"

"The Justice, yes." He nodded back and to his right, indicating the suit Kira had been looking at earlier. It looked a lot like his old suit, the Aegis, just with a few more armaments on its shoulders. She would have to get the full spec from him later if he planned on sticking around. "I see you still have the same machine, or what's left of it." He pointed to the Stealth in the back corner of the hangar. Nodding her head in that direction, they made their way towards it.

"What? You expected me to be welcomed back with a three day party and newly fashioned mobile suits for me to choose from?" Athrun shrugged. "Damn, what do you think of me?"

"I know you're a decent pilot."

"Decent?"

"Sorry, did I exaggerate?"

She narrowed her eyes and shoved him in the shoulder. "And when did you become so playful—or is it sarcasm, Athrun Zala? Trying to pawn your pain off on me?" She expected him to deny it or make some snarky remark, but instead, he sighed and looked off to his left. Eclipse followed his gaze and saw the vanishing strands of Cagalli's familiar blonde hair. The redhead shook her head, but didn't say anything.

"Something like that."

"You admit it?" He ignored the retort and they finished their walk to the Stealth in silence.

Stopping just in front of the lift, Eclipse gazed up at her suit. The left arm was completely severed at the shoulder, wires dangling from the limb as if someone had tried to fix it and gave up. The head was also cut off and there was no sign of it lying around nearby. Eclipse sighed. The armor looked battered and she knew the Mirage Colloid was fried, but apart from the missing arm and head, it looked to be in fine condition.

Just not in fighting condition.

"C'mon," she started, motioning Athrun over to the lift and pulling the lever back once they were both aboard. It stopped at the cockpit and Eclipse leaned forward to peer inside. She was going to try and sit down, but Athrun grabbed her elbow, shaking his head. The redhead was angry at first, but eventually let him pull her back against the rail. She stared up at her suit—realizing the CA must not be working either since it had been so quiet—while he watched the people walking below.

"Tell me, if you weren't kicked out of ZAFT, would you have left soon anyway?"

She paused before answering, watching his face for some kind of indication of what he wanted to hear. He looked genuinely curious, but anxious as well. His eyes shifted nervously from side to side, looking into each of her eyes most likely. "The truth?" she asked and he nodded. Turning away, she stared at one of the deep gashes in the Stealth's good shoulder. "I never thought about it until I was transferred to the medical facility. Some of my friends started putting the idea in my head, but I had never seriously considered it. When I saw Commander Waltfeld again—"

"Waltfeld?"

She smiled and nodded. "When I saw him alive again, my fighting resolve was practically gone. I had been fighting for his memory, Aisha's and for Nicol's, but once I found out at least _one_ of those people had survived I couldn't help but think, I didn't let _all _of them die after all. So, who cares? He offered me a chance to get out and, for some reason, I couldn't say yes."

"SIN-ED?"

She shrugged. "Maybe, but I don't think that was all of it. I don't know _how _to live without fighting, I think."

"Well, that's not true. You're in Orb, aren't you?"

"Yes, and how do you think I got these wounds?"

He shook his head, indicating he didn't want to know. "So, to answer my first question, you wouldn't have left willingly?"

"Honestly, I _can't_ answer that. I don't know. Events made the decision for me and now I have to live with it." Turning, she watched him go silent, the muscles in his face and body slumping in response. "_You're_ considering it, aren't you?"

"I'm sure you heard most of the conversation I just had with Kira and some things don't make sense anymore. People I love are turning into people I should be opposing and those I've sworn to protect are now people I would have normally _chose _to oppose. Making sense?" She nodded and he continued. "So, where does that leave me? I'm supposed to either destroy or bring back the Freedom. But then what? Could I even live with knowing that I could be killing Kira to finish the mission? I barely got through the first time. But to disobey my father? The Supreme Council Chairman? _And _to take a new mobile suit to boot?"

"Yeah, you're right." He turned to her then, curious and eager to hear her opinion. "You're fucked."

"Thanks," he muttered. "You got nothing more helpful than that to say?"

"I know the PLANTs have gotten a little crazy of late." Athrun gave her a funny look and she just shrugged. "And I know reasoning won't work. I'm going to wash my mouth out with hydrogen peroxide after this, but you're a lot like Kira and this country. You're smart, Athrun; observant. This war isn't what we expected—no, that didn't sound right. It's become more than a war of jealousy. It seems to have excelled into—uh—into…"

"Complete desolation?" he chimed in and she nodded.

"Close enough. I don't have enough power to change anything on a large scale, but I can do what I can with the little power I was given."

"How so? Protect people like Kira's doing?"

"I dunno yet," she replied, an innocent shrug making her body whine in resentment. "But we're not supposed to be talking about _my _inner turmoil. You're the one who's fucked. At least I kinda have a bed I'm comfortable in."

He sighed and shook his head, a small smile gracing his serious appearance. "Leave it to you to avoid the issue." She punched him on the shoulder again and he rubbed the spot before talking. "I'm not totally sure what I wanna do yet, but being here—with these soldiers who believe in what I do—I've never felt so comfortable; so sure of myself."

"Wait, you just said you didn't know what you were going to do and yet you've just never felt so confident?"

"Confusing, I know. Try having it run a marathon in your head."

"Actually, it might be your answer," she mused, rocking back and forth on her crutches. "Stay here awhile and think about it. In war, every moment is important, but not every one has to contain some kind of life-changing decision. Relax and observe; figure out what you want. And for God's sake go talk to my cousin." He blinked—surprised at the comment—and followed the redhead's pointer finger to Cagalli below talking with a mechanic. "Whatever playboy charm you enchanted her with either act on it or rip it out of her because I'm sick of her jealous glares and secret feminine loathing."

"She's the girl I met on the island; the time I was stranded."

"I figured as much, but please don't go into detail or anything. I really _don't _want to know."

"W-what?" Athrun stuttered, not blushing but still taking up some kind of defensive position.

Eclipse laughed. "Your denial's cute, Athrun, but remember, she _is _Orb's princess."

"Honestly, Eclipse, who do you think I am?"

The redhead surprised herself, or—more accurately—her emotions shocked her. Athrun had been the first person to not correct himself and call her by her real name. Dearka had just done it and even Namarra—although, mostly out of spite—had begun calling her Lexi. She shouldn't have been upset, hell, she didn't even consider herself "Lexi" yet, but her cocky smile fell nonetheless. The sides of her mouth slipped into a frown, one so obvious she turned away before Athrun had time to digest it.

"Wow, that bad, huh?" he asked, the blind happiness never leaving his lips. "I will talk to her eventually and," he added quickly, holding up a finger, "I'll tell her to stop sending you jealous vibes."

"Sounds good to me," she replied, turning around again to lean back against the lift's railing and stare at the Stealth. She needed to think about something that made sense instead of all the stupid emotions running around in her head. "But you should rest as well. We probably won't get attacked until dawn, but I wouldn't put it past the Atlantic Federation to try something rash."

Sighing, he turned and looked at her suit as well, putting his hands on the railing as he took in the damage. "My body's rested enough and my mind's too confused to go to sleep now. Besides, if I only have until dawn, I have quite the decision to make in the meantime."

Eclipse nodded, but cast him a stern look nonetheless. "Yes, sleeping might be difficult, but resting merely involves sitting. Please rest, Athrun."

"Then _you _promise to do the same. You probably don't want to hear this, but she isn't gonna be ready to fly by dawn." He nodded towards the Stealth then brought up his hand and flicked her on the forehead. She blinked, surprised by the gesture, but even more shocked by the genuine concern on his face. "And _you _won't be ready either, I'm afraid. Now, go rest and I'll try to save you from your cousin." He smiled and Eclipse felt her lips curl in the same movement. She was happy he was there, and even more impressed with how comfortable he seemed to be while in such a delicate position. Yes, she could tell he was struggling with loyalties, but he didn't seem to want to worry her. It was a change.

But definitely a good one.

* * *

Eclipse got very little rest that night. Dearka had come out to her medical tent to check on her and even slept on one of the other open cots, claiming his only bed was a jail cell. The doctors had been forced to keep Namarra on sedatives because her temperature refused to stabilize and she would often have fits. Lathan didn't leave her side until they were both transferred to Kaguya Island, Orb's last safe house and the location of its Mass Driver. Lathan had been assigned to an internal engineering team and Namarra could rest safely in one of the medical facilities. Even with so much time staring at the ripples in the tent cloth—or counting the seconds between Dearka's snores—dawn came quickly.

And she had no idea what to do.

The Stealth was still a standing piece of rubble and even though she could probably snatch an Astray, she was in no condition to pilot it. Her stubbornness could only go so far and she really didn't want to worry everyone by being so stupid. Besides, she wouldn't be of much help anyway. But there was the other promise she made to Namarra that was really eating her nerves.

To save her "brothers."

With Namarra out and Eclipse practically bed-ridden, there was no one to talk some sense into the Earth Forces pilots. The redhead would just sit in the Stealth's cockpit and use the radio, but Lathan had taken both the Decay and her suit with him to Kaguya. His new appointment was rather suspicious, actually, and Eclipse found herself more than concerned, but she wasn't about to tell him to disobey a direct order.

"Kaguya it is," she sighed, watching the sun peek through the small slit in the tent. She would have to tell the nurse when she came back to take her vitals.

Dearka awoke minutes later, stretching loudly to her left. "Dear God, these are uncomfortable."

"At least you slept."

"You'll have a chance to rest more today."

Shifting on the cot, she turned to offer a glare. "Hah, good one; rest."

"But you're heading to Kaguya, right?" He winked when she looked confused. "You weren't the only one thinking."

"Could've fooled me. You snore like a sailor."

"And you moan like a—well—I won't finish that since you're not one of my guy friends."

"What?" She laughed. "Think I'd be offended?"

He thought about that then shrugged. "You have a point. You're the manliest female I've ever met."

"Hey!"

"Oh, _now _you're offended?"

"Glad to see both of you awake," the nurse interrupted, seemingly not apologetic for barging in unannounced. "Did you sleep well?" She just smiled knowingly when she got blank stares. Walking over to Eclipse's cot, she checked the IV bag before taking the redhead's temperature and blood pressure. "Now, Miss Rymyr, I know you're not going to like this, but we've been evacuating as many injured as we can to Kaguya. Given your current state, you're going too."

Eclipse sighed and looked down at her wrapped ankle. Her pilot suit was folded beneath it, the lack of pillows making it the only thing left to prop up the injury to keep down the swelling. Lifting her hands, she wiggled her fingers and felt the bandages there sliding across the medical cream helping her stitches heal the skin underneath.

"You're right."

"Good. Your parents wanted—"

"Shit!"

"—me to tell you they'll see you when you get there."

"Oh, another family reunion," Dearka commented, receiving a glare from Eclipse. "I heard how fun the first one was."

"Shut up."

"Princess Cagalli has asked that you join her in her transport. Your infection wasn't too severe, but since you refused regular treatment, we'll give you one more shot to boost your system just in case. Your temp is normal and your blood pressure's a little bit high, but that's to be expected." She rattled a bottle of pills and tossed them into her lap. "For pain. Take one every five hours or as needed." The two females made eye contact and the nurse pointed at the pills with her pen. "I strongly advise you to take them."

"I have a high pain tolerance."

"And I have a high tolerance for bitching patients, but it doesn't mean I enjoy listening to them. Just take the pills."

Dearka covered up at laugh and was awarded with two icy glares from the females. He held up his hands in surrender and shuffled his way to the exit. "Point taken. I gotta check on the Buster anyway."

"Hey, could you find Athrun for me? I want to talk to the both of you before I leave."

"What, last will and testament?" he joked, though not even he found it funny. "Yeah, I'll go get him."

"She'll be here. We have to change the bandages," the nurse said, pulling over a stool. Eclipse and Dearka exchanged glances then he was gone. "Now," she continued, helping the redhead sit up, "we'll start with your back."

Her two teammates returned just as Eclipse was finishing her ankle exercises. Athrun pulled aside the tent flap and cringed when he saw how swollen it was. The purple and blue bruising probably didn't help matters.

"Here, I'll leave the ice with you and you keep your foot in there while you talk. Don't," the nurse waved a finger at her, "take it out until I get back." Grabbing the end of the bucket, she slid it over to the side of the bed and pointed to the ice water.

"You're very demanding," Eclipse muttered and finished wrapping the bandage around her toes to keep them from freezing. She was used to the rehab, but still found it all exhausting. Bracing herself, she slipped her sprained foot into the ice water. There was no feeling at first, but then a biting cold that seemed to attack the bruising itself. Shivering once, she grabbed the sheet on her bed and wrapped it around her shoulders.

The nurse, satisfied, left soon afterwards. Athrun sat down on the vacant stool and Dearka plopped onto the end of the bed.

"Did you make a decision?" she asked Athrun, bringing her healthy ankle up and under her other thigh to keep those toes warm. Wrapping the sheet around the knee too, she hugged herself even tighter.

He sighed, but didn't respond right away. Dearka and Eclipse exchanged glances, knowing he was running out of time. "Tough choice, isn't it?" the blonde began. "Your orders are to take the Freedom back right?" Athrun nodded and shrugged at the same time. It seemed like everyone knew his mission by now. "It's not gonna go over very well. We're all ZAFT soldiers—" Eclipse cleared her throat. "Oh, well you and I are, but if we keep intervening like this…" He trailed off, leaving the rest of the statement for their imagination. They all knew the consequences very well.

A part of Eclipse felt relieved. She didn't have to make the decision with them, hell, she couldn't even fight in the battle, so even though she was stuck to a medical bed for the next couple of days, her future was looking a bit better. It was hard, however, to be on the bench while everyone else sacrificed themselves. Her Berserker half wasn't too happy either. More likely than not, that was the reason why she was healing so quickly. After all, she had felt good enough to be on crutches almost four hours after being found half dead. It was a good thing the doctors and nurses were too busy to really be paying close attention to her condition.

Athrun and Dearka kept to their own thoughts a little bit longer, most likely having loyalties to contemplate. Both had parents on the Supreme Council and had willingly joined ZAFT in the first place. Eclipse may have been in that boat before, but a lot had happened since her volunteer entrance exam.

"Just tell me one thing," Eclipse started, looking from one to the other. "Would you always regret leaving?"

Dearka and Athrun looked at each other before thinking it over again. Athrun was the first to speak. "I don't want them to—" He paused, probably trying to find the right words. "I don't want any of them to die."

Dearka smirked, his left eyebrow arching in surprise. "Now that is amazing. For the first time we agree on something." ***(2) **They looked at each other then, locking eyes and matching smiles. Eclipse almost expected them to spit on their hands and shake or share blood. Well, that among other things.

"Did you guys want me to leave or something? I feel like I'm about to witness a porno."

The looks were priceless. Each of their faces said something different. Athrun looked surprised, appalled and amused all jumbled together. Dearka just looked proud. But they both did the same thing and ruffled her hair.

Just as if she was one of the guys.

"Don't die, okay?" Eclipse muttered as their fingers made a mangled knot out of her red strands. They stopped and pulled their hands back, forcing her to look at each of them in turn. "I'm not going to be out there to save your asses so you'd better not do something stupid."

"Don't worry, we'll kick some Earth Forces booty," Dearka said, a wink ending his declaration. Athrun sighed, but soon agreed. He muttered something about his dumb cliché, but Eclipse's smile had faded when she remembered Namarra again.

"Shit," she muttered. The guys looked at her, but she waved them off.

"Alright, but what do we do about those three machines?" Dearka asked and Eclipse cursed again.

"I didn't get to see much of their fighting style, but I don't think they have any strong attachment to each other," Athrun remarked.

"So, make them angry."

"They're a bit too powerful to piss off, Dearka."

"Pansy," the blonde mumbled.

"Hey, just because you get the small fry doesn't mean you can make fun of my fighting style."

"Wait, you have style?"

Eclipse let them bicker until the nurse came back to shoo them outside. They said their goodbyes after that, the redhead impressed with how well they could hide their nerves. Perhaps only one of them could be worried at once and it was definitely Eclipse's turn. She was benched with only a promise keeping a very powerful alliance together. And neither side of that alliance could keep the promise in the next fight. She couldn't believe what she was about to do but she closed her eyes and prayed.

Prayed Orb's three biggest threats survived the battle.

* * *

Cagalli came to pick her up about half an hour after the guys left. Eclipse had changed into some loose pants and an orange Orb jacket before following her cousin over to Kisaka and the helicopter. The sun was just peeking over the horizon as they flew to Kaguya, a series of tall buildings standing square formations next to a long steel track rising skyward; the Mass Driver. Eclipse glared at the device, knowing that something looking like nothing more than a giant rollercoaster was the reason most of Orb territory was now in ruins. She resisted the urge to spit out the side of the copter, realizing the problem wasn't the Mass Driver, but the stupid Atlantic Federation bobbing in the ocean.

Cagalli didn't say much during the ride, a nervous look about her and an even more scared glimmer in her eye as she bit her nails. Eclipse reached across the row and grabbed her hand. Cagalli turned away from the burning landscape outside to her cousin, her eyes not hiding behind her strong confidence like they normally did in front of the army. It was unnerving, to say the least. The helicopter was too loud to say anything comforting—even with headsets—so Eclipse just smiled and squeezed her hand. Cagalli squeezed back.

They arrived at Kaguya headquarters soon afterwards. Cagalli handed Eclipse her crutches as Kisaka helped her down onto the helipad. She said thank you to both of them and followed them through the halls to the command center. Kisaka stopped her at the door and looked like he was about to order her to the infirmary when an alarm went off inside. All three if them hurried into the room after that.

Cagalli and Kisaka went straight to the command table. "What's happening?" the princess asked.

"Radar's picking up bogeys!"

"Incoming missiles!"

Eclipse bit her bottom lip, hobbling into the room while trying to stay out of the way as much as possible.

"Cagalli," Kisaka said, his tone soft as he addressed the blonde. It seemed he was thinking much the same as everyone else in the room.

"They never even responded to any of our attempts to open discussions. Bastards." Taking a moment Cagalli cursed again under her breath then slammed both hands down on the table. "Give the order for the mobile suits to deploy and have Murayama's team intercept those missiles."

"Yes, ma'am!"

The redhead had never been on this side of the battle; the place where the orders were given. She wasn't sure how long she stood there and watched, but the whole thing was fascinating. Kisaka and Cagalli were relaying commands, moving troops and sending support teams where ever they were needed. Cagalli looked confident again and the soldiers running the communication lines were more than happy to relay her orders. Eclipse had no idea when her cousin had even learned those skills and yet there she was giving commands to Kisaka. _Damn,_ she thought, now thinking Cagalli really did deserve that white general's uniform.

The next few moments were kind of a blur, even if Eclipse had been in her right mind. One of the communication soldiers left his post, running off to deliver a message personally on the other side of the base. This looked to be a normal occurrence for a selected few, but usually the next person watched their monitors or another person came and filled their spot. This time, however, no one seemed to have noticed. The soldier put his headset down on the consol and ran out. Eclipse looked around the room, but saw no one looking at her and when her eye caught the three Earth Forces machines fighting Kira and Athrun, her body just reacted. Leaning the crutches against the wall, she hopped over to the seat, sat down and put on the headset.

The frequency wasn't easy to pinpoint at first—and it took her a couple of minutes to tap into the line—but eventually she was hearing the three Druggies easily enough. They didn't say much to each other during the fight—and she could only hear snippets of their orders—but she knew she had to try and talk to them. Biting her bottom lip once more, she opened her mouth to talk, but stopped. What if her interference caused one of them to lose concentration and die? Namarra would never forgive her. Then again, she'd never forgive her if she didn't try either.

"S-Shani, this is Eclipse. I'm a friend of Namarra's." She couldn't believe what she was doing and thought herself even more insane given she was doing it in Kaguya's command center. "I need you to—"

"What the fuck? Shani, who's the chick?" It sounded like Clotho's voice.

"Beats the hell outta me," was his slow response.

"I've met you a couple—Orga, I was the one who saved Namarra near Carpentaria. Remember? You and I—"

"Yeah, Orga and Shani, you talk to the chick and I'll handle these two machines."

"Clotho, you bas—"

"Don't think you're doing it alone," Shani responded and Eclipse watched their two suits start another series of attacks against the Justice and the Freedom.

"Shani!" Orga cursed and hovered just above the water. At first she thought he was honestly going to talk, but she saw his machine take aim and fire into the chaos. He was trying to hit the Justice's detachable armor as it flew towards him. Every shot missed.

"Orga, you have to stop fighting and listen to reason. You're being manipulated—"

"You're still yapping?" came his reply, his suit aiming and firing once more.

"The Atlantic Federation is giving you drugs to—"

"I don't even know who the _hell _you are, but I fight because I—"

"If you keep going, you'll kill Namarra."

"_Don't _interrupt me, bitch, and I don't give a _fuck_ who this Namarra is." His suit fired again and she heard him curse and bang on the consol. Given the time and his hasty antics, Eclipse assumed he was running out of power. "You _stupid_ mobile suit!"

"It's because you're firing all over the place, dumbass." That sounded like Clotho again.

"Say what?"

"If you're gonna leave, then do it yourself. You're on your own now. Huh?"

Eclipse stared at the screens as she watched the Justice rise out of the water and surprise Clotho, water dripping from the elbows and feet of the Justice. Athrun had combined two beam sabers and held the weapon high above his suit's head, its hands tightening around the weapon and ready to strike down at the surprised Raider.

She gasped as she watched, her lips parting in horror. "Athrun, don't—"

The Justice swung downward in what should have been a killing blow, but the Raider had managed to avoid major damage. Its hand weapon, the Mjolnir hammer, was sliced in two as the suit transformed and fled, the piece falling harmlessly into the water. Athrun's suit moved as if it was going to pursue the Earth Alliance's machine, but it seemed to second guess itself and fly in the opposite direction to help out the ground forces. Eclipse exhaled slowly, more than happy to see him find a different objective.

"Hey, _you're _the dumbass!" Orga yelled.

"Who d'you think you—" The Calamity crashed onto the Raider. "Who said you could get on? Freeloader!"

"Shut your mouth!"

"Guys, the EA's just—" Eclipse tried again, but someone must have noticed her sitting at the radio because there were two hands locked onto her shoulders and pulling her backwards.

"Broken record, blah, blah—"

She broke Orga's transmission just as she was torn from the chair, hoping no one would name her a traitor for trying to contact the Earth Alliance machines. Somehow she didn't think her excuse would make sense to most people. When she turned to see her captor, however, she caught a glimpse of a purple uniform and dark skin. "Kisaka," she breathed when they locked eyes, her once guardian dragging her back to her corner.

Still clutching her shoulders, he stared at her hard, his eyebrows deepening into the closest thing to rage she had ever seen on his face. She opened her mouth to explain, but he just shoved her hard enough to make her stumble against the wall and turned back to the command table just as Cagalli spit out another order.

"Fall back! Tell all forces to retreat and gather at Kaguya! We're abandoning Onogoro!"

* * *

**_A/N: _**Hey guys! Again, another chapter that came out a little later than expected, but at the same time I had so many ideas for it I made it a bit long. I know there are some readers out there who don't like long chapters—and for that I am sorry—but I don't just want to stop at a bad spot and leave everyone in a cliffhanger. Well, not saying this chapter doesn't end in a cliffhanger, but I'm just throwing it out there.

There were some interesting things that happened in this chapter that surprised me as I was writing it; the ending especially. I _never _thought Lexi would do that and I can't decide whether to be proud of her or appalled. Hm, maybe you guys will have some cool insights on that.

Let's see, what else. Oh, I had a little fun with the medical terminology. I was looking through some writing books I've picked up over the years and started reading through my trauma and injury book. One section was talking about field trauma and I started going at it. *shrugs* I suck at the whole medication amount thing so I tried to avoid it as best I could. When in doubt, have the doctor jump around the specifics by having the character zone/black out. A trade secret, I guess.

It was also nice to see Lexi officially become part of the guys. I mean, she was slowly getting there, but I think this chapter solidifies her position as a friend. I'm kinda jealous of her, actually. Especially since no one seems to get mad at her for having a deep hatred of Kira. Hm, definitely jealous.

Anyway, I've had some readers suggest things—plots, mobile suits, etc.—and I'd like to say thank you. I enjoy hearing from you all and am even happier to see you take such an interest in my story. As you all probably know by now I'm sticking to the canon, but am not afraid to have my original characters get a little banged up or even break a few rules. Okay, more than a few. Well, thank you all and I take everything into consideration, but I can't make any promises, I'm afraid.

On that note, thank you for reading and reviewing the story so far. I enjoy writing this and I'm happy to know you enjoy reading it.

Special thanks to my Betas, especially since they're the ones who know how much trouble Lexi is going to be in next chapter.

* * *

**_Corrections to the Narrative:_**

***(1):** I changed this conversation a little bit mainly because there was a lot of the typical Gundam SEED "single name callings" and Athrun sounded like a dolt. Well, even more so than usual. Maybe that's why I have intelligent conversations between him and Lexi. Hm, another trade secret I think.

***(2):** This conversation I changed in the course of the canon itself. This is originally supposed to take place in the hanger right after Kira leaves for the fight and Dearka comes over to talk to Athrun. Remembering Athrun's face, he looked utterly surprised to see Dearka—doing the single name thing again—even though he had a lot of time to see him earlier. Hence the conversation. Also, I wanted Lexi to chime in so I made it in the medical tent instead of the seconds before they boarded their mobile suits. Besides, I feel as if it was a decision they should have had before. Yes, this originally shows some rashness in Athrun, but I think it would have worked this way as well.

* * *

**_Questions/Gripes:_**

_DevilGirl101: _FS's fate is still up in the air, but he doesn't seem to be going down the right path right now, does he? You'll just have to watch and see what happens, but—believe it or not—whatever happens will be for the best.

* * *

Well, thanks again to all the _WW_ fans out there and I'll be seeing you in the next chapter. Even I'm interested in seeing what happens to Lexi.

_Strata_


	47. One Nuke Short of a Massacre

One Nuke Short of a Massacre

"What do you think Orb's gonna do, Revelin?" Stray asked, pouring himself a fresh cup of very weak coffee before walking over to the couch and sitting down next to his friend. The four of them—Lust included—had ventured over to the other side of the Mendel colony, housing themselves in a similar hotel than they had stayed in before. Melanie and Phoebe were currently looking for more supplies and Wrath had followed orders to make his way back to Earth. So, just like old times, it was Gluttony and Pride alone watching the world crumble around them. "I think they're gonna pull through; they usually do."

"They're gonna blow themselves up," FS replied, straight-faced.

Stray turned to look at him and saw his eyes blink wearily and his mouth open in a bored yawn. How could he not be interested in whether or not Eclipse's home country was destroyed? Shaking his head, he set down his coffee cup and leaned back into the cushions. Maybe he shouldn't have been surprised. After all, it had only been a couple of weeks since his religious ramble and since then he had been—well—interesting, to put it simply. Hell, Stray didn't even think he slept anymore.

"Why do you think they're gonna blow up?"

"Because that's the only option they have left," he answered with a shrug and pointed to the blonde reporter on the glitching television screen. At one point, her head disappeared altogether as a black and white strip flashed across the screen. "Pretty soon she's gonna make the announcement that Orb forces have retreated and then soon after that—" He made the sound of an explosion, his cheeks puffing out as his hands formed the mushroom cloud in the air. "Bye, bye Orb. Bye, bye Mass Driver. Hello pissed off Federation." He laughed after that, a small burst of sound that was nothing more than a mockery to Stray's ears. "And then the world will officially be screwed because the Earth Forces can't get to space and ZAFT can do whatever the hell they want."

"About damn time," Stray muttered, biting on a nail as he looked at his friend out of the corner of his eye. He didn't necessarily believe in what he was saying, but after that little outburst on the other side of the satellite he had learned to speak a lot of things he really didn't mean. He didn't think FS would attack him of all people, but there was still that chance.

"Hah," FS replied, pounding his fist down on the coffee table. Stray jumped and grabbed his mug before it toppled over onto the floor. "And to think we had _nothing _to do with it. Yes, it's about_ goddamn time_!" He stormed out of the lobby then, brushing past the returning Lust twins and pushing Melanie hard against the wall. She rubbed the spot with taped fingers, Stray knowing there were no fingernails on her pinky and thumb from one of FS's other fits.

Phoebe turned to look at Stray, her right black eye starting its brown cycle on the color wheel instead of the pretty blue and purple. They locked stares for a second before Stray looked away, unable to match the dead glimmer in her eye.

It had been a long couple of weeks.

"Phoebe!" FS yelled from one of the side rooms and Stray felt her jump rather than saw it. Pretending to be more interested in the television broadcast, he listened to Phoebe struggle out of the spacesuit and drop the supplies they had found on the lobby counter. Melanie muttered something, but Phoebe must have just brushed her off because the next thing he heard was FS from down the hall.

"No, keep the door open."

Leaning forward, Stray turned up the volume on the television as Melanie started putting away the supplies.

"The fighting has stopped!" the reporter yelled. "Orb forces are retreating!"

So far, FS had been right, but Stray could only hope Eclipse wasn't around when the rest of his prediction came true.

* * *

Eclipse was the first one escorted from the command room, "escorted" meaning Kisaka dragged her from the corner and threw her into one of the other meeting rooms instead. A long, round table sat in the middle surrounded by about eight leather chairs. She didn't really have time to count them all. Kisaka tossed the redhead into one and leaned down on her forearms grabbing onto the armrests, the loud slam of the door cutting off the commotion outside.

"You'd better have one _hell _of an explanation!"

"I'm sorry—"

He pushed the chair hard back against the table, making the legs scrape against the carpet as it moved an inch or so. "_Don't _mock me with some lame apology! You are in some _serious _trouble, do you understand that?"

Eclipse opened her mouth to say yes, but nothing came out, her voice probably just as afraid of Kisaka as she was. He was pissed. It wasn't the fatherly anger she was so used to from him, but the complete rage one adult bestowed upon another when he—or she in this case—did something unforgivable.

Like betraying the country.

She nodded when he shook the chair again, probably wanting her answer as well as her complete attention.

"You know government and military policy very well, so either I should be throwing you in prison or putting you in a mental hospital for complete lunacy!"

"I wasn't telling them anything about our defenses. I just wanted to try and stop—"

"So you _were _talking to the pilots of those machines."

"You don't understand, I needed to—"

"_I _don't understand?"

"—make them stop fighting because—"

"Hah, by talking to them—"

"—they're being manipulated by the EA—"

"—in Orb's military _command center_?"

"—and they're like brothers to a friend—"

"Quiet."

"—and I _promised_ I'd—"

"I said enough!" He banged the chair back against the table again and pushed it another inch towards the window. "Your excuses are worthless and a _promise _is nothing more than comic relief to a military jury." Looking down, he clenched the armrests tighter, Eclipse feeling the chair shake with his anger and the bruises forming on her forearms from his grip. Her breath quickened as she waited for him to start yelling again. Out of all the people in her life to be terrified of, she honestly didn't think Kisaka would fill a slot. But there he was in the perfect position to snap her neck and probably having enough rage running through his system to do so. With her hands strapped to the chair, there was no way she could block his attack. Taking a breath, she steadied herself and waited. If something was going to happen, there was no way she was going to be afraid of it.

Kisaka took a couple deep breaths of his own, cursing quietly as he tried to calm down. To be honest, she couldn't imagine what was running through his head. He had to worry about the troops coming into Kaguya, the next plan of action for the Orb military, not to mention the evacuees, the injured, the dead, and reloading ammo, rationing the ammo and probably a bunch of other things concerning food and medical supplies alone. Now he had what looked like a traitor pinned to a chair and being one of the few people in the country directly related to the former Chief Representative. And that was only by blood. She was the Orb princess's close friend and cousin as well as a former ZAFT elite.

Shit.

Finally, he backed off, his hands sticking to Eclipse's jacket before falling back to his sides. Moving from the floor, he stared at her hard, his eyes still narrowed in anger. "I'm going to report to Lord Uzumi about this. You are to stay here until you receive any further orders about the situation. Do I make myself clear?" Eclipse nodded slowly. "Good. There'll be a guard posted outside." She nodded again and looked down to her lap, rubbing the tender areas on her forearms. She heard the older man sigh, open and then close the door gently behind him before silence surrounded her once more.

* * *

It was nearly an hour before Kisaka came back with Lord Uzumi. Eclipse had changed positions—what her injuries would allow—countless times in the room and was currently sitting on the table with her feet in one of the chairs. However, that position changed the moment the door opened, the redhead leaping to her feet and saluting Kisaka as soon as he walked in. When Lord Uzumi passed through the doorway, she bowed and stayed that way until the door was closed.

"Lexi, sit down," her uncle ordered and she did just that.

"The colonel has given his report and I cannot express how disappointed I am with you."

Eclipse felt her heart sink and her breath push out of her as he said those words. She had always expected it from her parents, but to hear it from the man who had treated her like a daughter was almost unbearable. A part of her wanted to break out in tears, but her body was in too deep of shock to even react.

"We accessed the communication's database for that specific radio and have heard your conversation. While it sounded harmless," he went on to explain, crossing his hands behind his back and looking more and more like the powerful governmental official every second, "we cannot ignore the fact that you contacted enemy forces while Orb was under military attack. You have hereby broken Orb's code of military conduct and have thus committed treason against the nation. Lexi Rymyr, do you deny these accusations?"

By that time she was shaking; she couldn't help it. It was one thing to be naively kicked out of the military—like she had been from ZAFT—but this time she had caused her own misfortune. She closed her eyes and tried concentrating on her breathing, in the back of her mind wondering why the hell she had felt so compelled to speak to those pilots. Perhaps some part of her felt the need to save them as well; as if they were a second chance since her first chance with FS and Stray had failed so miserably.

Taking one more breath, she finally replied into the thick silence. "No."

"Look at me."

She lifted her chin and locked eyes with her uncle, his brow furrowed in a firm line across his forehead. Her vision blinked in and out of focus as she stared at him, feeling too guilty to hold the look for long, but knowing she had to.

"Tell me here, to my face. Lexi Rymyr, do you deny contacting enemy forces during a military attack on the nation of Orb and hereby committing treason against that nation?"

"No, I do not deny it."

He sighed and let his hands drop to his sides, Eclipse turning her head down and to the leather chair next to her so she didn't have to look him in the eye anymore. She still had to go through a trial to decide her permanent sentencing—and having a high ranking officer and the former Chief Representative hear her confession practically sealed her fate—but Lord Uzumi still had to come up with a temporary decision. Most likely she'd be thrown in prison.

His feet shuffled closer to her and she flinched, expecting her judgment to be delivered at any moment, but instead she felt his hand pat the top of her head and follow the line of her hair to her cheek. Startled by the gesture, she looked up to see a small smile on his lips. "At this moment, I'll refrain from passing judgment." His smile brightened for a second, probably because of the shock on her face. "I don't want the last thing I say to you to be about your actions. Colonel Kisaka has already submitted his report, but you'll be in space long before anyone has time to get to the file."

"Wait—what? Last thing? Space?" Eclipse stuttered, manually taking his hand from her cheek and holding onto it while she stood. "What's going on?"

His smile never faltered. "Even though we both know what the final decision will be concerning this, I want you to look after Cagalli as best as you can and give her all the support your circumstances are able to. Even from afar that'll be enough."

"Lord Uzumi, you're not making any sense."

He took his hand from hers and put it on her shoulder instead. "Colonel Kisaka and your brother already know of the plan and I am about to inform the _Archangel_ crew."

"The plan?"

He didn't respond, his smile faltering then. Somehow it seemed sad and when she looked over at Kisaka standing behind him, she saw a similar sadness there. Whatever this plan was, involved a lot more than just them going to space. Suddenly, she started getting worried; scared even. "Uncle?"

"Now, don't worry. Things will work out in then end; I want you to remember that. And I was serious about taking care of Cagalli. She is still young, rash, and a bit more impulsive than I could have ever imagined. But her head is in the right place and I have faith in her. A lot is going to be put on her shoulders soon and even though she will be facing most of it by herself, I want _you _to be there to remind her she doesn't have to." It sounded like his last will or something.

"Uncle—"

"And the only thing I want you to do is stay out of trouble and start using your head, alright? You were always as impulsive as my daughter, but I felt you had a firmer grasp of things than Cagalli. This event has proven otherwise, however, you have still shown a strong sense of loyalty, no matter how the verdict ends up." He put his other hand on her shoulder and leaned down, kissing her forehead. Eclipse tensed and blushed, not having experienced such fatherly affection since she was little. It was both strange and nice at the same time. "But enough sentimentality from an old man," he continued. "Come, let's speak to Captain Ramius and her crew."

Lord Uzumi led the way out, but before they left, Kisaka and Eclipse shared a look. He wasn't angry anymore, but it was still an unfamiliar expression to see on his face. Dread? Worry? Or maybe he was just tired? She couldn't tell, but it put the same look on her face.

What was this plan?

* * *

They ended up back in the control room, but amazingly no one gave her any dirty looks or whispered behind her back. Either everyone was too busy to notice she had walked in, or they had missed her escapade altogether. Since Kisaka was the one to grab her, Eclipse had expected rumors to fly all over the place, but the soldiers were concentrating too hard to even notice the door opening. A part of her was happy about that, but the other part of her felt like a common criminal. She gulped and stood next to Kisaka, trying to hide next to the bigger man as best she could without looking guilty.

Cagalli walked up the stairs and joined them a second later, having still been relaying commands down below. She looked tired, but composed and Eclipse felt the need to salute as she came near. Her cousin certainly looked like a commander. After nodding to Kisaka and her father, she turned to the redhead. Eclipse expected her of all people to know what had happened in the command room—and her expression definitely confirmed that—but the blonde reached out and pulled her cousin into a hug nonetheless. Squeezing her tightly once, she let go before Eclipse even had time to register the action and return the gesture. Stepping to her right, Cagalli watched the door as some of the _Archangel _officers walked through.

The first one was the captain—her hair a little tossed from the last battle—with her hat tucked under her left arm. She stopped in front of Lord Uzumi and saluted as the last of the trio filed in off to her right. It was the blonde pilot Eclipse had seen walking around the hangar and another man with dark blue almost black hair who made up the other two from the _Archangel._ They each saluted and Lord Uzumi reached out to shake hands with Captain Ramius.

"I'm happy to see you well, Captain. How fairs the _Archangel_?"

"She's taken a lot of damage, sir, but nothing my mechanics can't handle."

"And the crew?"

"Tired, but still willing to hold off the Atlantic Federation. We will defend Orb until the end."

Eclipse didn't see her uncle's face, but she knew he was smiling. What the captain had just said would warm any leader's heart, no matter how grave the circumstance. Such loyalty was greatly appreciated, but Eclipse also knew her uncle wouldn't hold the smile for long. He didn't like anyone throwing away their lives carelessly. "I thank you and your crew for that, Captain Ramius, but there will be no need for any of you to say such things. As we speak, supplies are being loaded onto our battleship, the _Kusanagi,_ and I would like to ask the _Archangel_ to join her in space."

"Leave Orb?" the captain said, clearly surprised by the statement. "Lord Uzumi, are you telling us to just run away?"

"I'm sure you've realized this by now, Orb is already lost. It's only a matter of time before it falls."

Eclipse could feel the air stop in the room, fingers slowing on the consols closest to the conversation above. It was one thing to know it in the back of the mind, but another thing entirely to hear someone say it. And have that someone be the leader of the country.

The redhead felt Cagalli tense next she her, the blonde's fist brushing against her jacket before she stepped out to look at Lord Uzumi. "Wh-what are you saying, father?" Eclipse didn't like where the conversation was going either, but she put a hand on her cousin's and pulled her back to let her uncle finish.

"Our people have been evacuated. They'll be taken care of elsewhere. From now on, _we'll_ bear the responsibility, but even if we must leave Orb, there are some things we must _never _give up."

The door opened again at that moment, Kira, Athrun and Dearka all walking in. Dearka saw Eclipse first and nodded, but when the redhead turned to Athrun, he was looking at Cagalli. They must have shared a look of their own because his face tensed to worry when he turned to Eclipse. She just shook her head while Lord Uzumi continued.

"The Earth Forces' present actions are being guided by the leader of Blue Cosmos, Murata Azrael. To make matters worse, the PLANTs are led by someone who believes that Coordinators are a new species, for Patrick Zala rules them now." All eyes seemed to glance at Athrun and the pilot hung his head. Eclipse's fingers curled into a fist when she saw his expression; pain.

"The way things are developing," Lord Uzumi explained, "the world will be trapped between two forces who refuse to accept each other's existence. Is this the future you want to see?" He looked at each of them in turn and this time Eclipse didn't turn away from his stare. "If you desire a different world, take this small light of hope we have kindled and use it to set a course for a new future. It means a hard road ahead, but I'm sure you understand why it's necessary, Murrue Ramius."

"That light may be small, but it burns brightly. We believe in it as well."

Eclipse looked at the captain then, seeing the pure determination on her face. There was little hesitation when she had given Lord Uzumi her answer and the redhead could feel her admiration for the _Archangel_ captain growing as she watched. Eclipse had such resentment for the ship and her crew for so long, but now that feeling was slowly changing. Looking over at Kira, she felt a small bit of hatred and when he matched her stare she sensed the anger building, but it never quite reached to the point of homicidal rage. He looked away first and followed the others out of the room after Lord Uzumi had dismissed them. Kisaka walked down the stairs and back to the command table while Cagalli still stood frozen in her spot. Lord Uzumi walked over to the two of them and put a hand on each of their heads, his smile now gone. It took Eclipse another second, but she finally figured out what the great plan was once she felt his fingers rest on her hair.

He was going to die.

Eclipse had only seen one other person with the same expression and that was back at Januarias 4. He was someone she had been torturing for information, but she had never understood the look he had given her until her uncle had shown her a similar expression. Just like the man she had tortured, Lord Uzumi had resigned himself to death; had accepted his fate. Seeing it on the man back in Januarias 4 had meant nothing, but now looking at the emotion on her beloved uncle's face, Eclipse felt her heart twist.

"Now I get it," she whispered. He smiled sadly at her words and she felt a tear form in her right eye and fall to her chin. Looking down—even though she knew he had seen—she said, "Thank you" and "Goodbye" before grabbing her crutches and hurrying out the door, the warmth of his hand on her head fading away as she limped down the hallway.

* * *

Eclipse didn't want to see her parents.

For the first time in her life, a part of her didn't want to leave Orb and her uncle, but there was just nothing more she could do. And having her parents magically want to talk to her now of all times was less than comforting.

"Lexi, you never came over to talk to us after we sent you so many invitations," her mother said, crossing her legs as she fixed her skirt. They were in one of the conversation rooms just outside the hangar with two green couches, a coffee table, and that was about it.

Eclipse sat across from them, as far back in the sofa as she could get, her arms resting in her lap. "I didn't think I needed an invitation to go to my own house."

"We didn't either, but apparently nothing was working," her father added, sounding bitter.

"So here you are," the redhead responded, just as grouchy. If they were going to give her attitude, she would become just as much of a toddler. They were the ones wasting her time, after all. She was supposed to take off to space with Lathan and Namarra while watching someone who really acted like her father die. This conversation was not something she needed to involve herself in when the Earth Forces could attack again at any moment.

"We came to tell you we're sorry and we understand why you did everything you did."

Eclipse nearly stopped breathing, her attention slowly moving from her grumpy father to her poise mother's face. Had they just said what she thought they had? She watched her mother's mouth and eyes but saw no kind of nervous movement. She looked at her nose then and still saw nothing, but when she turned her attention to the hoop earrings, her mother's left hand came up to fiddle with it. Her excitement level dropped dramatically.

"You're lying. Why the _hell _would you lie to me now at all times? Do you realize I'm in one of those fighting machines trying to protect _your _asses?"

"Lexi, we're _trying _to understand," her father answered, his hand waving out in front of him in frustration. Yes, like that was going to make things better.

"Geez, guys. Even that's a lie. You do realize, right, that Orb is trying to fight for its ideals."

"They never even gave them a chance—"

"Mom, you're kidding! The Atlantic Federation turned away every chance of communication we gave them."

"Then give them more," she replied.

"Oh _come _on!"

"Lexi, you have to understand, if we were in charge, this would _never _have gotten to be a bloody battle. Orb would still be standing and its citizens safe in their homes."

"And the country safely under the Earth Forces dictatorship, right Dad? And what's all this about being in charge of Orb? I take it that didn't go over too well with the rest of the council because here you are instead, not willing to go down with your ideals!"

"Honey, someone has to stay behind and rebuild the country," her mother explained, putting a hand on her husband's shoulder and pulling him back further in his seat. Eclipse had begun leaning forward as well so it was practically a shouting match between the two, the coffee table not being much of a barrier between them. "They left us in charge of keeping this country safe after they're all gone."

Eclipse narrowed her eyes, her hands in her lap tensing into fists. "And you can say that with a straight face? Your brother-in-law is going to sacrifice himself for this country and you don't even care?"

"How can you say that? I have nothing but complete love for him!"

"But you two bumped heads too much, huh? Never thought the same way about Orb politics and now that he's going to be out of the picture, you can finally build the kind of empire you want. Yes, such love."

Slap.

Eclipse had only been slapped in the face a couple times in her young life. Lately, she had been punched because hand-to-hand required a little more force than what a simple slap could involve, but she had never forgotten the stinging feeling on her face long after the hand had recoiled back to its owner. Staring down at the carpet for a second to recover, she slowly turned her attention back to her parents and felt her eyes narrow very dangerously.

"Don't you _ever _say such nonsense to your mother," her father spat, all but verbally announcing he had been the one to hit his daughter. He shook his hand off to the side, trying to get rid of the sting on his end. "Who are you, some fighting buffoon? What do you know about politics?"

After the last conversation she had had with her parents that comment didn't hurt as much as it was probably intended, but she still felt something. Pity?

"Maybe a buffoon, but I'm fighting for what this country _really _believes in."

"Is that why you betrayed it?"

Her whole body went stiff the second those words came out of her mother's mouth. The blood just drained from her cheeks, and most likely from her whole body given how faint she felt. She knew her parents were going to find out eventually, but she never thought she would be there to confront them directly. It was always distant messages with them so she thought this instance was going to be the same. Oh how she wished it was the same.

"This country wants peace between Naturals and Coordinators and that is all we've ever wanted. It fights now to uphold those ideals because if we agree to side with the Atlantic Federation, we'll be viewed as an enemy of ZAFT. And if we don't agree to side with the Naturals, the Federation and others will view us as allies to the Coordinators. Really, all we want is to be neutral and live in peace. _That_ is what Orb is, Lexi. Your father and I both know that and after your little—I don't know what it was—I'm wondering if you really understand that. _Really _understand what it means for my brother-in-law to die."

Eclipse didn't know what to say; hell, she didn't even know how to react. Her parents were right. What she had done had affected more than just her alliance with Namarra, but of course it took some parental whipping to smash it into her head. Maybe she had to find some kind of happy medium between taking orders and making them for herself because where she was at now neither helped _her_ nor those around her.

Her parents left soon afterwards, saying a quick goodbye and even wishing her some luck. There was no hug, no "I love you", or any kind of last wishes before they sent her off to the battle in space. They might never see each other again and the only thing they could do was give a half-hearted wave. Then again, maybe they _had _done something. They opened her eyes, even if only for a little bit.

Perhaps her stay in Orb wasn't meaningless after all.

* * *

"_Regean_ loading complete. Decay and Stealth secured in the hangar, supplies locked in place. All lights are green."

"I read you, _Regean_. You are to launch before the main body of the _Kusanagi _then link up with it in space."

"Roger that."

"Ready when you are."

"Just waiting on one passenger," Lathan replied, side glancing over at Namarra buckled in the seat kitty-corner to his. She had recently come out of her anesthesia and was still a bit groggy, but she was coherent enough to know Eclipse had better get to the transport and fast. Lathan turned back to the consols and stared at the outside cameras, trying to get a glimpse of his sister. His parents usually had really bad timing, but pulling Eclipse aside and wanting to talk to her _seconds _before launch was a new low even for them. He tapped impatiently on the armrest, squinting at one of the screens when he saw Eclipse's crutches reach around the corner into the docking hangar. He sat up straighter and stared, seeing his sister coming as quickly as she could towards the transport. Relieved, he pulled the seatbelts down over his head and locked them tight, waiting for Eclipse to get on and they could take off. Only a few minutes behind. Not too bad.

"You're late!" he yelled when she wedged her crutches under her seat and sat down in the co-pilot's chair next to Lathan.

"Blame the parentals."

"Blamed. Now, let's get the hell outta here before they decide to have a heartfelt talk with me." After one last conversation with traffic control, he flipped some switches and they were off.

Being the first ones to leave Orb, they were well into the atmosphere when they saw the Mass Driver explode. It looked like a domino effect of explosions, destroying the track and following closely behind the _Kusanagi_'s main transport. None of them could make out a lot of detail, but they all knew very well what had happened down below. Namarra screamed out, "Orga! Shani! Clotho!" before sinking back into her seat in frustrated defeat. They were all confident the three pilots had survived, but it was still nerve racking to think about. Eclipse turned her head away from the explosion and stared at her hands, feeling her body weight shifting from nearly double—thanks to the Gs she experienced during the ascent—to weightless. Lathan cursed loudly and turned one of the buttons until it clicked, quieting and then finally stopping the white noise on the radio.

* * *

"_Regean_ section making final adjustments." Lathan reached in front of him and punched a sequence into the main consol. "Docking complete with _Kusanagi_. Air pressurizing. Opening up connecting bridges in 10…9…8…7…"

Eclipse stared blankly at her brother as he finished the countdown, her head buzzing with shock more than with careful concentration. She could have been helping him with the docking, but after seeing the explosion, she couldn't think or do much of anything. Yes, she had known what her uncle and some of the other council members were going to do, but watching it with her own eyes just made her nauseous. Lathan had been calm throughout the whole ordeal, then again he was a bit better at burying himself in work and ignoring the emotional side of his brain. In that aspect, she envied him. There was a place she could run to as well, but somehow asking the Berserker to take over at a time like this didn't seem to help matters.

"Air pressurizing complete. Section sealed. Commencing with oxygen fill."

Namarra had been just as silent as she sat behind Eclipse. The redhead knew better than to try talking to her, so she didn't pry. It was amazing they had even gotten her to sit still as they took off. No doubt the confirmation that the Orb forces were merely leaving and not engaging the enemy had helped her keep the seatbelt on.

"Docking complete. _Kusanagi_, Lexi's coming to the main living quarters."

"Roger that, _Regean_. It's safe."

Eclipse was up and out of her seat before Lathan could give her the final confirmation. Pulling on the back of her seat, she propelled herself towards the door, pressed the release button and was floating through the hangar on the way to the connecting hallway. Her only thought was to see Cagalli. If the explosion had hit her hard, she couldn't even imagine how much of an effect it would have had on her cousin. She cursed just thinking about it. Grabbing the handle on the side of the wall, she followed the hallway down to the corner and then turned left to grab the next handle and go down to the living quarters.

She wasn't entirely sure which one was Cagalli's room, but when she rounded the corner, Kisaka was standing guard next to one of the doors. Eclipse stopped at that room, locking eyes with the colonel. The two of them stared at each other, the older man's glance a little less frightening than it had been a couple hours earlier. Given what had happened within the past hour, she couldn't be surprised, but it was sad to know the look hadn't softened because he had forgiven her. It was mainly because of the tragedy he had just witnessed.

"Cagalli?" Eclipse said, and Kisaka pointed over his shoulder to the room. She nodded and he turned to head back to the bridge.

She watched him for a sad moment before knocking on the door and then opening it when she heard a soft gasp from inside. "Cags?" Cagalli was sitting on her bed, clutching what looked like a photograph between shaking hands. Eclipse had no idea what was on that picture, but it didn't matter when she saw her face. Pale didn't even seem to give justice to what was printed across her cheeks and watching the dead stare in her eyes confirmed she was still in the same stage of grieving as Eclipse was.

Shock.

"Cags?" she asked again and pushed herself off the doorframe and over to the bed. Stabilizing herself on the bedpost, she sat herself down on the sheets and curled her good leg up and under the mattress to hold herself steady. When she was confident she wouldn't float away, the redhead put a hand on her cousin's. "Cagalli." The sternness in her tone that time must have finally gotten her attention because she jumped slightly and whipped her head around to see Eclipse.

"L-Lexi?"

Eclipse nodded and squeezed her hand. She thought about offering a small smile, but they both would have known it was fake.

"S-space? Are we in space?"

Eclipse nodded again and felt her heart twist. Cagalli was just trying to be strong and not show her true emotions. Her cousin had been known to act stubborn and put on a straight face whenever something bothered her, but to show that kind of strength in front of Eclipse was rare.

"E-everyone got here safely?" She stared back down at the photo in her hands.

"Cagalli, please."

"The _Archangel_ made it too?"

"Hey—"

"Athrun and K-Kira?"

"Yes, Cags, everyone's—"

"And your brother? Well, you're here so I guess that means he's here too. That's good because I don't know what would happen if—"

"Stop, you're rambling."

"And if you're here that means the _Kusanagi_'s done docking—"

"Hey!" Eclipse shouted that time, shaking Cagalli's hand back and forth in order to get her full attention. It might have been a bit much considering the circumstances, but the blonde had to snap out of the stupor. If anything, it wasn't healthy.

Cagalli finally turned back to her again, her cheeks gradually growing red as her eyes started getting their glossy finish. She gasped once, a short little burst of sound that was more like a small sob. It was followed by another, then another, until two tears streaked down her flushed face. "He stayed behind."

"I know."

"He just _pushed _me on the shuttle and I couldn't—I couldn't do anything!"

"I know."

"I said—I didn't say—" She started crying then, turning away from her and back at the photo in her hands. "He gave me this—it's so stupid—I can't believe—why—" She stopped, clutching the picture so hard in her hands Eclipse saw the sides crinkle with the force. The redhead reached over and took it from her before she could ruin it entirely and most likely regret it. She slipped it into the crack under a mounted lamp on the side table, not taking the time to examine it since Cagalli's body was starting to shake again from her sobs. Reaching over, Eclipse put on arm across her shoulders and the other across her front, pulling her down into an embrace.

"Why did this happen?" she screamed and Eclipse rubbed her back while she rocked her. After all of her training, everything she went through with Commander Waltfeld, Aisha and Nicol, there was nothing she could say. Giving the default answer of, "Everything will be alright," seemed like a smack in the face.

"What do I do now? He's gone, Lexi! He's gone!"

She tried shushing her and was in the middle of saying, "I know," again when the door opened. Kira stood there with his hand on the doorframe. He looked a little out of breath and his face flushed from the small skirmish he had been in on Earth. No doubt witnessing Orb's destruction made him feel a bit panicked as well. "Cagalli?" he breathed, pushing his way into the room to steady himself on the table in front of the bed.

Eclipse just stared at him, knowing he would answer his own question merely by looking at the girl grieving in her arms. Athrun came to the door next, never breeching the threshold and coming into the room, but his face held a sadness she had not seen there in quite a while. Her breath caught in her throat and a tear finally fell down her cheek as she looked at him. He must have seen the tear because he made a movement to come closer, but Eclipse turned away, hiding her face in Cagalli's hair. It would do no good if both of them were crying.

It took a couple more minutes but eventually Cagalli calmed down enough to sit up on her own. Most likely, she knew the guys were in the room with them, but she refused to look up from the hands now clenched in her lap. Eclipse was certain she felt embarrassed and the redhead probably should have sent the pilots away when she had the chance, but she didn't trust her own voice, let alone able make real eye contact with either of them without wanting to cry herself. So the two girls sat there in silence as Athrun and Kira looked on, almost like guardians.

Damn, Eclipse really didn't want to be there anymore.

"Lexi," Cagalli began, withholding a sob, "thank you for everything, but," she held back another cry, "I'd like to talk to Kira right now if that's okay."

"Of course," Eclipse replied, squeezing the blonde's hand before she loosened her grip on the bed and pushed herself over towards Athrun at the door. The ZAFT elite steadied her as she came near, helping her get her feet on the ground. She muttered a thank you and reached around him to grab a handle on the wall. At first she thought he was going to follow her, but heard Kira say his name and figured he'd be staying as well. Remembering Cagalli's jealously back on Earth, the redhead shouldn't have been surprised if she had wanted Athrun there too, but she couldn't help feeling lonely as she left the three of them behind. She couldn't blame her cousin since she was also close to them, but somehow she was secretly hoping to talk to Athrun at least.

Call it a want for a familiar face.

Reaching the hangar without any confrontation, she stopped at the railing and stared across at the Decay and Stealth standing silently. It almost hurt how quiet the room was and she found herself reaching up to her earpiece. "Coffee Addict, status."

No reply.

"Coffee Addict, go online. What's your status?"

Still no reply and she smacked her palm down against the metal railing. She wasn't really expecting a reply, but somehow talking to her suit at that moment would have made her feel so much better. Just the cold and direct response to her question would have been the perfect distraction, and yet there was no voice on the other end.

"Coffee Addict, _please_ reply. You _have _to reply!"

"I don't think talking to a brainless machine is going to make you feel any better," Namarra remarked, steadying herself on the railing next to her. She looked healthier than when they had first started their journey into space, but her face was still pale from everything she had gone through in the past couple of days. No doubt knowing she left her comrades back on Earth didn't make her feel any better.

"Apparently, you underestimate my sanity."

"No, I know your sanity fairly well, actually. On the bridge between 'keep and eye on her' and 'give me the strait jacket', right?"

Eclipse smiled, she couldn't help it. Everybody seemed to be trying to cheer her up lately and it just didn't feel right. Being so depressed for so long could really weigh on a person. Perhaps it was about time she put her mind back on work. After all, the Stealth wasn't about to fix itself and with no gravity she didn't have to rely so much on her legs. They could heal and she could still get some work done.

"Thank you," Namarra muttered, forcing the words through partly closed lips. The phrase was so quiet and so abrupt Eclipse almost didn't hear it.

"For what?"

"If I have to say what for I shouldn't even be thanking you."

"I just wanna hear you say it."

"Don't you know you're not supposed to bait a piranha?"

Eclipse shrugged. "I've never been much of a fish lover." Namarra rolled her eyes and the redhead smiled, patting her shoulder lightly. "No problem. Just know I'll probably be exiled because of it."

"Now, isn't that the icing on the cake?"

"What, food analogies now?"

Namarra shrugged that time and smirked, turning her attention back to the two mobile suits in the hangar.

"What d'ya say we put our depression to good use?" Eclipse began, figuring the Natural was having similar thoughts. "How about we work on our dying machines?"

"Depression?" she scoffed. "Speak for yourself."

"Your mental state is too close to mine to be fooling me. C'mon, with no gravity we can actually move around rather painlessly. Let's numb our brains with stress."

"You're good at this avoidance thing. I wonder if I should be concerned."

"You can if you want to be, but I wouldn't recommend adding yourself to the list of people already worrying about me. It's not worth it, really."

"Oh, good because I was kidding. I really don't give a damn about you." The Natural smirked after the comment and Eclipse returned the look. They had a funny kind of relationship, but somehow it was refreshing to know they could be friends and yet not have to talk about the heavy emotional stuff.

At least until they got comfortable enough with each other to bitch about it and not fear for their lives simply because they were annoying.

Pushing themselves away from the railing, they both headed towards their respective suits, taking in the damage as they moved closer. Each of them sighed after a moment, knowing there was definitely a lot that needed to be done. It was a good thing neither of them knew what to do at that time—with SIN-ED or with the Earth Forces—because it might have been a real problem if they needed their suits within the next week.

"Oh, I have been meaning to ask you," Eclipse began, steadying herself on the side of the Stealth. "What was that song you were singing after our fight? Did you write it?" Namarra turned to her and gave her an interesting look, on the fence between angry and intrigued. "Too personal?"

"No, it just gives me an idea. Can you sing?"

"Can I what?"

* * *

It was just a meeting between the surviving ships on the _Kusanagi_ bridge but for some reason, Eclipse felt like sticking her head under the foot of her Stealth and telling Coffee Addict to step. "It's a good thing the CA's offline, I guess," she muttered, tightening her grip on Namarra's wrist and pulling her onto the bridge right behind her. If Eclipse was going to suffer through an uncomfortable conversation with awkward stares and nervous smiles then she sure as hell wasn't going to be doing it alone. The phrase, "kicking and screaming," gave no justice to the kind of abuse the redhead received from her Natural counterpart, but Namarra had to go see everyone if she wanted to save her brothers. Eclipse wasn't going to step on that landmine alone and it just seemed more convincing when Namarra asked for help than when the redhead did. Maybe it was the Natural's childlike complexion. Either that or her threats just scared people into submission.

She was betting on the latter.

The elevator door shut right behind them and they instantly felt all stares move in their direction. The bridge was empty for the most part, the two bucket seats—normally commandeered by two communication specialists—were empty and there were a limited amount of Orb soldiers on the front consol and even below them in the weapons command. Kisaka stood next to the captain's seat, one hand on the headrest as he spoke to the _Archangel_'s captain, Murrue Ramius and the new pilot of the Strike, Mwu La Flaga. Athrun and Kira were standing near them and Cagalli joined the crew a couple moments later when she walked from the elevator soon after the girls had. Not wanting to get any more unwanted attention, Eclipse and Namarra stood behind them all, leaning back against the consol.

"Is that Athrun Zala? The Chairman's son?" Namarra asked, being as quiet as she could. Eclipse nodded and the Natural sighed. "I'm fighting along side my Berserker counterpart, _on _an Orb ship, _against_ my teammates, and _with_ the PLANTs' Chairman's son?"

"Life's messed up, isn't it?"

"It's an S-class cluster fuck," she replied, the phrase loud enough for the rest of the bridge members to hear. They all turned to them. Eclipse blinked innocently while Namarra smiled and waved. "I _love_ being here." Athrun and Mwu covered up amused smiles. Murrue gave Mwu a stern look and he cleared his throat as the conversation started up once more.

"We're going to the L4 Colony Cluster," Kisaka explained, pulling everyone away from the two in the back of the room.

"The L4 Colony Group?" Murrue asked, looking quite stunned by the decision.

"Neither the _Kusanagi_ nor the _Archangel_ will have to worry about resupplying for a while, but that doesn't mean the supplies will last indefinitely," Kisaka continued. "Water, in part, will become a problem fairly soon. The group of colonies at L4 were damaged and abandoned after the war began. They'll be uninhabited, but useful for water resources."

"This sounds awfully familiar," Murrue muttered, her face contorting into a solemn worry. With a look like that on her fair face, Eclipse wasn't sure she really wanted to know what had happened to them and the ship in the past. She tried to remember back when her team was chasing the _Archangel_ and found herself only seeing small clips, the whole escapade itself nothing but a list of emotions instead of visual memories. She closed her eyes and shook her head, trying to get those pictures back, but just found she got more confused looks from Namarra and Athrun than any kind of clarity. Offering a small smile, she waved them off.

"It'll be alright. This is different from Junias 7," Mwu assured.  
"Y'know," Athrun began, holding out his hand to Eclipse as if wanting her to pipe into the conversation, "I'm pretty sure there are some functioning colonies at L4. ZAFT investigated the area," he pointed back at Eclipse again, "after receiving reports of a suspicious group being held up there. However, this was a long time ago. Although no one really lives there anymore, some of the colonies still have functioning facilities."

"Some areas have power," Eclipse confirmed. "I was on one investigation team and can confirm there is still oxygen and electricity in certain areas of the colony group. I was only assigned to the team heading into Mendel, but I'd assume the rest of the colonies are just as functional."

"Mendel, you said?" Kira asked and Eclipse nodded slowly. "That sounds perfect for us."

Eclipse turned to Namarra when she lightly hit her shoulder. The Natural mouthed SIN-ED and cocked an eyebrow, prodding another nod from the redhead. "Yeah, that's where I met them again for the first time."

"There is one thing, are _you _okay with this?" Mwu asked and Eclipse turned back to the blonde, thinking he was talking to her, but when she saw him staring hard at Athrun, she could only cringe. "And not just you, this question is for that other guy from _ZAFT_ as well."

"Commander," Murrue started and put a hand on his arm. He brushed the touch away, but she didn't prod, probably figuring he knew what he was getting himself into.

"I saw you fight at Orb and your actions spoke for themselves." Mwu nodded after that comment, probably commending them for their hard work instead of trying to condemn them, but he needed answers. "But I can't help noticing the uniforms you're still wearing. Depending on what happens, I think the odds are pretty good that we'll be fighting against ZAFT forces. It won't be like Orb at all. Are you ready? _Really_ ready? I mean, you _are_ Patrick Zala's son after all."

That accusation even sounded harsh to Eclipse, but she understood where the commander was coming from. Surprisingly, Cagalli seemed to be the most agitated by the comment, making a small snarl leave her lips. Eclipse could see it better than hear it, but no doubt it was there. "Why should it matter to you whose son he is? Athrun is his—"

"For a soldier to desert his army is a much more serious matter than _you _seem to think." Cagalli visibly backed off when Mwu targeted her directly. "And not only that, imagine if your father was the _leader _of that nation as well. You can't fight in a war unless you _believe_ in the cause your side is fighting for. Things aren't so simple when you turn that belief on its head. Unlike Kira, he's a regular soldier of the ZAFT military!" Eclipse felt the room go quiet as everyone turned back to Athrun. The redhead couldn't see his face, but watching the calm and curious expressions of the others in the room, no doubt he was feeling a bit uneasy.

"I'd hate to force the issue, but _can _I count on you if we fight together?" Still no response. "Well? Can I?"

Eclipse wanted to answer for him, maybe feeling a bit too defensive of her comrade and when Namarra tensed beside her as well, the redhead figured they were both just channeling their own discomfort. No doubt they would be interrogated next.

It took another moment or two, but Athrun finally responded. "While I was at Orb—no, even before then in the PLANTs and on Earth, I thought about what is right and what is wrong. What am I understanding and what am I not? I don't have the answers to these basic questions yet, but it's clear to me now that all of you people share the same hopes for this world that I do." He took a breath to calm himself before continuing. "And that's how I feel right now."

"Hm, you sound like a pretty determined fellow, nothing like our Kira here," the new Strike pilot commented, a small smirk on his lips. He was happy with the answer and probably even happier about how in control Athrun was of his thoughts and emotions. Eclipse smirked as well, a bit proud of her comrade, but childishly enjoying the retort made against Kira. Namarra held in a chuckle too.

As expected, Mwu turned to them next, the silent ones leaning in the background. "And what about you two? I saw you both fighting against the Earth Forces, but forgive me if I'm still suspicious."

It took a moment before either of them responded, trying to come up with some kind of answer without sounding like—well, total asses. "I won't lie when I tell you we have our own agendas," Eclipse spoke up, Namarra letting her take the lead. "I still have unfinished business here in space." She held up a hand before anyone could interrupt. "I can take care of my own suit's repairs, but there _is _certain equipment the _Regean_ doesn't have. If I may, Colonel," she turned to Kisaka, "I'd like to use the _Kusanagi_'s equipment in the hangar to fix my suit."

Kisaka's stare narrowed, thinking over the request, but not showing much approval. "No, I can't let you, I'm sorry." Eclipse wasn't surprised, but the rest of the bridge was. Even Namarra cocked an eyebrow.

"Cagalli, you can override me if you wish," Kisaka continued, turning to the Orb princess.

Blinking away her surprise, Cagalli looked at the Orb officer for a brief moment, ultimately, nodding her head. "I respect your decision as captain of this ship, but I must ask you to explain your decision to me later on."

"Of course, Princess."

"You can use our equipment if you wish," Murrue said, breaking the tension. "I beg your pardon, Colonel, and I don't mean to show any kind of disrespect, but I believe Miss Rymyr to be a valuable ally."

Kisaka nodded, affirming no harm had been done and Namarra spoke up in a "what about me?" kind of manner. "Am I allowed access as well?" Surprised by the blunt remark, it took Murrue a moment but eventually she agreed.

"I'll take full responsibility if anything should go wrong."

"Hey!" the Natural shouted, but Eclipse's knowing look kept her from complaining anymore.

"On one condition," Mwu countered. "You have to tell us something of your 'agendas.' If it could possibly affect our welfare, we have the right to know."

"Fair enough," Eclipse replied, side glancing at Namarra. She looked just as annoyed, but probably knew it was a fair exchange. "There is a renegade group I am chasing and I believe they are here in space. I don't think you will ever come in contact with them, but I will inform you if they become a threat to you or your crew."

"Are they dangerous? Can you tell us _why _you are chasing them?" Mwu went on.

"I don't owe you anymore information, but I will tell you, yes, they are very dangerous." Eclipse half expected Mwu to get offended by the remark, but he just nodded, clearly a man worthy of his rank if he knew when to pry and when to leave well enough alone.

"And you?" They all turned to Namarra.

"My only purpose here is to save the lives of my brothers in those three Atlantic Federation machines." That statement came as even more of a shock, probably because it affected them personally.

"Can I ask you why you want to protect them?" Kira inquired. His tone sounded like he meant no offense, but his choice of wording suggested he was mocking her.

"Did I not say they were my brothers? Isn't that reason enough?"

"But we cannot guarantee anything," Cagalli said, jumping right back into her commanding role. "If they attack us, we _will _defend ourselves."

"And I would expect nothing less. You wanted my reason for joining and I told you. What happens now is entirely up to you."

The _Archangel_ crew members still seemed nervous, but the Orb soldiers looked comfortable, probably used to keeping their neutral position. Namarra's voice sounded sure, but her body failed that confidence. Eclipse could tell she was worried, even if the Natural would never admit it. It was a big task to undertake and an even scarier one since she most likely knew the combined strength of the people in the room.

"You're sure?" Mwu asked and Eclipse could practically feel Namarra tense up. No doubt she was sick of answering that question.

"I intend on giving her my full support," the redhead announced, relieving some of the apprehension. "We don't expect you to understand, merely respect it."

"And you're aware of the possible consequences?" Murrue asked. The girls nodded. "And do I have your word you will _not _hold any of us personally responsible if worse comes to worse?"

Knowing how close Namarra was to the three pilots, the redhead was terrified. What could she say other than yes? Finally, she responded, the first part of the answer being the calmest thing Eclipse had ever heard from her. The last part was the typical Namarra. "I will try, but I can't promise much. Truthfully, I'll probably fry that person with my flame thrower and use the middle finger just for the hell of it."

Eclipse sighed and jumped in before her rash reply could cause any problems. "We've all lost loved ones so I'm sure you can understand her honesty. I know we've put ourselves in quite the predicament, but this is the only way we can think of to save them."

"There's nothing else?" Mwu asked, his face now looking concerned. It was nice to know they sympathized with Namarra's "agenda" but just by seeing their expressions, the likelihood of a positive outcome seemed bleak.

Namarra shrugged and shook her head at the same time. "If they die, all I can tell you is I might not be able to control myself."

"What does that mean?" Kira asked.

"I'll help best I can," Eclipse interrupted, not answering any questions—and probably adding more confusion to the mix—but at least it stopped any kind of retaliation her comrade might have been thinking against Kira. She was already one nuke short of a massacre and that pilot—no matter how harmless his questions seemed—was slowly moving her finger towards that big red button.

No one asked any questions after that and Eclipse was more than thankful. Apparently, Athrun had been staring at her quizzically the entire time. She tried to make out what expression was on his face, but all she could tell was he had noticed something. Very unlike the Athrun she remembered.

"It's quite an obligation that Orb's entrusted to us," Mwu said, getting back to the original conversation. "It's a _huge _task."

"It is," Murrue agreed, putting another hand on Mwu's arm.

"And we're only _two_ ships. Honestly, what we're tryin' to do may well be impossible."

"You're right," the _Archangel_ captain said.

"And you're still sure about this?" Mwu looked back at the three people he had just talked to, Athrun, Eclipse and Namarra. Athrun nodded while the other two just shrugged. The new Strike pilot sighed, but Eclipse figured he had taken that as a positive response. There was another thing she noticed, though, something that threw her a little off balance.

Cagalli blushed.

She wasn't sure why her cousin flushed, only that the person she had just made eye contact with was Athrun. The redhead sighed and tried to push back down her own emotions. It was quite a struggle and Eclipse found out she had missed most of the conversation after that. She tuned in when Kira said, "She's Athrun's fiancé," but really had no idea why they were talking about Lacus Clyne.

_Probably has something to do with the cause,_ she guessed, remembering the work the Clyne Faction was doing.

"They're hunting for her right now. She was declared a traitor by my _father_."

"It sucks to have family sometimes," Eclipse muttered, only loud enough for Namarra to hear.

"I beg to differ, but then again, what do I know," the Natural responded and left the bridge in a hurry. Eclipse could only speculate what she had meant.

_One catastrophe at a time,_ she thought, glancing at the people in the room before leaving the bridge as well. They were all so powerful in their own right. How the hell were they going to save the Earth Alliance pilots if they didn't even want to speak to them? "I guess, in the end, we're masochists, plain and simple. Heh, I should probably go back to my bunk and pray my suicide is quick and painless."

* * *

Eclipse didn't have much time to relax like she had originally hoped. She had been followed to the _Regean _hangar and was about to start some initial adjustments to her suit when her stalker—well, cousin—asked if they could talk instead. Cagalli looked worried about something and more than a little confused. Given what had just happened to her, the expression wasn't surprising, but Eclipse wasn't sure she could handle anymore drama even if it was from a really close friend.

"Are you okay?" Eclipse asked, the two of them near the Stealth. The redhead was sitting in the cockpit while Cagalli braced herself on the frame outside. They had been silent for the past couple of minutes—even after Eclipse had agreed to talk—and it was getting awkward for both of them.

"A lot's happened."

"I know."

"Well, most of it you know. The other half is—uh—complicated."

"Cagalli, you know you can talk to me."

The blonde sighed and nodded slowly, turning to the side in order to pull out a picture, probably the one she had been holding in her room hours before. In the photo was a woman in a hospital gown with brown hair and purple eyes holding two babies, one with blonde hair and the other with similar brown hair. Both babies were sleeping and the mother—at least she assumed she was the mother—looked more than a little exhausted from labor, but happy all the same. Eclipse's eyes scanned the sides of the picture looking for a trace of the father—a hand or strand of hair—but saw none.

"What is this?" she finally asked, Cagalli being patient enough to give the redhead a few moments to digest what she was looking at.

"According to my father, I'm the blonde baby and the brown-haired baby is my twin brother."

"Twin?"

She nodded, putting two fingers on the photo and flipping it around for Eclipse. "Apparently, I've been living a lie."

Eclipse followed her pointer finger down to two names scribbled sloppily on the bottom. The name "Cagalli" could be made out clearly, but the name above it looked like, "Kiro." Slowly, it all began to sink in, the "o" at the end of the boy's name shifting into something a little more familiar.

"Aw, fuck; are you shittin' me?"

The princess's mouth gradually dipped into a smile after the comment. "Somehow I knew you'd say something like that."

"You're _certain_ your father said this is legit? I mean, Kira being your twin brother is just plain lunacy!"

"I'm confident it's legit, but, if that's true, who am I? I _know _that's not my mom, Lexi; you knew her too. But, if she _is _my mom, then the mom we knew wasn't my real mom and my father wasn't my real father and—oh shit! What if this lady was some fling of my father's and I'm some bastard child? Wait, if my father was in the picture, I wouldn't be a bastard—"

"Cagalli."

"—but how could he _do _that to my mother? Or, the woman who _acted _as my mother or—"

"Cags!"

"Oh God, I don't even deserve my title if that's the case! I shouldn't even _be _here! I shouldn't be the Orb Princess or commanding an army!"

"Cagalli please," Eclipse begged, pushing out of her seat to grab her cousin before her hysteria could send her flying across to the other side of the hangar. "You're jumping to too many conclusions. Have you talked to Kira yet?"

She shook her head and took a deep breath to calm herself. "I was going to when I asked you to leave before, but I couldn't even look in his eyes! Then Athrun was there and it just didn't come out so I just cried some more, making them believe I was still upset about my father."

"Wait, you're not upset about him anymore?"

"Gah! That's not what I meant! I just didn't want to get into it and—ugh!" Her fists shook at her sides as Eclipse tightened the grip on her arm. Perhaps the redhead should think a little more before she opened her mouth. Of _course _Cagalli was still upset about Lord Uzumi's death and what was probably even more frustrating was the fact that she wasn't sure he was even her father anymore. Secretly, Eclipse envied her. Cagalli had just found out she—most likely—had two sets of parents and based on that woman's face in the photo, both of them loved her.

"W-what do I do?" she asked, her anger being replaced by panicked tears.

_Of all the moments to be handed something like this_, the redhead thought and remembered back to what her uncle had asked of her in Orb. Hearing her own life's version of a Soap Opera, Eclipse knew she should probably do something. Sighing, she pulled Cagalli into a tight hug. "I don't care about what some Polaroid says, you're my cousin and that's that. Lord Uzumi was more of a father to you than any man could be and I _know _you remember well how good of a mother your mom was. This woman," Eclipse pointed to the person holding the babies, "is just a name in your gene pool."

"I keep trying to tell myself that, Lexi, but somehow my mind constantly rolls back to the possibility that I'm just some fake."

"Then the only thing I can suggest is talking to Kira. Maybe you two can figure this out together. I've said all I can."

"Thanks, Lexi. I guess I will."

Eclipse watched her leave and sat back down in the Stealth's cockpit. For a couple minutes, she just stared, her mind trying to digest what Cagalli had just said. It didn't really affect her as much as it did the blonde, but she just couldn't get the scary idea out of her head.

The idea that Kira Yamato might be a blood relative.

* * *

_**A/N: **_Hey guys, another chapter's up. Yay! I know I left you all on a huge cliffhanger there with Eclipse in a very sticky situation, but I hope the wait wasn't too unbearable. The next couple of chapters might be a bit slow, mainly because now starts the months in space. The Anime didn't portray how long they were in space, but it was really months. I know what I am going to fill in with those places, but if anyone has any suggestions just let me know. Nothing major-maybe some small pranks or something-but I'm open to suggestions. I can't guarentee I'll write them all, but I don't mind hearing what you guys think.

I'd like to thank you all for the support and the reviews. I know it's not easy to stay interested in a story that doesn't update often, but I want to let you know I am working on this as much as I can. I have been taking some freelance writing jobs since I graduated and it's hard for me to balance everything at once sometimes. Believe it or not, there are moments I really don't want to look at a keyboard or my imagination just runs dry. So, thank you all for trudging through this with me and just know that I'm working as fast as I can.

There is another thing I'd like to address before I get onto the questions and whatnot. There have been some reviews in the past where people mention I have grammatical errors. I'm glad you guys are paying close enough to the story to see those mistakes, but could you kind of narrow down where you are seeing these mistakes? If not, I understand and I have done more editing on my end. On that note, however, please know I am not perfect. I do the best I can and I know my Betas are too. With so much going on in our lives, sometimes we miss a spelling or two. I'd like to apologize, but at the same time, please bear with me and help me out a little as well? Also on that note, don't just litter a review with nothing but my grammatical errors. I babbled a lot, I know, but I'm confident you all know what I am talking about. :)

I'd also like to thank everyone for helping this story reach 350 reviews! I _never _thought that was possible and I'm so touched by all your support! Thank you!

(Oh, this is pretty off topic, but I think it is rather amusing. I have recently become obsessed/intrigued with the show _Ghost Adventures_ and my story reached page 666 on my computer (with my layout and whatnot) so I thought that was kind of freaky/neat. What's ironic too is that the page 666 is when Eclipse is arguing with her parents. How fitting, I should think. Too bad the Berserker doesn't really come out in this chapter because that would have been perfect! Anyway, I thought I would share that with you guys.)

Again, a shoutout to my Betas for being super awesome. I learned a lot about what not to do during a war this chapter and even the finer points of-well-what Eclipse did. Let's just say, it's not good and she's lucky she has connections. I can't be thankful enough that they all take time out of their super busy schedules to read through these chapters.

* * *

**_Corrections to the Narrative:_**

I kind of just have overall corrections in this chapter. All of the conversations are the same as the English version of the Anime, but I added a couple different gestures to make the moment a little more than just words/arguments. Also, I made it so Eclipse was the one to get to Cagalli first instead of Kira and Athrun. After everything she had been through, I could never understand why she would willingly cling to Kira and cry. I mean, I would be practically speechless and even feel awkward about having him in the room, especially after just finding out he was my twin brother. So, I had the "girl time" instead and just went from there.

For those of you who might be wondering, the _Regean_ is one of the connecting sections of the _Kusanagi_. It basically has its own living quarters and what not with a smaller hangar housing only the Decay and the Stealth. I'll probably go into more detail on it in the next chapter, but I thought I'd give a brief explanation here.

* * *

_**Questions/Gripes:**_

I guess this'll be just another overall observation, but I'd like to say I am really happy you guys liked the dream sequence. I was a bit wary writing it, but I felt it had to be in there, mainly because fever induced unconsciousness can bring about some weird dreams! And with all the trauma she had been through within the past couple of months, I couldn't blame the girl for having some kind of steamy/horrific fantasy. It made a lot of sense to me and I'm glad you all took it well.

* * *

Again, thank you all for the support and I'll see you the next chapter. Remember, feel free to send me some ideas to pass the time in space. I'll be keeping a lookout and thank you!

_Strata_


	48. Naturally, Hanging Out

Naturally, Hanging Out

_Date: June 20__th__ Time: Late Location: Space_

_Wow, I'm surprised I even remembered where I put this journal. After the guys gave it to me for my birthday I just kind of threw it in my stuff. I was __**sure **__I lost it because of everything that went down at the medical facility, but it looks as if the Commander and DaCosta really are good at what they do. Either that or they happened to know the exact binding and found the same journal. At any rate, here I am, writing._

_ So, I'm sitting here in my room staring at the wall. There really is no such thing as night and day here in space, but everyone else—except the select few on duty—have gone to sleep. I thought that was a nice idea until I began wrapping myself in my bed and realized, I wasn't tired. After everything that's been going on, you'd think I'd be exhausted, but, for some reason, I just can't fall asleep. Hell, I can't even close my eyes. Namarra screams in her sleep and she's in the room right next to mine. On the other side of me is Lathan and even he can hear her, so she has to have some pretty bad night terrors. At least I think they're night terrors. We—my brother and I always seem to get there at the same time—wake her and she just doesn't understand what all the fuss is about. She has no idea. Cagalli used to have the same problem, but that was when she was really, really little. I guess—with everything Namarra most likely went through—it's possible for her to have some variation of._

_ Aside from Nam's dog-whistle-screams, things have been rather quiet around here. We're still making our way to Mendel—hopefully only ten days away or so—and there's been no trouble, which is good. Stealth is still out of commission, but Lathan and I got the CA up and running this morning. Funny thing is—well, funny to Lathan at least—the first thing it started doing was bitch at me. It got to the point where I had to turn down the volume on the earpiece and Coffee Addict didn't like that at all. It's a good thing the automovement was offline because my suit probably would've attacked me merely because I ignored it. We're heading over to the _Archangel_ in the morning so we'll be able to do some major remodeling and hopefully get both suits up and running by the time the bounty hunters come chasing after us renegade ships. _

_ Cagalli and I have been practically inseparable the past couple of days. Apparently, Kira fled back to the _Archangel_ almost immediately after she had showed him the picture and she's been avoiding him ever since. It's not like I can blame her. Hell, I've been avoiding that kid since the moment I arrived on Orb soil so I'm not about to tell her otherwise. Namarra's been sticking close to us as well, but I don't think her and Cags get along. They butt heads more than anything, but I think they've grown to have some kind of seething tolerance for one another. Again, fine with me. Cagalli doesn't push me about Kira and I don't push her about Namarra. It's a pretty good arrangement._

_ What's really interesting though, is where Kira used to be the one always dropping in, Athrun's taken point. Again, I'm not complaining—and it's nice to see him on a regular basis—but Cagalli is so flirtatious with him it's almost sickening. There are times I wonder if Athrun's annoyed with it, but he just smiles and we go on as if nothing's changed. I'd ask him about it if I could confidently say I didn't feel any kind of jealousy, but, for some reason, I do get a bit ticked about it. Lathan just laughs at me, but he's said before Athrun makes advances on me too. Whatever, I really don't want to think about it right now. _

_ He's been mentioning something about going to see his dad. I've tried to talk him out of it, but that didn't last long because do I really have a right to do that? I don't think he should go alone, but that guy is stubborn and persistent, so he'll probably end up going sooner or later. Maybe he'll let me come with him as backup. Hm, we'll see._

_ Dearka—when he's not chasing after that Miriallia chick—and I have been trying to send messages to Yzak within the past couple of days, but for some reason they don't seem to go through. Not even Lathan can figure it out, then again, he really didn't try all that hard to help us. He's a bit protective of the _Kusanagi_—so I guess I can understand him being afraid we'd rat out our position or something—but we just want to let him know we're alive. The poor guy probably thinks everyone left him._

_ Speaking of being left behind, we've all been keeping close tags on Orb since headquarters and the Mass Driver were destroyed. So far, my parents have been doing a pretty good job rebuilding the country while making sure the evacuees are being taken care of. Scandinavia took in most of the people, but some of the orphans—and just some families who didn't want to stay on Earth—have fled to space. I'm not quite sure how they got out here yet, but I have a feeling ZAFT started sticking its slimy fingers into the chaos and snagged some new recruits. The EA might've tried to do the same, but I doubt many people would be willing to fight for the side that nearly obliterated their home. _

_ My parents aren't doing it all alone like I had originally thought. Another powerful family stayed behind called the Seirans. I know of them, but haven't met them on many occasions. They're Cagalli's cousins, but on the other side of the family, so I probably saw them at some social gatherings when I was little, but can't put a face to the name. I recall a Yuna Seiran but don't remember if she—or was it a he?—had a knack for the political stuff or not. I think I missed the gene on that one, so I guess someone has to know what she's doing. (He? Gah! I don't remember!)_

_ At any rate, I've been avoiding my mail just in case they happen to find Kisaka's report and decide to make a final judgment. I may be blood, but I still don't think they like me too much._

Eclipse paused, her pen poised over the period after "much." She had every intention of sitting at the desk in her room, but not wanting to take the effort to keep herself pinned down, she rocked with the ship instead, her knees tucked up to her chest to for a table top while she floated about the room. She was impressed, actually, with how well she was writing the journal entry. It was a small accomplishment, but she had stayed on topic for the most part. "Meh, the little things in life," she muttered to herself and started chewing on the back end of the pen. She really should have been sleeping, but just couldn't get her brain to stop working. Cagalli hadn't talked about the twin thing in the past couple of days, but the whole thing was still in the back of Eclipse's mind, that was for sure. And then there were Namarra's brothers, SIN-ED—

_Ah, SIN-ED. They've been uncharacteristically quiet lately. I messaged Heine about it the other day, but have yet to hear back from him. I wonder if he's even working in intelligence anymore. I remember he was going back and forth at one point, but he's a fine soldier. After all, he was going to pilot the Freedom, so he should've gotten another suit by now. Well, with everything going on, I'm sure he's just busy. And a guy like that just can't die. …Right?_

"Ugh! Think positive thoughts!" the redhead shouted at the journal, as if yelling at an inanimate object would make her feel any better. And for a split second, it had. "Heine's fine," she told herself again, closing the book and tucking it between her knees and chest and she hugged her shins. Things were getting really messed up with Namarra trying to save the three Earth Forces pilots and SIN-ED being eerily silent. All the while, she was cooped up in the _Kusanagi _with a Soap Opera unfolding around her. _Wow, I can't believe I'm gonna say this, but I wish I was back on Januarias 4; back when everything made sense. You kill to survive, to get information, and—most of all—to prove something. Stray and FS were all I had to worry about. MR was_, she paused as the word hesitated in her head, _gone, but we just had to stick together. And—wow_. She stopped again, reaching up to her cheek and wiping a tear that had fallen. "I've gotten so soft it's sickening."

_Oh, have you ever._

It wasn't a voice in her head, per se, more like an emotion she felt in the back of her mind. It was a frustrated feeling, as if nothing she ever did would please it and after another discouraged sigh—one she felt through her own lips that time—she knew the Berserker wasn't excited about her new emotions either. The Berserker was at the edge of her conscious, a place it often staked out when it wanted to play, but Eclipse didn't feel any hostile need for it to take control. It was merely standing there, judging her. She wanted to open her mouth and ask it a few questions, but somehow that didn't seem right, like it wasn't the proper way to communicate.

It was just a weird moment and Eclipse didn't fully understand what was going on even though it was her own mind. She just felt her frustration growing, so much in fact that she threw the pen across the room and watched with wry amusement when it hit the wall and broke open. She was about to do the same thing with the journal when she heard some screaming from the next room and realized Namarra was having her night terrors again.

Sighing, Eclipse let go of the book and watched it float there in the room. The Berserker was gone, back to whatever cage it normally slept in while Eclipse tried to live a normal life. Perhaps it was just trying to rile her up, but she had never felt the Berserker act that way. Yes, she had known it to be bored, but never so dormant.

Another scream came from the next room and Eclipse propelled herself to the door, pressing the release. Lathan didn't meet her at the room like normal, but he had been busy lately, so it was only fair she took care of her this time. Besides, she was finally starting to get tired and all the racket was giving her a headache.

* * *

Eclipse had never been one to care how people viewed her, but somehow the quizzical looks on the verge of glares when some of the _Archangel_ mechanics saw the redhead and Namarra walk into the hangar made her feel a bit uncomfortable. Not in the sense that she was embarrassed, but more like she wanted to fight them all to prove she should be there. Eclipse could tell Namarra felt the same, mainly because she had to hold up her arm and block her before she could get too far in front.

"The captain said we could use the equipment," the redhead remarked, making eye contact with three mechanics who all looked at each other instead of meeting her stare. "I know it's been almost four days, but we couldn't even move our suits until now. We won't get in the way of your duties, we promise." Namarra made some kind of scoffing noise and Eclipse did her best to keep a straight face. It wasn't easy.

"Stop gawkin' guys, geez," an older gentleman said. He pushed through his fellow mechanics to stand in front of the duo. A toothpick teetered up and down between his lips as he brought his hand up to run through his shaggy brown hair. He couldn't have been much older than Mwu, but definitely older than the other mechanics in the hangar.

After taking a moment to size up the two girls, he stuck his hand out to shake. Eclipse took it first. "Chief—uh, that's just Murdoch to ya, I guess."

"Lunar Ecl—uh, Lexi Rymyr, I mean."

Namarra shook his hand next. "Namarra Legund. Unlike you two, I really have no trouble remembering my name." She smiled sweetly while the others just frowned.

"The cap'n told me ya guys would be usin' some of da equipment." Murdoch waved them over to one of the computer modules, patting his hand gently on the top. "I'll let ya use this terminal here. It's a bit Menopausal, but ya should be able to get yer work done just fine. These yer suits here?" He pointed up at the Stealth and Decay. The two girls nodded. "Wow, they look like shit. What'd ya do, put 'em through a meat grinder?"

"No, there wasn't one readily available so we gave some insane friends of ours a scythe and said, 'Have Fun!'" Namarra retorted.

"We like to call it team bonding," Eclipse continued. "Besides, fixing them afterwards is so much fun."

Probably not being able to tell whether they were kidding or not, Murdoch just moved on. "We 'ave some scrap metal and spare parts if ya need anything, but we've never fixed a GINN before so those parts are scarce. And this suit here," he pointed a thumb over to the Decay, "well, I've no idea _what _that is."

"Pretty much they're both hybrids of some kind; modern chimeras. So, whatever you have should be fine. We can fix most of the major things on the _Regean_, but we don't have the right terminal to adjust the internal shit," Eclipse explained, pointing to the Stealth's missing arm and head.

"Well, computers we can help ya on, if ya wish. Our brains are wired pretty good for that sorta thing."

"We'd actually like to do it ourselves, if you don't mind. My brother wants to install a system into the Decay and we can handle our own adjustments," the redhead continued, reaching up to the CA earpiece. "Although, you might find the system rather interesting." She smirked at his confused look and then turned back to the Stealth. "Coffee Addict, go online."

After a moment, the metallic alto-bass combination spoke into her ear. "Some systems green; most red and non-responsive. Communications working fine, unfortunately."

Eclipse shook her head. She wasn't sure how an emotionless voice could sound pissed off, but somehow the Stealth pulled it off. "Good. Set up file transfer, we're copying you to the Decay since Lathan doesn't have the original file anymore."

"What a douchebag."

Eclipse paused, too startled by the sarcastic comment to laugh. Actually, she couldn't even remember what she was going to say next.

"Warming up internal systems. File transfer can commence in fifteen minutes."

"Roger that," she replied and her arm fell back to her side.

"Who the hell ya talkin' to?" Murdoch asked, having taken a step back as soon as she had started acting like a lunatic.

"The Stealth." As if on cue, the internal computers started whining, the monitors turning blue and lighting up the cockpit. The whole mobile suit seemed to shift, as if it was trying to shake out muscle cramps or achy joints. After all, this had been the first time the suit had been outside the _Regean_ hangar in two days. They had just finished replacing the monitors and computers in the Decay and the Stealth had just had its thrusters repaired. Eclipse's suit could now move on its own, but the Decay was grounded. Hell, the redhead had to shuttle Namarra and her machine over.

Murdoch took a step forward when he saw the systems light up, but took two steps back when he saw the machine move. "That's messed up, but in a good way."

"I want that," Namarra remarked, propelling herself to the Stealth's cockpit and sticking her head inside. "Does it wipe our ass after you flush too?"

Eclipse hid a smile, seeing the cockpit door slowly closing. She side glanced at Murdoch, but he didn't seem to notice, probably too lost in his thoughts about all the possibilities. Unfortunately, one of the other mechanics said something and Namarra jumped out of the way, barely managing to grab the catwalk railing before she slammed into the wall.

"Cocky bitch. But I like her," the Stealth said and that time Eclipse laughed. Maybe a personality wasn't bad after all.

* * *

Lathan came over as promised, and after a couple of hours, finally had the Decay's operating system up and running. He was typing some things down on the lower terminal while Eclipse stood nearby connecting a cord from the Stealth to the Decay so they could transfer the CA data.

"Namarra, you ready?" Lathan asked and he saw her give a thumbs up. "Lexi?" The same response. "Alright, commencing CA transfer now."

Already knowing it was going to take a while, Eclipse grabbed the gloves from her back pocket and snagged the wire cutters as she made her way to the empty space where the Stealth's left arm was supposed to be. That side had yet to be connected to the battery—so there was no need for her to worry about getting electrocuted—but she had to start tearing out and replacing the old wiring in order for her to start connecting the new arm once she found something suitable to put there.

She was about ten minutes in and five seconds short of a frustrated fit when the cutters slipped from her grasp once more, bouncing off the Stealth and barely missing her shoulder on the rebound. "Damnit!" she shouted, twisting around to grab the tool before it could float across to the other side of the hangar. "Stupid sonofa—" she hissed when she spun back to her machine to see a wire floating away. Cursing again, she grabbed it and made her way back to her sitting position.

She hated rewiring. It probably didn't help that it wasn't a clean cut and everything was in knots after all the transferring at Orb, but there _had _to be a better way to put a new arm on her suit. Hell, why not just get a new machine?

_I hope Namarra's having the same trouble,_ she thought, not wanting her to be the only one suffering, but when she looked over at her counterpart, she saw her humming. Probably seeing the redhead turn her way, she started singing a little louder. It took a moment, but eventually Eclipse recognized the tune. "Aw shit, not now!"

Namarra just gave a childish smile.

"_Kazesasou, kokage ni, utsubusete naiteru._

_Mi mo shiranu, watashi wo, watashi ga, miteita._

_Yuku hito no, shirabe wo, kanaderu, GITAARA._

_Konu hito no, nageki ni, hoshi ha ochite._

"_Yukanaide, donna ni sakende mo._

_ORENJI no, hanabira, shizuka ni, yureru dake._

_Yawarakana, hitai ni nokosareta._

_Te no hira no, kioku haruka._

_Tokoshie no, sayonara, tsuma hiku."_

Eclipse sighed when she heard the melody, knowing it was the same one Namarra had sung on the island. The Natural had brought up the idea of them singing it together and after a few lessons, she seemed to take it seriously, creating an alto part for Eclipse to accompany. The lyrics had been the easy part to memorize and even though she had been doing well on the harmony, Namarra always strove for perfection, so no matter how well Eclipse sung, the Natural wasn't impressed. She had warned Eclipse there might be an impromptu concert and apparently this was the perfect time for it.

The other mechanics in the hangar stopped to admire the song, welcoming the break as well as the nostalgia. Namarra's voice carried through the entire hangar, the echoing off the metal interior adding an interesting effect to the music.

Like the song, her voice was gorgeous.

Eclipse had noticed the beauty of it early on, but since then, the Natural had refused to sing in front of anyone but herself. Namarra was a real shower singer despite her rock-hard exterior. Eclipse was glad to see she had finally gotten up enough guts to share the song with the others, but the redhead, knowing she had to sing as well, just felt embarrassed. The second verse added the harmony and after a quick break Eclipse would be sharing her musical talent with everyone in the hangar.

She straightened so she could get ready for her entrance. The two of them were singing _a capella_ so they had to make some kind of eye contact before starting the next verse. Namarra smiled and winked while Eclipse shook her head.

"_Yasashii te ni sugaru, kodomo no, kokoro wo._

_Moesakaru, kuruma ha, furiharai susumu._

_Yuku hito no, nageki wo, kanadete GITAARA._

_Mune no ito, hageshiku, kakinarashite._

"_Aa kanashimi ni, somaranai, shirosa de._

_ORENJI no, hanabira, yureteta, natsu no kage ni._

_Yawarakana, hitai wo nakushite mo._

_Akaku someta suna haruka, koete yuku._

_Sayonara, no RIZUMU."_

Eclipse was quiet at first, but as the verse went on she gained more confidence. When Athrun, Dearka and some of her other comrades walked in, however, her voice cracked slightly and her cheeks flushed, but she regained her composure quickly after returning to her wiring and not watching them.

Namarra wasn't fazed by any of it and it didn't even seem to be hindering her work. She continued her own rewiring in the Decay's cockpit, her fingers stopping every once in a while to check what she had just done.

"_Omoide wo, yakitsukushite, susumu daichi ni._

_Natsukashiku, me fuite yuku, mono ga aru no."_

Eclipse looked over at the Natural when the small verse ended, trying to get some sort of eye contact before the last one started. Namarra finished up the interior and stepped out onto the platform. She glanced over at the redhead and smirked slightly before turning around to start taking off one of the outer panels.

"_Akatsuki no, kuruma wo, miokutte._

_ORENJI no, hanabira, yureteru ima mo dokoka._

_Itsuka mita, yasurakana, yoake wo._

_Mou ichido, te ni suru made._

_Kesanaide, tomoshibi._

_Kuruma ha, mawaru yo." (***)_

At first everyone was silent. Whether it was because none of them knew the song was over, or they were still stunned to hear someone other than Lacus had an amazing singing voice neither of them could tell. The audience looked at each other, as if deciding whether or not to break out in applause, but Namarra's statement decided for them. "Not bad Lexi, but," she paused, "you still suck. We'll have to work a little more."

Eclipse frowned and was more than happy to hear Lathan's announcement of the file transfer. Both girls kicked off their suits to meet him next to the terminal.

Lathan blinked and looked at each of them individually when they arrived. "I didn't know you could do that. Impressive!"

"I can, she can't," Namarra replied. "It wasn't _horrible_, but it sure as Hell wasn't good."

"Whatever, I've had—what—three lessons?" Eclipse retaliated, holding up her fingers for effect. She seemed to stress the middle one more so than the other two.

"Alright, I'll cut you _some _slack. It wasn't half bad and I threw you to the sharks—"

"_Another _fish analogy?" the redhead grumbled, but Namarra kept talking.

"—but don't worry, I think Athrun's tone deaf."

Lathan burst out laughing and instead of blushing, Eclipse went right to the fist fight. She reached out to grab the other female—who had started sticking out her tongue and snickering—but only managed to pull out a couple of her long strands.

"_Ow_!" she hissed and Eclipse readied for another attack.

"Oh, break it up," Lathan said—apparently having stopped his laughing—as he pushed the two apart. They each caught themselves on the corner of the terminal. "Namarra, here, put this in here." He handed her the small funnel-like earpiece as he pointed to his ear.

She just stared, turning it around in her fingers. "Put this _where_?"

"I said your ear."

"No, technically you pointed. For a female you have to specify, bro," Eclipse muttered.

"Oh hell, Lexi, turn off the bitch switch. And you." He turned back to Namarra. "Just put it in an ear and shut up. You _do _want this system, right?"

"The CA, he means," Eclipse explained, withholding a sadistic smile. Namarra's pain was going to be _terribly_ amusing.

"Which ear?"

"Doesn't matter," both Rymyr siblings said at the same time. Lathan surprised Eclipse then, turning to the redhead and winking. They were both getting their own personal revenge it seemed.

"Will I regret this?"

"No," they both said again and the Natural shrugged. Reaching up to her left ear, she slipped the device inside, even pushing it down for good measure.

"Now wha—holy shit! What the—oh damn it!" Namarra cursed as she let go of the terminal and clutched the left side of her face. "This is—fuck! I'm gonna _kill_ you!"

The siblings just shared a high five.

* * *

There was another scare on the radar and since Eclipse's suit was still less than battle-worthy, she was stuck inside while Athrun, Kira and Mwu went to go investigate. Either the Stealth or the Decay would have been the most ideal for the mission—given their Mirage Colloid capabilities—but neither were ready even after the four days straight of work. But that made Eclipse even more nervous.

It was a long forty-five minutes, but eventually the guys gave the all clear. She let out a sigh of relief after hearing the news, fearing the worse, but glad nothing had been waiting for them. Releasing the Stealth's controls, she stared at her feet and closed her eyes. She wasn't sure why she had been so nervous, but she just had the distant feeling something was out there and—for better or for worse—it was going to get them.

Morbid, maybe, but still not a feeling she could ignore.

It took a couple more moments, but eventually she took off her helmet and headed back to the _Regean_'s locker room. Stuffing her gear into one of the lockers, she put back on her khaki pants and orange Orb jacket before venturing into the hallways. The Stealth was still undergoing repairs so she had been travelling back and forth between the _Archangel_ and the _Kusanagi_, depending on who had the right equipment and spare parts at the time. The Decay was still in rough shape, but mainly because the internal operating system had been shot to pieces for the most part. It was a frustrating business trying to fit that back together and Eclipse was a little irritated she had been doing most of the work, but Namarra wasn't as knowledgeable in the computer area as the redhead was. So, they just shared the work on both machines.

Eclipse had been paying such close attention to the repairs she had forgotten about another matter she had wanted to discuss with an old family friend, Erica Simmons. The redhead wasn't sure when the last time she had had a long conversation with the woman, but she and Eclipse's parents were rather close, even though Erica worked for the Orb military. Erica was a bit younger than Eclipse's parents, but they had met on many occasions and despite the technician's youth, they seemed to share some kind of mutual respect with one another. Perhaps that was the reason she was so nervous as she turned the final hallway to stand in front of the technician's room.

Bringing back her hand, she had every intention of knocking, but ended up uncurling her fingers after a couple seconds of hesitance. Sighing, the hand fell back to her side and she was about to spin back to her own quarters when Erica turned the corner and started heading her way. The redhead probably could have just fled saying she hadn't seen the older woman, but they would have to talk to each other eventually. Besides, they had always seemed to miss one another back in Orb, so _one _time they had to at least say hello.

"Lexi, wow, this is a surprise." The technician stopped herself at the door and pressed in the sequence to unlock it. "Please, come in."

Eclipse nodded and smiled, figuring ducking out of the offer now would just be cowardly. The room was about the same size as hers back on the _Regean_ with little more than a cot for a bed, a desk, and a side bathroom. There was also a computer running in the room for Erica's personal use and knowing her role as chief technician, it only made sense she would have her own terminal.

"Please, make yourself comfortable. I know there isn't much room," Erica began, grabbing the computer chair, but Eclipse had already plopped down on the cot. Shrugging, the older woman sat down near the desk. "I don't mean to skip past all the pleasantries, but you seem troubled by something. Can I help?"

Sighing, Eclipse figured she might as well start explaining. "Has Cagalli told you guys the news her father passed onto her as she left Orb?"

Erica thought about it for a second, but she soon shook her head. It was a slow shake, almost as if she was waiting for Eclipse to share the secret before she verified if she knew about it or not.

"Something about her and Kira Yamato being twins? Does this make any sense to you?"

"Ah, that," the technician said, chuckling a bit as if she was trying to get rid of some nervousness. Eclipse really wished she could read her better. "It doesn't make much sense to me, no, but I have known about it for a while."

"So, you knew before her father handed her the picture?"

Erica nodded. "I can understand why you would be interested in this, but I don't get why you seem so upset."

"You know Cagalli's been like a sister to me and this," she paused, looking for the right word, "ordeal has really thrown her off. I'm sure you notice her wandering aimlessly nowadays? And even avoiding Kira?"

"Yes, I've noticed, but I never really thought anything of it until you told me she knew."

"But it just doesn't make any sense. Why is Kira a Coordinator and Cagalli a Natural then if they're twins? Don't they tamper with the genes _before _the egg would split off to make the two babies?"

Erica cocked an eyebrow and brought her right hand up to rest thoughtfully on her chin. "You've done some research?"

The redhead shrugged. "I just know you know a lot about this kind of thing and I thought you were the best one to ask. Cagalli's been avoiding the subject, to put it plainly, and maybe talking to you will help put some things into perspective?"

"I don't know _a lot _about what happened back then, but I do know that when the twins—Cagalli and Kira—came to Orb they were given to separate families. The boy was given to the Naturals, the Yamatos, and Cagalli was raised by Lord Uzumi and his wife."

"So, they're both adopted?"

"_Technically_, but _officially_ they're each the children of their respective parents. As for their genetics," she continued with a small shrug, "I wasn't given the liberty to look into it. I was still in school back then and the only reason I even know about what had happened is your mother. At one point—I think when you were about four or something—she started getting upset that Cagalli was to get to be the Orb Princess and neither you nor your brother had such a title. She wasn't blood after all."

Eclipse sighed and shook her head. Around that time was when she and Cagalli started spending every day together. Before then there were minor play dates, but if her mother had been getting upset about her status, having her daughter become best friends with the Representative's own child seemed like the next best thing.

"Don't look down on your mother though," Erica added after a moment. "Many of us were nervous about what was happening. Even though at the time the twins were found we had no idea Lord Uzumi would grow to be such a great politician, we couldn't help but see the events unfolding as some kind of bad omen. What if Cagalli did succeed her father and her past caught up with her?" The technician shrugged and let Eclipse think on it from there.

The redhead understood the reasoning, and was starting to realize that was probably why Lord Uzumi had given the picture to Cagalli before she left Orb. Obviously, she had the right to know—and hearing it from her father was the best thing—but it was about time for her to face her future as well as her past.

"It's all messed up," Eclipse said after a long moment, sighing.

Erica laughed. "I agree, but I want you to promise me you won't tell Cagalli any of this."

"Huh? The whole reason I came here was to—"

"I know you're trying to watch out for her, but she has to come to understand this on her own terms. If she wants to come see me—or even talk to Kisaka—she will. You're a loyal friend to be doing this, Lexi, but I think it's about time you stopped babying the girl and just let her learn on her own."

It was Eclipse's turn to offer a small chuckle. "Building character, huh? Seeing if she'll fold or actually take on the role everyone believes she deserves?"

"She deserves it, I don't doubt that, but you're right, she has to start believing it herself."

"Yeah. Fine, I'll keep quiet then."

"There was one more thing I'd like to talk to you about before you leave, if you still have some time." Eclipse shrugged and Erica gave a faint smile. "I'm not sure how much you know about my research, but for the past couple of years I have been finding scientific evidence on the existence of SEEDs—or Superior Evolutionary Element Destined-factor, if you want to use its formal title."

"What's that?"

"To put it simply, it's a form of advanced consciousness developed in a select few, whether they are Natural or Coordinator. They are said to be the ones to bring us—people in general—to a better existence, or something along those lines."

"And you have proof of this?"

Erica nodded. "I have very little _concrete_ proof at the moment, but I have witnessed many things that have led me to believe SEEDs really do exist."

"And what does this have to do with me?"

"I know very little of your exploits in the ZAFT military, but I have seen the data from the experiments done on you." Eclipse could feel her face droop into a blank stare and Erica must have noticed it as well because she gave a sad smile. "An old classmate of mine was a member of the research team conducting the experiments and she knew of what I was studying so she was sharing as much as she safely could. Now, I did not know it was you they were doing the research on and I cannot apologize enough for what you went through. No matter what angle you looked at, it was inhumane and if I was a member I probably would have quit the team for the sake of my own conscience. I hope—for your sanity's sake—you recall very little?"

Eclipse's head moved in a slow nod, still keeping a cold distance.

Erica sighed. "Good and I _pray _you never remember. Despite all that, however—and please don't take this as me being callous—the little research they did gather was practically world breaking. The last time that kind of extensive testing had been done on an individual believed to have the Berserker gene, the scientists were killed and the research lost. There had been rumors Blue Cosmos stole the information and had the scientists assassinated, but no one could ever confirm it so the matter just passed."

"So you're _happy_ I was a lab rat?"

"Please, Lexi, don't look at it like that," she replied softly, her maternal instincts most likely kicking it. "As I mentioned, I _didn't _approve of the methods those researchers used, but I can't deny the fact that the data they acquired was monumental. Once everything went south—when you escaped—my old friend managed to send me even more of the research. I have yet to read all of it," she continued, "mainly because the first page listed your real name. I knew the file was 'Top Secret' at the very least when I saw you listed as Lexi Rymyr instead of Berserker Candidate and immediately saved it to a separate disk before wiping my computer clean."

"And you still have the file?"

Erica nodded. "I wanted to ask your permission to look at it and compare notes. There are a lot of similarities between Berserkers and SEEDs, but something tells me there is one _major _difference hidden in that data."

"And judging by past records, it can't be a positive difference."

"I'm not going to jump to conclusions, but I'm sure we'll both get a lot of questions answered."

Eclipse took a moment to think it over. Out of all the people looking into her psychological obscurities, Erica might have the best of luck. But with their past history and her having such a close connection with everyone else she knew, the redhead was wary.

"I'll need to talk to someone else before I can give you a solid answer."

"Of course, take all the time you need."

Eclipse nodded and said a small goodbye before leaving the room. She probably should have given her authorization right away, but at the very least Namarra deserved to know what was going on. And thinking on it a little more couldn't hurt too much. After all, letting Erica look into the research meant they'd all have a bit more clarity.

But she could tell it was going to be one terrifying experience.

* * *

"What's their location?" FS asked, peeking over Stray's shoulder. The chef actually jumped at the touch, but his friend didn't seem to notice.

"Their shuttle is still in space heading towards Aprilias 1. Probably be there within the next eight hours. They must've really begged if they were able to get and audience with a _Supreme _Council member."

"It's just one of the smaller, less influential ones," Melanie muttered, crossing her arms and legs in one of the back seats of the shuttle.

"Tad Elsman isn't _that_ insignificant, sis." Phoebe replied calmly, fastening the leather bracelets on her wrists to cover up the cuts healing there. They were from a failed suicide—or maybe homicide was a better way to put it—and would probably forever haunt her. FS had wanted to see how far she would go. Good thing the cuts were shallow—not to mention Melanie came in at the perfect time—because the remaining SIN-ED members would be down yet another person.

"Yes, his son's a friend of Lexi's. If killing her parents isn't enough to impress the Berserker, adding guilt to the mix definitely will do _something_."

"And what do you hope to do when you _do_ impress the Berserker, huh?" Melanie asked, sounding snotty even to Stray. The chef cringed, feeling FS push off the back of his chair to meet the Lust girl. Phoebe yelled his name and Stray turned around just in time to see her grab the Sin's arm before he could reach the back of the shuttle.

"Enough. Please."

The two of them locked stares until FS smiled and brought his free hand up to Phoebe's cheek. Patting it lightly he said, "You'll see," then propelled back to the co-captain seat. "Everyone, buckle up. We'll be in port soon." Melanie grumbled, but obeyed, and Phoebe clicked her seat belt soon after her sister.

FS leaned over a moment later, putting a hand on Stray's shoulder. "Keep an eye on Mel," he said, nodding his head backwards.

Stray just stared as he watched his friend's face shift from serious to that sadistic happiness he seemed to be possessed with lately. Stray still followed FS's every command, but "keeping an eye" on someone usually amounted to murder. Even Stray refused to kill Melanie. FS patted his shoulder twice then leaned back into his own seat. The chef inhaled, never even realizing he had stopped breathing.

* * *

"Wow, since when do you have a tattoo on your wrist?" Eclipse asked, ducking under Namarra's roundhouse kick. She caught a glimpse of the design 7-13 on the inside of the Natural's left wrist. It was a little more ornate than the simple numbers, but there wasn't enough time for her to fully digest it.

"What'd ya mean?" she asked, catching her balance again after the attack just in time to jump over Eclipse's attempt at a trip. "I've _always _had it. Your observation skills suck."

"Oh, sue me. You've always worn gloves until now." She rolled backwards to avoid Namarra's next kick. "Is it a date?"

"Yes," she said, giving them both some room and readying herself for her next move. "It's the day Kai died."

The redhead wasn't sure what to say, awkwardly opening and closing her mouth in an attempt to say something comforting, but the only thing she could think of at the time was, "Oh."

"Oh? Wow, _another _thing you suck at." The Natural took a step forward and shifted her weight to her left side, swinging her right foot in for another kick aimed at Eclipse's side.

Eclipse pushed Namarra's attack downwards with her hands and spun into an elbow jab. The Natural crouched down to avoid the attack and grabbed the back of the redhead's right knee, flipping her onto the ground. Still holding her leg, Namarra grabbed Eclipse's ankle in her other hand and twisted.

Eclipse winced and rolled with the attack, kicking out with her left foot as it spun in Namarra's direction and making some connection with the Natural's side. Relieved, Eclipse felt her grip loosen and wiggled out of the hold. Kicking again, she hit only air as Namarra back rolled out of the way.

Taking the opportunity to get back to her feet, Eclipse put an arm on her bed and hoisted herself up, ready for another go. "No, I only suck certain things, but you're just not my type. Usually, sympathy's easy for me."

"And I'm good at the angry stuff, but who's here to care?" Namarra rolled onto the balls of her feet and nearly missed the corner of the desk as she rose. "Damn, it's cramped in here."

"Only two of the living quarters have gravity options. Lathan said that's all he could rig up."

"But how're we supposed to get some decent training in if we're running into things like a toilet?"

"I thought you enjoyed fighting in bathrooms?" Eclipse mused, reaching down to put some pressure on her right ankle. Leave it to Namarra to get in a cheap shot by going for Eclipse's injury.

"Yes, fighting in different environments builds character, but if we can help it—"

"We can't, Nam, not until we get to Mendel. So, just stop complaining and let's keep training. We have to build ourselves up again somehow."

"Whatever," she responded and opened the desk drawer. Inside was Eclipse's journal. Smirking, the Natural picked it up and was about to toss it at the redhead as a distraction when she looked up to see Eclipse already charging her.

Eclipse swung at Namarra's face and the Natural brought up the journal to block. The punch hit with a "thwap" on the leather surface and Namarra reached around to grab Eclipse's wrist before she could swing again. With her right arm caught for the moment, the redhead started swinging with her left.

Namarra blocked each attack with the journal, trying to throw Eclipse's punches down and away in order to get in a good counter. Her left hand struggled with Eclipse's right, throwing her a little off balance, but she was confident an opening would come soon.

And Eclipse let it.

The redhead's arm went limp and—just as she had anticipated—Namarra noticed. The Natural blocked Eclipse's attack down and to the side, putting all her force behind the punch in her left hand still holding the redhead's arm. Curling her fingers over Eclipse's wrist, Namarra swung, using the redhead's arm as additional force. Eclipse tensed at the last second and spun, bringing her left elbow up to connect with the back of Namarra's head. Her right arm twisted awkwardly in the exchange, but it wasn't a serious injury. At least until Namarra continued tugging on it.

The Natural lost her balance and started tumbling towards the door, but she never let go of Eclipse's wrist. The redhead staggered after her, trying to grab onto something to steady herself and get some footing, but there wasn't much near the door to hang onto.

Namarra hit the door first and Eclipse struggled, but managed to hit the wall right next to her. Smirking—and having recovered first—Namarra pulled the redhead toward her for a head butt and was about to make contact when the door opened behind her. The gravity was less as forceful when it opened, but still enough to startle her. Eclipse crashed into her and they both fell into the gravity-less hallway and back against the wall.

"Oops," Lathan said as they passed by in front of him. "I knocked three times, but no one answered." The two of them groaned as they turned, frowning in response to his small smile. "Did I interrupt something? I mean, don't worry about me and feel free to continue if—"

"Get your mind out of your ass, Lathan. We don't run in that direction," Eclipse retorted, snatching her journal out of Namarra's hands. She pointed the book at the Natural. "And leave my stuff alone."

"The whole room's fair game," Namarra responded, rubbing the back of her head. "I wouldn't complain if you used anything in my room next session."

"You don't _have _anything, dumbass."

"Alright, alright break it up." Lathan sighed. It was amazing how often those two bickered, but—at the same time—they showed the most amazing sense of loyalty to one another. "Namarra, I came to tell you the initial set up on the OS is complete. You have to trek over to the _Archangel_ again to finish up the heavy stuff though."

The Natural sighed. "Fine. Chicibo App, status on running equipment."

Eclipse and Lathan exchanged amused smirks as they watched Namarra use her new CA system. They both knew where the name had come from—Eclipse had filled Lathan in—but it was always entertaining to hear.

"Roger that. Prepare for transport to the _Archangel_."

"Oh," Lathan began, turning and flicking his sister on the shoulder. "I was looking through our inventory and it looks like there's enough scrap to make a new arm. Might be easier than attaching an Astray's and having more headaches than a migraine-ist at a metal concert."

"Migraine-ist?"

"Go with it."

"Alright, I'll look into it," Eclipse replied, heading back into her room and walking over to the side panel. She turned off the gravity then slipped her journal back into its drawer before meeting the other two in the hallway.

"Y'know," Lathan started, tapping a finger against his cheek, "I think I'll start working on a new cockpit system for you two, especially since you're way better at the hand-to-hand stuff than the mobile suit crap."

"What was that?" they both said at the same time.

Lathan threw his hands up in an unarmed position. "Just calling it like I see it." Namarra rolled her eyes and Eclipse sighed, both heading down to the hangar. "Hm, and Spandex. Yeah, Spandex'll do it."

"Excuse me?" Namarra spat.

"Can you _not _say that when you're trailing us?"

"Pervert," Namarra added.

"No, I—ugh, c'mon! You guys are so touchy."

"How can you _not _be offended by that?" Eclipse asked as they all turned the corner. "Just keep your daydreams to yourself."

"Amen to that."

Lathan sighed and propelled himself to the terminal to unlock the suits. "You won't be saying that when the system turns out to be the coolest thing you've ever seen!"

"Ask for gratitude then!" Eclipse shouted as she made her way up to the Stealth and slipped back into her seat. But before she could actually sit, she popped back up and stuck her head out of the cockpit. "Hey, Namarra, I just remembered something." The Natural looked out of the Decay's cockpit. "I spoke with Erica Simmons, one of the main technicians aboard the _Kusanagi_, and she mentioned the research ZAFT did on me in the PLANTs. Apparently, she has most of the files and wants to do some comparing with her own data. What'cha think?"

"I take it it's on what I think it's on?" Eclipse nodded and she sighed. "Do you think she could help me with some research on my brothers before she starts on us? I feel like they have less time than we do."

The redhead nodded, seeing her point. "I'll go talk to her as soon as we get back. We might want to start tapping into the Earth Forces database soon too then. How far are you on your initial preparations?"

"I'm still acknowledged in the database so I can view all of my original information. I'm just debating whether or not to create a whole 'nother user in order to not be targeted so quickly."

"We could have three accounts—one for you, one for me and another for Lathan if he's in—then have a ghost hacker to distract them while we find what we need."

The Natural nodded. "That might be the easiest thing to do. Just give me a little more time to see how far I can get into the system and find where we need to hack."

"Alright."

Namarra gave her a small wave then disappeared back into the cockpit to finish up the final adjustments before they headed to the _Archangel_. Eclipse sat back down in the Stealth and switched on the monitors, surprised to see a message blinking on the side of her screen. She opened it and started reading.

_Nothing on SIN-ED, sorry. I was just transferred to the Hawkins team again. The Chairman's been acting strange lately and Lathan tells me you're fine. Oh, and since when do you sing?_

_Heine Westenfluss_

Eclipse sighed and shook her head. Leave it to her brother to have immediately told the other singer in her life about her semi-talent. Leaning back in her seat, she closed her eyes and smiled. Heine was alive; that was good. The part about SIN-ED still worried her, but right then, things were turning out to be better than she thought.

* * *

They had gotten through port security easily enough which was a surprise given Phoebe had the suspicious marks on her wrists. In fact, a security officer had pulled her aside for questioning, but FS—a bit too eagerly—explained the failed suicide and ushered her away. If anything, his acting skills had improved because they weren't stopped again after that.

"Phoebe and I are going to speak with our contact. I want you two," FS pointed at the remaining Lust twin and Stray, "to track our prey. Report in every half hour."

"Roger that," Stray said and Melanie nodded. FS made eye contact with the chef and did a little head flick that could have been either a nod or a twitch. Stray didn't gesture back, but he knew what he wanted.

"C'mon," Melanie said after they had parted ways, grabbing Stray's arm and pulling him through the crowd. She was moving so fast he barely had enough time to dodge the people coming at them.

"Mel—please." He tore his arm from her grasp when she slowed at a busy corner. "Stop, we're going in the wrong direction. They're meeting _there_." He pointed to one of the taller buildings in the distance. From what they could tell, it was some kind of minor embassy.

"This is our chance to get out of here!"

"You'd leave Phoebe with _him_? You _know _he'd take it all out on her. Can you live with that?"

"Phoebe's his. She hasn't been my sister in a long time. She even _thanked_ him at the airport for getting her away from that security guard. _Thanked_ him, Gluttony, even though he was the one that forced her to do it!"

"Do you honestly believe she's not your sister anymore?"

"Yes."

Stray didn't like the look on her face, but he couldn't deny she was probably right. Ever since that cutting incident a week ago, the two had been inseparable. Stray wasn't sure what was running through her mind, but there was definitely something broken there. At first the chef had thought it was the drug withdrawal, but it wasn't sudden like the uprising, so he crossed that idea out. It _was _rather interesting because Melanie didn't seem affected either. They had said once they hadn't been in the program long, so that might explain it, but that still didn't make Phoebe's loyalty any more understandable.

"I won't leave him either."

"But why?" Melanie asked. "_Why_ do you stay?"

"Where else can I go?" He held his arms out to his sides. "Where can any of us go?"

"So you'll just follow his every move like some lapdog? He doesn't give a damn about you!"

"That's a lie!" he shouted and drew a little more attention to themselves than either of them probably wanted. "Revelin and I trust each other with our lives."

"Hah!" Melanie threw her hands up in defeat and walked around in a circle. Shoes slapping against the concrete, she began muttering louder and louder to herself.

Stray tensed, waiting for the girl to bolt. If that happened, he knew he would have to chase after her. Either that or just push her in front of a speeding car and call it good. "If we _both_ don't report in, you know what's going to happen. Can you _really_ leave Phoebe to die like that? She's your twin!"

Melanie kept pacing, throwing her arms up and down in her own personal battle. People were giving her a wide berth as they walked around, exchanging nervous glances with one another. If someone contacted the police, they were going to be in a _lot _of trouble.

Reaching forward, Stray snagged an arm and started pulling her to the crosswalk. "Let's just get this over with," the Walk symbol lit up, "then we will see what happens."

"But they're Lexi's parents. Gluttony, can you handle that?" They stopped at the other side of the street and Stray turned to her.

Smiling sadly, he just shrugged. "It's not Lexi; I think I can handle it."

"You're sure?" He nodded and she sighed. "Fine, afterwards we'll talk."

* * *

It started as one of Mwu's bad ideas, but thanks to an unusual alliance between Cagalli and Namarra, it ended up being an interesting night for the young crew members of the alliance.

There were seven of them: Eclipse, Cagalli, Namarra, Athrun, Kira, Dearka and Miriallia. They all sat in a circle while Namarra and Eclipse shuffled three decks together between the two of them.

"So, what are you doing?" one of the _Archangel_ teens asked. He wore thin glasses and had darker blonde hair. Apparently, his name was Sai, Eclipse had just never been properly introduced.

Cagalli slapped her hand down on the floor and a couple of people jumped. "The game's Strip Go Fish!"

"But no free peeps, so if you're not playing, get out. Only the people with enough balls to take it off can get in on this action," Eclipse announced, handing her shuffled deck to Namarra so she could combine all the cards.

"But that's my deck," Sai said, pointing at the cards.

"And mine," Miriallia added.

"And mine," Cagalli said right after.

"But _you _have to work in fifteen minutes." Eclipse pointed at Sai then shifted her finger to the door. "Sorry, pal." Sai shook his head, but left without another word, muttering something about how he wouldn't have played anyway.

Namarra passed out the cards as he left, but couldn't help smiling when Miriallia leaned over to whisper to Kira. "Why Go Fish and not Poker?"

"Poker's overrated," the Natural responded, dropping a card near her foot. "Besides, Go Fish is a game of skill and—"

"—there's more chances for you to strip," Cagalli finished, startling them all with her enthusiasm. She must _really _need to get her mind off of things if she was suggesting games like this one.

"Exactly, everyone got their cards?" Eclipse asked and they all nodded.

"Good, I'll go first. Lexi, any 9s?" Namarra asked.

"Go strip," the redhead replied with a smirk.

"Hm, sock or bra?" the Natural asked, looking at all the rather uncomfortable males in the room.

"Bra."

"Thought so."

And so it went. They were down to the last turn with two cards left in the pile. Pretty much whoever guessed right, was the winner. Miriallia was out first wearing her bra, shorts and one sock. She had gotten a bit risky about halfway through—picking to take off her shirt instead of the other sock—and she probably would have gone all the way if she hadn't gotten the next six cards right. Athrun had been second with nothing but his shorts and boxers then Kira in socks and boxers. Cagalli after them with a bra and underwear then Eclipse wearing only her underwear. She sat Indian style with her hands clenching her ankles and her arms conveniently covering most of her breasts while she watched the last two. Namarra was down to just her underwear and Dearka had only his boxers. The two had one card each and it was Dearka's turn to ask.

"Namarra, _please_ tell me that's a Queen."

Eclipse wasn't sure which was better, the smirk on the Natural's face when she told him to "Go strip," or how pale Dearka got when he heard the words. At first, Eclipse didn't think he'd do it, but he gained a bit of confidence and danced the shorts all the way down. Everyone but Miriallia cheered him on and only when he bent over to flip up the cards on the ground and claim his defeat did his confident smirk fade into a glare.

Two fours were lying face up.

"Wow, you _are_ naturally tan," Namarra said, adding a whistle as she turned the card to reveal the other queen between her fingers.

"_But_ not naturally blonde. Go figure," Cagalli added with a girlish giggle.

"Care to do that for us again in Round Two?" Eclipse asked and couldn't hold it in after that, falling over in laughter while Miriallia next to her covered her face in embarrassment. A couple of the others followed Eclipse's hysteria, but most of them grabbed their clothes and watched in anticipation to see if Dearka was going to attack Namarra for cheating. The blonde held back and grumbled as he snatched his boxers.

"Oh, stop pouting. Here, I'll make it fair," Namarra said, getting to her feet and put her fingers under the waistband of her underwear. She started sliding them down when the door opened behind her, the _Archangel_ pilot, Neumann, looking in just in time to see the show.

Definitely priceless.

* * *

The meeting was supposed to be private and in an enclosed room, but with everything going on in the PLANTs it was given a lesser priority and stuck in one of the outer rooms. A shade across a window wasn't enough to block Phoebe's trained sniper eye, however. Besides, a rocket launcher didn't need much aiming anyway. The plan was simple, fire the rocket into the room then ignite the dynamite and C4 positioned near the weak spots of the structure to cover up the prime target. It had taken longer than expected to place all the explosives, but they were lucky the meeting had taken longer than originally calculated.

"Gluttony in position."

"L1, ready when you are."

"L2, target locked on," Phoebe said.

FS smiled next to her, bringing the radio up to his lips. "Firing."

* * *

Eclipse watched the argument with interest. It had been a long time since she had seen Lathan so worked up and flailing his arms around like some flightless bird eager to touch a cloud. He was talking with Athrun, but that still didn't explain all the yelling.

"What's going on?" Cagalli asked, looking up into the council room as well. There was a large glass window overlooking the hangar and the two men had gained quite the audience.

"I have no idea. They've been like this for the past five minutes."

"Odd," the blonde remarked.

"'Choose one, damn it,'" Eclipse said, squinting so she could read Lathan's lips. They had finally turned so she could see their mouths. "'I don't know what you're so upset about.'" Eclipse laughed. "That's obvious, Athrun."

"You can read what they're saying?"

The redhead nodded and tried concentrating on their argument once more but was only able to make out two words before Lathan threw up his arms and left the room. _Lexi and Cagalli_, she thought and gulped. _He didn't…_

"So, what was it all about?" Cagalli asked, startling Eclipse back to her cousin.

"I-I don't know," she lied and they both looked back up at the room just in time to see Athrun staring down at them. And he blushed.

Athrun actually blushed.

"Did he just—" Cagalli began.

"Yeah," Eclipse finished.

"What do you think—"

"I dunno."

"I'm gonna ask."

"Which one?"

Cagalli seemed to think about it for a second then replied rather intelligently, "I'll talk to Lathan."

"Good decision."

She ran off after that and Eclipse let her go. For the past couple of days—even after the Strip Go Fish—the redhead could tell the stress was still getting to her fair cousin. She hadn't been able to concentrate, getting too restless and often running back and forth from the bridge, to the hangar, and then back to the _Regean_. The big circle had made Eclipse dizzy just thinking about it so she couldn't imagine how the blonde was feeling.

She sighed.

"Ugh, I know that look," Namarra said, coming up behind the redhead. "Depressed again?"

"Just family stuff."

"Yeah, not getting involved. C'mon, there's only a few more hours before the Decay's computers are officially up and running. Let's have a little fun."

"What did you have in mind?"

Namarra winked. "Ever wanted to play a prank on that Kira Yamato?"

"Only every day."

"Good, I'm sure we can come up with some pretty spicy ideas to cheer you up."

* * *

It was immature. No matter how a person looked at it, it was a stupid prank and definitely inappropriate in such a delicate situation.

But, damn, it was worth it.

Namarra and Eclipse didn't know when they had gotten so lucky, but many of the mechanics seemed to be in the hangar when Kira was about to start his shift outside the ships. Athrun was just coming in and his Justice was walking over to its gate. The girls were over by their computer terminal, leaning on the console and looking over their shoulders at the Freedom pilot as he grabbed his helmet.

"Well, I'll check it out, whatever it is," he said and kicked off towards the open cockpit.

Athrun stepped out just as Kira reached the Freedom, shaking his head as he took off his helmet. "Things look all clear from what I could tell."

"Sai said he saw something on the radar. I'm gonna go check it out…" He trailed off as he put on his helmet, a mixture of red and grey goop sliding down the front visor. It looked like dyed shaving cream, the thick substance crawling down the plastic in a sluggish ripple.

The two females covered up laughs.

Kira—once he figured out what was happening—took the helmet off before it fell into his mouth. "Wha—" The headgear slipped off nicely, but the loud sucking noise could be heard from the hangar floor. Eclipse and Namarra nearly lost it then.

"K-Kira, wha—" Athrun began, but when his friend dropped the helmet and tried wiping the cream from his eyes, he nearly started laughing as well. "A-are you okay?" he stuttered, probably not sure what else to say.

"Did _you _do this?" Kira asked, turning to Athrun and accidently throwing a clump of cream his way when he pointed.

"Me?"

The Freedom started a high-pitched beeping behind him and the pilot spun around to check it out. There was a flash then, "click!"

"What was that?" Athrun asked, but the laughter from the hangar floor must have drawn his attention. Kira's shaving creamed face was posted on every terminal.

"Hah! Hey, kid, that stuff might be useful if ya were even old enough ta grow whiskers!" Murdoch yelled and everyone laughed again.

Eclipse and Namarra joined in then, knowing they were safe. Chuckling, they gave a secret high five and pressed "Save" on the computer.

Oh yeah, definitely worth it.

Lathan had to spoil the fun. Kira passed the other Rymyr sibling on his way to the locker room, but Lathan didn't even seem to notice the shaving creamed individual. "Lexi—Lexi, get over here." The panic in his voice stopped the laughter from both girls.

Eclipse started getting nervous just watching him. "Lathan—"

"No, not here. Bridge, now." He grabbed her arm and pulled her out of the hangar, Namarra trailing behind.

"Lathan—what?"

He didn't say anything as they wove through the _Archangel_'s corridors, making her even more nervous. She couldn't remember ever seeing him so panicked.

Tossing them into the elevator shaft—when the _Archangel_'s in space, it was faster to store the elevator in the furthest end of the shaft—he pushed their feet and sent them up to the bridge door. The girls glanced at each other as they neared the top, growing suspicious. Lathan joined them and pulled them through the door as soon as it opened, throwing Eclipse so hard she had to stabilize herself on the chair in the back otherwise she would have flown all the way into the front screen.

"Turn it on!" he shouted.

"Lathan—" Cagalli began.

"Damn it, do it!"

Cagalli turned to Murrue who was already telling Miriallia to turn the broadcast onto the side screen. Eclipse caught sight of Dearka in the lower part of the room, one hand tracing back and forth on his arm. He looked pale and definitely shaken. Mwu was standing nearby, keeping an eye on him it seemed.

What now?

"—no new leads," the man said on the broadcast and Eclipse turned back to the screen. Lathan's hand shook against her arm as his grip grew tighter. "You can see some of the damage behind me." The camera zoomed in on the giant cloud of black smoke with large flames licking up the sides. A good, half dozen water streams from fire hoses were trying to calm the inferno. "The authorities still aren't letting us get any closer until they get everything under control. Woah!" An explosion erupted behind them and the reporter ducked in fright. Some people ran screaming past the camera and Eclipse could hear a woman yelling for a doctor in the background. "There was just _another _explosion and authorities still can't find the source or even the reasoning behind such an attack. People remember hearing a series of explosions and the building falling to the ground, but we have no leads on who might have done this and why. The whole PLANT's in an uproar. We have no confirmation if any internal systems were damaged, but we'll let you know immediately if anything is wrong."

"What is this?" Eclipse asked.

"Just wait," Lathan whispered and the redhead focused back on the screen.

"I know many people are anxious to know, but we have yet to get the victim list. The only confirmations we have are of military commanders, Aged Jullian, Simon Prius, Walsh Edgar Sr., and Sprear Ginile. Commander Jackson Asther is hospitalized and in critical condition. Other victims include secretaries Margaret Hayes, Phillip Will, and Pam Collineal. And probably the most shocking is Supreme Council member Tad Elsman—"

Eclipse immediately looked down at her comrade then felt her own blood drain from her face.

"—and Orb Representatives Bryce and Emilia Rymyr."

The broadcast continued with more names, but she had stopped listening, the shock numbing her senses. She didn't even hear Athrun come onto the bridge or feel his hand on her shoulder. It wasn't as if she was terribly close with her parents, but they were still a part of her past and part of her, for that matter. Her last conversation with them had given her a little hope; some hope their relationship could be patched up somehow. But now, that wasn't possible. She could already feel the anger rising.

"Just in. The word 'Sinful' followed directly after by the letters 'BALRM' were etched into the lawn near the southern edge of the building. We have no idea what they could mean."

Eclipse looked up and propelled closer to the screen, Lathan and Athrun's hands lingering for a second before they let go. "_What _did he say?" The broadcast displayed the letters on the bottom of the screen, even going as far as to present the photographed image taken from a helicopter helping put out the flames. She had heard them correct the first time, but seeing the image only confirmed who the perpetrators were. The first three letters of "sinful" were capitalized, the phrase looking like "SINful Balrm."

FS and Stray.

It _had _to be them. They were the only other people—well, besides Heine—in that ballroom on Mendel way back when they first started their whole masquerade. It was the first time she had truly thought they had gone insane, but because of some deep sense of duty or something, she had wanted nothing more than to save them. Now they killed her parents and took Dearka's father with them.

"Namarra," she hissed, turning around and making eye contact with her counterpart.

The Natural narrowed her eyes. "You're sure?" Eclipse nodded. "Shit."

"What?" Mwu asked, still standing with his arms crossed over his chest. The girls didn't reply. "Is this one of your agendas?"

"Nam, we're going."

"Way ahead of you."

"Wait," Murrue began, but when Eclipse turned back to her, she nearly stopped breathing. Too scared to say anything more, she just stared.

The Berserker.

"What?" Eclipse spat. "They killed my parents and Dearka's father. Why the _fuck _should I wait?"

"Because you're not thinking," Mwu continued, trying to stick up for his captain.

"Not thinking?" She whipped around to glare at the pilot and he grew just as silent when he saw her eyes. His arms even fell to his sides as if he was bracing himself for a fight. "Wanna say that again?"

"Lexi," Namarra said, getting enough of her attention to stop her from advancing on Mwu. Eclipse didn't even know she was moving.

"You're going after them, right?" That time it was Dearka and, surprisingly, he could match her gaze. "Are you gonna kill them?"

"Dearka," Miriallia said, but he brushed her off.

"Oh yeah, you're on this pacifistic side of the war now," Eclipse retorted, making more than a couple of the people there shift uncomfortably. Cagalli tried reaching out to her, but one look sent her hand back to her side. "Yes, I'm going to kill them. They should've been killed a _long _time ago."

"But their circumstances aren't their fault," Athrun said, sounding quite calm in the back of the room. "You know what they went through. I mean, you did the same thing. Can you _really _blame them for something ZAFT organized and executed?" Lathan and Namarra were the only other people who really understood what he was talking about, but the words still affected Eclipse nonetheless. She turned to him then, a sluggish movement that seemed to cripple his composure.

Narrowing her eyes, she responded slowly. "And because of ZAFT I _have _to clean up this mess. You may _think _you understand because you read a fuckin' report, but I've been watching them for the past two years or so. They're insane, Athrun." Her eyes grew hazy at that moment as she felt her face heat up with unshed tears, but her lips still curled into a look the Berserker so enjoyed.

A smile.

"We're all insane."

"No you're not," Lathan replied, just as calm as Athrun. "Right now, maybe, but you're just being overly dramatic because you blame yourself. Just shut up and realize you aren't the only one affected."

"No, but Namarra and I are the only ones who can do something about it." It looked like Athrun was going to say something, but Eclipse bent her knees and flew in his direction. Bracing herself with one hand on the wall, she pushed him backwards with her body and put a finger on his lips. Her Berserker eyes danced with the fear reflecting from his own eyes. "Don't say anything. I'm going. Nam, come on."

The Natural was already making her way to the elevator shaft and holding the door open for her counterpart. "Waiting on you," she said, keeping a close eye on the Berserker. Her body was tense and ready to lunge if need be. Namarra really didn't want it to come to that though.

Eclipse traced her finger along his bottom lip, down to his chin and along his neck until Namarra called to her again. The Berserker's mouth slipped into a frown as she pushed off to the elevator. Making a mock salute, the door closed and she just started laughing.

"You're an ass," Namarra muttered, propelling herself to the bottom of the shaft.

The Berserker bowed. "Just 'cause you're jealous doesn't mean you can get all pissy with me."

"Did you _have _to make a scene?"

Eclipse could feel her face shift from amused to pissed and even after all the times Namarra and her had fought each other—seen each other at her absolute worse—the Berserker had never seen her counterpart scared. Given, she hid it _very _well, but nothing could get past Eclipse then. Once she met her at the bottom, Eclipse slammed both fists against the wall on either side of Namarra's head. "Try asking your other half before accusing me of anything. What? Never been on the other side of this before?" Eclipse pointed to her eyes.

"I'm not afraid of you."

"Hah," the Berserker put a hand on Namarra's chin, lifting it up slightly, "you're a pretty good liar, but remember, we're exactly the same." The bottom door opened and Eclipse shoved her hand to the side, slapping the Natural as she kicked herself outside. Stabilizing herself on the wall, she turned back to Namarra just as the Natural was recuperating. "Stop trying to prove yourself to me because I really don't give a damn. If you'd just snap as well, we wouldn't be having this dick contest."

"I doubt they'd be able to handle us both."

"Heh." The Berserker smiled again. "I doubt _anyone_ could handle that." She shivered, more from excitement than anything. "I can't wait for that day."

Namarra watched Eclipse lead the way and shook her head. Her human half was nervous, but her Berserker half danced along with the same waltz.

The two Berserkers on the same team creating their chaotic harmony.

* * *

_Date: June 29 Time: Location:_

_ I'm dragging them to Hell._

* * *

FS stretched on the couch, falling sideways and lying down across the cushions. Yawning, he put his hands behind his head and smiled. The television glitched off to his right, but he had already seen all the footage he needed to see. The news channel displayed the picture again for the fifth time and that meant the Berserker would be there soon.

"Pride, L1 and L2 have a visual of two figures coming from the port," Phoebe announced through the radio. "Preparing to engage."

"Roger that. You know your chances?"

"Slim."

FS smirked, hearing no hesitation in her voice. "It was fun."

"Only for you," Phoebe replied and the radio went dead. Stray frowned from the chair nearby.

FS just laughed.

* * *

_(***)_

Song: "Akatsuki no Kuruma" (Wheels of Dawn)

Singer/Writer: FictionJunction YUUKA

Personal Notes: I take **no** credit for this song whatsoever. I do not own it, nor do I own any part of it. It is an insert song for _Gundam SEED_ and as such I felt it okay to put in the story. Since music is a main theme for this story, having the songs from the series worked well for both the plot and characterization. There will be more songs in the future for those same reasons.

Sincerely,

Strata-Assassin

* * *

_(This is the reason no one else gets the CA System.)_

"Lathan's an idiot," Eclipse said, staring at the Stealth and Decay with one hand on her hip and her other holding a thermos of coffee. "_How _can you just lose the original data for the CA?"

Namarra took a sip from her own thermos. "He said something about destroying it before it could be confiscated by ZAFT."

"Well, that was a smart thing to do until the system became bitchy enough to make its own decisions."

"Damn it, CA! I _made _you!" Lathan shouted, struggling between the Stealth's fingers. "You go where I _want _you to go."

Eclipse put a hand up to her ear. "Coffee Addict says, 'Fuck you.'"

"Chicibo says, 'Go to Hell.'"

Lathan screamed in frustration and kicked his feet.

"Y'know, if they both get destroyed, his 'genius' would be lost forever," Namarra observed, taking another sip.

"Well, that'll be their problem." She pointed to the two suits, sighing when Lathan let loose a string of curses and banged his fists against the Stealth's fingers. Reaching up to her ear again, she turned down the volume on the transmitter, tired of hearing it say, "Won't copy," and "Shut up," repetitively amid laughter.

Namarra took another gulp of the coffee and nodded, humming quietly to herself. "Y'know, I think I've gotten used to this motor oil."

"I told you. And you never believe anything I say."

"So, you're addicted to the stuff?"

"Have you _never _heard the name of my CA?"

"Well, yeah, but I thought you said that was some kind of tribute."

Eclipse shrugged. "A bit of both, I guess." Lathan screamed again in the background and the redhead took a sip as she turned to see his still struggling form. The Stealth's headless body seemed to move closer to him, as if it was looking at him with its nonexistent eyes. It was a bit eerie, actually.

"Oh, just to warn you," Namarra began, putting her hand up to her ear. "Chicibo said it's gonna shoot at Lathan. Needs target practice, or something."

"CIWS?"

Namarra nodded.

"Is it loaded?"

She shrugged.

"Well," Eclipse took another sip and smiled, liking the taste, "we'll find out. Either way, he'll probably shit his pants."

Namarra agreed and finished off her coffee.

* * *

_**A/N:**_ Hey guys, just another little short for you and please note the information on the song I used. I really enjoyed the music in the series, so I thought it would be cool to keep incorporating it, especially with so many characters having some form of musical talent. Anyway, I couldn't resist having my own two characters put in their two cents and—despite Namarra's strive for perfection—it actually did sound pretty good. She just downplayed it because she can be a snot at times. O.o (Sorry, just stating the truth.)

As for the chapter itself I'd like to mention that this is a pretty pivotal moment in my story. As all you avid fans know, the series is winding down—well, the ending is in sight at least—so the epic battle between the Berserkers and the Lust twins has to be relatively soon, right? _And _the battle against FS and Stray? Guess what, they'll most likely be in the next chapter. I haven't decided if I want them to fight FS and Stray as well as the Lust girls, but there's definitely going to be one major bitch fight near the beginning of the next chapter. Just what you guys wanted to hear, huh? We'll have to see how it ends up and see if Lexi can shake the Berserker. O.o

This installment was a bit lighthearted in places and I figured it was about time. Yes, there is a lot of major stuff going on at this point in the series, but sometimes people just need something to get their mind off all the big stuff and focus on the small things like Strip Go Fish and pranks on the "almighty" Kira Yamato. I couldn't resist and I hope you guys enjoyed it, even if you do like Kira. (It was harmless, don't worry.) So, I'm still looking for other little ideas if anyone wants to offer suggestions. Even if I can't put them into the series, I'll do a little one-shot in my author's note—like the one I have this time—on how it would probably go down. If anyone's interested, either drop an idea in a review or message me.

It looks as if they might be finding a little more information about Berserkers in contrast with SEEDs within the next couple of chapters. They really don't have that much information on the subject, but they can come up with some comparisons and maybe some effects to watch out for at least. We'll have to see how it all turns out.

Special thanks to my betas, _Death-Scimitar, Maderfole,_ and _CSSStravag _for putting up with me this chapter and all of my spelling mistakes. (I had quite a few this time.) As well as taking the time to put all the effort in to reading it. Always appreciated!

An awesome shoutout to all of you avid fans as well. I try to reply to all my reviews—and if I missed you this time around I am so sorry! It's been a hectic month—so please feel free to write one. Criticism is as appreciated as praise, so a special thank you for all the people out there putting in the effort to give me some feedback.

* * *

_**Corrections to the Narrative: **_

For the most part, I played with the timeline a little bit. I kept true to the dates, but I pushed up when Cagalli showed the picture to Kira mainly because I wanted her to be concerned about it throughout this chapter. That lack of confidence and her trying to find herself again was a good gateway for some of the little inserts. Besides, she's still young and needs a little time to soak it in, so I didn't really like how in the series she was just thrown into one thing after another.

To make a long rant short, I had her show the picture to Kira, but Athrun doesn't leave to confront his father until the next chapter, while the girls are gone. That way, I can kind of skip ahead in the SEED timeline while my OCs are off doing their own thing. I won't bore you guys with rewriting the canon and can have a little fun without too many restraints.

See? Everyone wins!

* * *

_**Questions/Gripes:**_

There were a lot of people who were happy Lexi got into a lot of trouble for talking to the three Druggies and I guess I was surprised you guys were surprised. I guess I was just too stuck on the idea of, "She'd so get screwed for doing this," that I didn't even realize how many main characters just get a slap on the wrist. I'm really glad she got into trouble too because she needed to be. No short changing that one.

P.S.: I still love Ghost Adventures. Not sure if anyone can turn me away from it now. XD

* * *

Thanks again for all the support and I'll see you next chapter.

_Strata_


	49. GLD About NGD

Giving a Lot of Damn About Not Giving a Damn

Melanie side glanced at her sister, watching the Lust girl set down the radio and bring her knee up to her chest, lining her foot up with the device on the cement. Pride was a dick so Phoebe's reaction made almost too much sense to the Lust twin, but her sister's actions as of late made Melanie question whether or not she was actually going to go through with it. She braced herself for the loud impact, but it never came, the Phoebe's foot hovering just above the device. Sighing, she sat down next to her sister and finished checking her weaponry.

"Is it really that hard?" Melanie asked, sticking a gun into the holster at the small of her back. "I mean, I can imagine not putting a bullet through his brain, but not destroying his voice on a dispensable radio? Seems a bit weak, don't you think?" In response, Phoebe slammed the magazine into the bottom of her handgun a little harder that she needed to. "I don't know why you're so mad. I'm just trying to point out—"

"Just drop it, okay? I'm not brainwashed or under mind control so stop trying to snap me out of it, or whatever the hell you're doing. Let's just get this over with."

"Why? What do we owe him? Hell, what does _any _of this have to do with us?" Phoebe mumbled something but her sister couldn't make it out. "What?"

"I said, nothing!" she screeched, the knife in her hand flinging into the dirt like a fatal punctuation mark. "This has absolutely _nothing _to do with us! There, happy?"

"Then why, Phoebe? Why do this? Damn it, I should've fled when I had the chance."

"Then go. This is the only way for _me_ to get free from him, but you _obviously _have no reason to stick around."

The accent wasn't lost to Melanie and she sighed. It wasn't easy to be around someone so dedicated to serving another person; dedicated to the point of unhealthy obsession. Sister or no, it was hard to see the benefit in death. "Get free of him how? Dying?"

Phoebe grabbed her knife and stood, wiping off the blade before she put it in her wrist sheath. Reaching down, she held out a hand to her sister. "I don't plan on dying. Are you with me?"

It took a moment or two, but Melanie finally grabbed the hand, pulling herself up and wiping off her pants. Apparently, her blood connection ran a bit deeper than her anger. "I get Lexi. Pride may faun over her, but I happen to hate that little bitch."

"As long as you know what you're up against." The twins shared a nod and then Phoebe grabbed the sniper rifle, the two girls walking in opposite directions.

* * *

"Lexi, where are we going? Do you even know where to find them?"

The Berserker sidestepped around a rock chunk in the middle of the road. She really had no idea how such a huge block of concrete had gotten there—because the place had been abandoned, not attacked—but since the rest of the satellite was trashed, it was almost comforting to see. If the place looked clean and just abandoned, it would probably be even creepier, like there was a threat neither one knew about.

"Lexi, did you hear me? Where are we—"

"Do you _ever _shut up?" Eclipse asked, turning past a downed power pole, the top leaning against a business building of some kind. "We're heading the right way, that's all you need to care about."

"Well, good, but I still don't think we're armed well enough."

"Berserkers are better when we're up close and personal."

"Sure, but bullets vs. fists is no contest. And knives can only go so far."

Sighing, Eclipse pivoted and put a hand on Namarra's shoulder, smiling when she felt the Natural tense. "We're armed about as well as we were near Orb; carrying what we can." She patted her shoulder and Namarra's eyes narrowed. "They'll be just as armed as we are."

"Remember, there's more of them than us."

The Berserker smiled again and patted her shoulder once more. Somehow, Eclipse seemed scarier like this than when she was pissed.

They walked for another twenty minutes or so, stopping briefly in order to figure out a safe route around more sparking power lines. For the most part, electricity was passed through the ground, but some of the older satellites were made so the outer layers used the energy mostly for emergency systems and defenses. That meant the electricity had to be transferred via power plants and cables. The people had made the most of it, however, having the "unsophisticated" look remind them of Earth. It was amazing the sparks didn't ignite any of the surrounding rubble or buildings though, only going as far as scorching the concrete.

"Well, if there was any doubt there was electricity," Namarra muttered, leaving the punch line to linger in the air and turning back onto the main road. They had to go a block out of the way in order to avoid the mess bit it all worked out in the end. Eclipse didn't answer and the Natural started to get worried. This berserk was scary because Eclipse was acting almost normal. There were no snide remarks, no devilish smirks or freaky laughs. Surprisingly, Namarra missed it; probably because it felt so normal. _How long has she been snapped?_ the Natural thought. _Going on eight hours_. _Holy shit. _She gulped.

"We're getting—" Eclipse started, but stopped herself, holding up a hand so Namarra paused as well. At first the Natural didn't know why they had stopped, but soon she felt it; her training honing her sixth sense enough to notice such an eerie feeling.

A sniper's scope.

"Down!" Eclipse hissed and pulled Namarra to the ground as she fell flat. A bullet hit the cement a foot behind them and it took a second, but the Berserker ended up laughing excitedly, offering an uncharacteristic squeak when another hit behind them. "Welcome party's here!"

"It'd be nice if they weren't cowards though!" Namarra shouted and a bullet hit the cement on her right. The shot ricocheted off the ground and hit the glass door next to her, shattering it. The sound was so loud amid the silence the Natural thought she was going to go deaf and the echo of the glass falling to the ground was like test tubes tumbling off a table. She shivered with the memory.

"Alright, I'm going north and you go—" she began, but when she turned to find Eclipse, she saw her zigzagging down the road toward a female at the end of the street. "Of course," she muttered and rolled off to the side to get out of sight. Whoever was shooting wanted to play a little more instead of going for the kill because he or she was taking a lot of effort to miss. "Great. Fish in a barrel."

Scrambling to her feet, she braced herself against the corner of the wall and poked her head around, trying to figure out where the shooting was coming from. Another bullet ricocheted off the bricks near her head, glancing off the wall and solidifying the fact the shooter was behind her and up. She was hoping the bullets had been coming from the other direction—that meant she had a bit more coverage—but she just had to make due.

Shrugging—and taking one last glance to see what had happened to Eclipse, but not seeing the Berserker anywhere—she took a breath and walked out into the open with her hands above her head. "This isn't really a challenge if you just keep shooting long range," she shouted, swiveling her head to see if she could catch sight of the enemy. "C'mon. I wanna say hello face-to-face."

The response was instantaneous. Namarra tensed when she saw movement in the second story window of the business building across from her, but her muscles pulled her body back behind the wall when she saw what was falling. The shooter had dropped the sniper rifle from the window and Namarra had no way of knowing if it was still loaded. With her luck—even though it was far better than Eclipse's—the gun would go off the second it hit the cement and even if she felt out of sight, there was always that chance the bullet would hit something vital. Holding her breath, she listened for the crash. There was no gunshot when it hit the cement, but the Natural waited a couple more seconds before venturing out again. The next sound reminded her of keys falling onto a tiled floor, but given the situation, she knew it to be bullets and shell casings. Apparently, the shooter didn't want either of them to be able to use the weapon again.

"Is that all? I'm not usually one to agree with suicide, but if you wanna jump, I'm not gonna argue." Namarra shrugged and stepped out of her hiding spot once more, looking up to see Phoebe now standing in the window. The Lust girl was leaning on the windowsill with one foot on the frame and a hand propped up on the side. The building looked practically new, but with no one caring for it, the vegetation had decided to take up as a caretaker. Apparently, the life systems were still operational if the rain cycle was still working on a schedule.

Namarra walked forward, pulling out her handgun at the same time. "Where's your posse?"

"What makes you think I have one?"

"SIN-ED's huge."

"And dead."

Namarra blinked, bringing her firearm up and tapping it against her cheek in thought. "Really?"

"You look surprised."

"And you don't seem to care."

Phoebe shrugged. "I'm over it."

"How mature of you."

"So, it's just me and my sister."

"Ugh, Lust again?"

"What, you're the sidekick, so forgive me if I'm just as unenthusiastic. And I really don't give a damn this so let's get it over with."

Rolling her eyes, Namarra brought up her gun and aimed. "You might want to a little bit."

* * *

The Berserker found herself rather impressed with the Lust girl. Eclipse had been swerving down the street mainly so the sniper couldn't get a good fix on her, but Melanie strolled backwards as the Berserker gained ground. She had a cocky smirk on her lips and that misplaced confidence made Eclipse slow to a walk. The sniper didn't seem to be aiming anyway so her real problem stood in front of her.

Eclipse shook her head. "I admit I haven't seen someone with that expression in a while." Melanie had stopped by that time and the Berserker walked right up to her, doing the full body checkout to size her up. No doubt the Lust girl had seen her fair share of wandering eyes, but somehow having Eclipse do it raised the bar on creepy. "At least not when I'm like this, that is."

"Don't flatter yourself," Melanie hissed, trying her hardest to throw some spit off her lips with the final 'f'. She managed a couple of drops, and the Berserker flinched, wiping the saliva off her nose.

"Flatter myself? My dear," Eclipse smirked and reached up, dragging a finger down Melanie's cheek. The girl tensed, but she was a brave little Sin. "What makes you think I need your opinion in order to feel—well—anything?"

Melanie grabbed her fingers and twisted, but Eclipse's reflexes were far better than hers. Swinging her left arm around, Eclipse's fist connected with Melanie's jaw and sent her stumbling to the side. She landed on her knees, one hand holding herself up and the other still acting like a vice.

"Let go," the Berserker ordered, shaking her captured hand, but it didn't seem to loosen the grip.

Melanie recovered and chuckled slightly. "Was that really necessary?" Turning her head, she spit some blood from her mouth and looked over at Eclipse bending down nearby. Since Melanie still had her fingers, there really was no other place for her to go.

The Berserker shrugged. "My immediate answer is, yes, it was very necessary, but after thinking on it more," she paused and tapped a finger thoughtfully on her upper lip, "yes, it was still necessary." She shook her hand again. "Now, c'mon, you're not my type. Stop fondling what you can't have."

"Again, stop flattering yourself!" Melanie showed a bit of athleticism then, rolling up onto her free arm and pulling Eclipse down at the same time. Kicking out, she probably hoped to catch the Berserker off guard, but the only damage she could really do was a minor connection with Eclipse's left shoulder.

The Berserker crumbled to the right with the attack, falling into a forward roll and twisting Melanie's arm awkwardly enough so she was forced to let go. Getting back up quickly, Eclipse jabbed her heel down at the crouching Lust girl, but Melanie had done a back somersault to get out of the way. The Berserker's foot stomped hard onto the pavement just as Melanie aimed her gun. The loud click of the safety was enough to make Eclipse smirk, but even though the Sin was kneeling on the ground—with a pretty good shot—Eclipse knew she could switch the advantage easily enough.

Turning, the Berserker held her arms up at her sides and faced her opponent. "Oh, pity, you got me. Now what?"

"Such a cocky response from someone at the other end of my barrel."

"Oh, honey," Eclipse cooed, a small laugh escaping. "You're one move away from death. I believe they call that 'Check.'"

"Alright, I'll humor you. What move is that?"

She shrugged. "Pulling that trigger."

"How so? You'd be dead."

The Berserker laughed again and bit childishly on her tongue to keep her excitement under control. "I'm assuming you know of my track record?"

"Ah, but you don't know mine."

"My dear, have you fought against a Berserker before?"

Now Melanie smiled. "Actually, yes."

Eclipse reacted just as she pulled the trigger, ducking back to her right and kicking the gun from her grasp. The whole thing was too easy, the Berserker knew, and when she saw Melanie running away she picked up the gun.

Empty.

Laughing, she threw it off to the side. If the Lust girl was smart, she knew fighting a Berserker in hand-to-hand combat meant something short of disintegration, but if she was running because she was scared, Eclipse was going to be in for quite the treat.

"Oh, little girl, what am I going to do with you?" Licking her lips once more, the Berserker stretched a little then chased after her.

* * *

They ended up in a playground. How they got there, Namarra wasn't sure, only that there was a lot of running involved. Phoebe was a lot faster than the Natural had anticipated, but she was able to keep pace with her pretty well. Namarra even got off some decent shots. None of them hit, but the Lust girl did end up stumbling.

Phoebe ran onto the playground first, grabbing the gymnastic bar and swinging herself around on the woodchips to fire off a couple of quick rounds.

Namarra slid under the see-saws on the opposite end, reaching under the bar in order to push the one side up and have the other side down as she went past. She almost over-skid the see-saws and had to scramble back behind a seat before Phoebe's good aiming happened to clip a limb. Amazingly, the see-saw held up to the abuse. After all the years, Namarra expected it to crack and break right away and with her body huddled behind the plastic, there was really nowhere she could go if a hole should form. An inch to the right or to the left meant a crippling wound and with the fight just starting, an injury of that substance meant trouble. Luckily, the only bullet to go though the see-saw was the last of Phoebe's magazine and that went safely into the woodchips.

Grabbing her gun, the Natural reached around the seat and fired off some shots of her own, aiming for the Lust girl still standing near the gymnast bars. One bullet hit the ground near Phoebe's feet while another hit the bar near her face, ricocheting in a different direction. One more veered down another path, grazing Phoebe's thigh as she tried to retreat towards the jungle gym. Namarra smirked when she saw her stumble, but had to reload, giving the Lust girl time to make it safely around the corner. Abandoning the see-saws, the Natural followed.

Phoebe probably had enough time to climb the rope ladder and gain the high ground, but she must have been playing it safe. Namarra glimpsed her fumbling around with a new magazine and nodded to herself. Suddenly, her choices made a little more sense, but that didn't stop Namarra from sending up a barrage. Having no other choice, Phoebe cowered behind the closest plastic wall.

Namarra kept shooting, timing her shots to when her enemy tried peeking around and keeping Phoebe pinned down. There was a plastic slide roughly five yards away that—after some quick climbing—would give Namarra the higher ground, but it was tube-like and a bit too crunched for the Natural to get up within any safe amount of time. Desperation might bring her to that decision, but there had to be better alternatives. A ladder and ramp went up on the opposite end of the playscape, but there wasn't much coverage if Phoebe should get a chance to aim. Her last option led her attention over near the swings where the monkey bars could allow for some kind of aerial attack. Definitely dangerous, but it looked like so much fun.

Tempting.

A small knife flew over her shoulder as she thought, the muscle near her neck receiving the brunt of the damage and leaving a bloody mess on her shirt. "Shit!" she cursed, circling back around and heading towards the swings. Namarra swerved as she ran, offering another curse when a knife hit the woodchips right behind her. The impact sent more chips flying, a couple hitting the Natural as she kept running. Hearing a window for a counterattack—or at least a distraction—she pivoted and fired. Both shots went wide, but they had done their job, making her opponent hesitate for the split second so she could reach the swings. Weaving around the seats, she pulled at the chains in order to create some kind of chaos behind her.

Phoebe stepped out of her spot and started firing as she positioned herself for another knife throw. Namarra was a good distance away, but the Lust girl must have had a lot of confidence because the Natural felt the brief break as she aimed. Grabbing onto the nearest chain, Namarra twisted around and pulled the swing in front of her. The knife wedged itself in the chain, the Natural's grip not even enough to keep the seat from flopping side to side. She sighed and let out a quick laugh, her eyes nearly crossing as she stared at the silver blade inches from her nose. "That was actually a pretty good throw."

Phoebe cursed and abandoned the jungle gym, gaining some distance by running to the mini merry-go-round near the wooden train for cover.

Namarra smirked—still amused by her creative survival instincts—and stepped up on the seat, tightening the chain enough so she keep the dagger from wobbling and stepped down in order to pull it out. Curling her arm back near her head, she let the weapon fly and reached for her handgun to volley off a couple of shots.

Instead of merely dodging the attack, Phoebe spun the merry-go-round hard and ducked underneath the outer edge, causing the knife and bullets to ricochet unpredictably. The intent was probably to send the weaponry spinning back at the Natural, but that kind of counterattack called for a bit more luck than actual skill. Phoebe, apparently, didn't have much luck at all and the knife went flying off in the total opposite direction of either girl, sticking into the wooden fence too far out of reach. The bullets made their own paths, wedging themselves either into the ground or the plastic playground gear. Whatever the case, Namarra had no choice but to duck back behind her limited coverage in order to avoid the ricocheting ammo.

Phoebe dove over to the wooden train, pulling out her handgun and having a little more time to reload the magazine. She fired at the merry-go-round, probably liking how the unpredictably kept her enemy from shooting, but she had to have had a large amount of ammo is she was going to be so reckless.

One of the bullets flew dangerously past the Natural, nearly catching her in the hip if it had been a couple of inches closer. "Holy shit!" Namarra cursed, trying to find better cover—since a skinny pole wasn't doing much—but the closest thing was the plastic slide roughly twenty meters away. Having no other options, she sprinted off.

Phoebe continued her manic firing despite the fact Namarra's sprint put her into a more open position. That could have been a mixture of desperation and stupidity, but the Natural didn't have a lot of time to dissect her intelligence. Two more bullets whizzed past her, only one landing a decent hit between her left middle and ring fingers. She didn't feel anything as the bullet passed through, but once the shot was already wedged into the ground, an interesting burning sensation crawled up her nerves as the blood trickled down her fingernails.

"Son of a—" She stopped mid-curse, hearing a yelp from behind her and, taking advantage of the ceasefire, slid behind the circular slide for cover. Catching her breath, she listened for any sign of Phoebe. It was almost funny, Namarra knowing that cry was probably from the Lust girl herself as a bullet either hit or grazed her. She was hoping for a fatal wound.

Namarra's fingers throbbed and looking down at her left hand, she could see where the bullet had passed right in between her two fingers, grazing the sides of each and leaving a path of bloodied tissue nearly reaching as far as the bone. It wasn't a crippling wound—and there was no time to bandage it—but it was quickly rising on the annoyance scale.

Still hearing more curses—and not being able to resist the temptation—Namarra caught her breath and shouted, "You alright over there?" A bullet buried itself into the ground about a foot to her right. "Well, you're alive at least." There was no hostile response that time, but with the gun fight practically over, the only things audible being the shifting playground toys. _Maybe she's out of ammo,_ the Natural hoped, not hearing anything that sounded like she was reloading her automatic.

The merry-go-round squeaked as it came to a halt, the old metal not used to such abuse. It was nostalgic in some way and Namarra waited for the noise to stop before she took another deep breath and brought up her handgun. Spinning around, she shoved in her last magazine and aimed down to where Phoebe had taken cover.

The Lust girl was crouched behind the wooden train, one arm around the caboose and aiming at the Natural while the other dripped blood onto the woodchips. Namarra couldn't tell the extent of the damage, but still hearing her quick breaths, she suspected it hurt at least.

"Well, that was a dumb idea," the Natural mocked, firing off one shot before ducking back behind the plastic slide when Phoebe started pulling the trigger. She smelled the ugly scent of singed plastic before she smiled once more.

Dumb idea or no, the game was still on.

* * *

The Berserker hated playing games she wasn't winning. That didn't mean she didn't _know _she would be the victor in the end, it just meant she was eager to get on to her real targets. After all, it was a bad idea. Melanie led them back over to the downed power lines among other pieces of rubble sharp enough to skewer some unlucky person if he or she tripped at the perfect moment. But whether or not everyone was having bad ideas that day really didn't matter.

It was all fun in the end.

Eclipse fired a round at Melanie, finding her movements a little harder to anticipate than she had originally thought. For the most part, prey's zigzagging was predictable—the same length on each side—but Melanie had obviously practiced a little. While the Berserker always enjoyed a good challenge, she had better things to do than play tag with a Sin who ran swerving drills in her spare time.

Melanie dove into an alcove, her only cover now the stone doorframe of an old café. Eclipse could hear her body smack against the wooden door and then the all familiar sound of a fresh magazine being loaded into the butt of a handgun. The silence was so vast even the smallest shift in rubble a mile away was noticeable.

_Hm,_ Eclipse thought, diving into an alcove of her own, _coffee sounds pretty good right now._ Melanie's first shot ricocheted off the stone near her head, sending a small rock chip to pass near her eyes. The Berserker didn't flinch, sighing and listening for the echo of both the bullet and the stone as they hit the ground. Hearing the rattle, she stepped out and fired a volley, walking forward to Melanie's hiding spot. The Lust girl reached around for another shot, but was forced to cower when Eclipse aimed her way.

A pile of concrete blocked her path, the top of one business building deciding it didn't want its third floor, apparently. Taking her time stepping on the stones, she climbed up and continued her trek. "Ugh, this is boring."

"Then just give up!" Melanie shrieked, spinning around the doorframe now with an automatic in each hand.

_Leave it to her to go all commando on me. _Eclipse cursed and skidded down the rubble and back into the street. Running, she ducked into another roll, a sideways turn that brought her closer to the girl. Melanie adjusted her shot, but not well enough.

Eclipse grabbed three knives, two longer and the smaller one in her right boot heel. Crouching, she threw one longer knife high and the other one at Melanie's stomach. She flung the small knife right after and dodged her opponent's attack. One bullet clipped her lower back as she moved, the delay from the knives enough to make her a half second slow. The bullet went across cleanly, her clothing taking the brunt of the assault, but the stinging graze was still very real.

Melanie's curse stopped the Berserker's dodging enough to see what had happened. Judging by the scrapes on the Lust girl's right handgun, she had managed to knock away at least one blade, but Eclipse's other long blade was sticking through the barrel of her left gun. Apparently, Melanie wasn't as ambidextrous as the Sin had hoped she would be. Either that or Eclipse's insistent sharpening had finally paid off. The small blade was by far in the most interesting place, however, sticking through her index finger and pushing down the trigger.

Her arm flailed with both the pain and the recoil, bullets flying in more unpredictable directions than before. The Berserker had no choice but to dive behind the PLANT's electric version of the minivan with two flat tires in the back. A downed power line sparked nearby, making Eclipse cower away so much so she nearly received a shot in her shoulder. There was the distinct smell of burning rubber—and seeing the melted tire near her hiding spot only verified the scent—but even that was thrown away as a minor inconvenience when another one of Melanie's shots hit the vehicle. Her next scream confirmed she pulled out the knife and the reckless shooting proved she was more pissed than in pain.

"Just tell me where Stray and FS are and I'll spare your other hand," Eclipse said. "To be honest," the Berserker continued, pulling a knife out of her wrist sheath and twisting around to take off the license plate, "we'll both get to save some ammo too."

"I'd gladly give them up, actually," Melanie shouted. She sounded roughly fifteen yards back and to the right. "Just give me a chance to kill you first." She was moving, coming at the van.

"Geez, what is it and people wanting to kill me? What did I do?"

"More like the memory of you." Her scoff sounded closer now, the girl probably cowering into the alleyway roughly ten feet back. She was doing her best to hide her position, but there was only so much a person could do in that kind of situation. Hell, shutting up was a pretty good idea.

"Great, I'm being blamed for someone's insane mental image of me. How comforting." Knowing Melanie's position, the Berserker crawled around to the opposite side of the vehicle, carrying the license plate with her. Putting the knife back into its sheath, she bent the plate and scooched up towards the driver's seat.

"I don't think you realize how much of an obsession you are for those two. It's gotten to the point where Pride tried to force my sister to _be _you."

"Am I supposed to be flattered?" Using the license plate, she adjusted the mirror so she could see the Lust girl standing in the alleyway. She was being a bit cocky, kneeling behind some rubble with her chest and up exposed.

"Some kind of emotion would be nice."

Watching Melanie shrug, Eclipse jammed the bent license plate into the side mirror, dropping her arms before the Lust girl could see what she was doing and shoot. "Stoic, that's an emotion." In response, Melanie shot the front windows. If only she knew she had just solved a problem. "No need to get angry." Shaking her head, the Berserker vaguely felt the glass shards cutting her skin, but her ears did ring for a while from the high-pitched shattering.

"You probably think I sound like a jealous girlfriend."

"More like a mother hen being over protective of her chick, but we can go with the jealous girlfriend if you really want to." She expected another couple of bullets to riddle the side of the van, but once she heard the echoing click of the Lust girl checking her ammo, the Berserker turned and aimed her gun up at the bent license plate. Taking a second to adjust the angle, she shot twice, the bent metal curving the bullets enough for one to graze Melanie's right forearm. The ricochet had cut the bullet's momentum by a fair share—not to mention Eclipse was aiming for the Lust girl's exposed forehead—but no matter where the wound was, the Berserker planned on taking full advantage.

Standing, Eclipse grabbed the knife from her right ankle sheath and slid across the hood as she threw it at the recovering Sin. The knife stuck into the wooden crate facing the Berserker and fell backwards with the force, distracting Melanie who was now buried underneath it. Aiming her handgun, she tried shooting through the slits between the boards, but Melanie had recovered faster than she had thought.

Rolling, the Lust girl threw the crate to the side and balanced herself on the balls of her feet. Before she could aim and fire though, Eclipse had already adjusted and was shooting. Cursing, she took off at a sprint. Her path took her dangerously close to the Berserker and Eclipse tried tripping her, but Melanie jumped over. Spinning into a crouch, the Berserker aimed and fired three more shots, not wanting to waste bullets on a fleeing enemy. The first bullet went high, the second went wide, but she overcompensated on the third and hit the Lust girl's left heel. Yelping, Melanie tumbled onto the street, her hands hitting first and even though Eclipse found her perseverance inspiring, crawling up the curb to get to the roadside apartment door was pathetic. Eclipse smirked and aimed, the bullet ricocheting off the cement right next to her.

Melanie made a short, shrill scream as she crawled through the doorway. It was amazing how quickly confidence abandoned its master the instant the advantage shifted.

The Berserker laughed and pulled her knife from the crate.

* * *

Namarra knew the slide would hold up—it had to be pretty thick to hold even the largest of the munchkins—but watching the plastic bulge and swell like crispy red sausages as the bullets hit was rather unnerving. She wasn't sure how stealthy a crawl through a tube would be, but judging by the number of sausages and their placement, the Natural wasn't as stealthy as she had thought. "Oh shit!" she hissed, hearing another shot bend the plastic near her left ear. It was amazing how loud the muffled sound was when it hit right next to her head.

She was close to the top, the mouth of the "tunnel," so to speak, looking a lot brighter than the hazy red she had been seeing for the past few minutes. _Damn, how much ammo does she have?_ Namarra thought, cringing away from another attack. Based on the shots, she didn't think Phoebe had left her post and remembering how the injury looked, if the Lust girl was smart, she would take the time to tend to it.

There was cover at the end of the slide, Namarra knew. It was attached to the rest of the playground equipment—normally used to prevent little kids from falling and now, ironically, being a barricade between automatic weapons—so that meant the higher ground advantage.

Namarra put her bloodied hand on the outside and was just about to pull herself out of the slide when the most disturbing echo bounced off the interior. The sound was distorted, but even though the plastic muffled much of it, there was no mistaking what it was.

A scream.

Namarra had heard her fair share of screams—and on rare occasions being the one to do it—but that one was definitely the most frightening shriek she had heard in a while. On a scale of one to ten, she'd probably give it an eight for vocal effort. Shivering, she shook off the feeling running down her spine and pulled herself onto the platform. "That must've hurt."

"Melanie?"

That voice was Phoebe's and it seemed to be in the same spot the Natural had left her. Good. "My friend must've turned up the heat."

"If she hurts her…"

"You'll what, kill her?" Groaning, she pulled her feet out and sat back against the thicker plastic wall. "Based on that scream, I'd say she's become an exaggeration to your understatement."

"Then get out here and let's finish this. I have other things to do."

Namarra rolled her eyes. "Seeing as you can't go 'kill' Lexi," she did the air quotes mainly for her own amusement, "after you 'kill' me, forgive me if I don't give a damn about your To Do list. I'll die when I fuckin' wanna die." She paused, the childish side of her hoping for some pouty response, but nothing was audible. "Besides, I'm not about to give that bitch any more pleasure than…she…" Namarra trailed off, watching a diamond-shaped object bounce around on the plastic in front of her. She blinked, cursed, then kicked the grenade down the slide and leapt over the opposite side of the playscape at the same time.

The grenade went off in a deafening explosion, sending the Natural flying in the air far enough to crash against the surrounding fence. Sliding down to the ground, she was all but unconscious. Her whole body throbbed, the blood in her ears and limbs pulsing heavily as her brain tried to comprehend what was and wasn't hurting. Part of the playscape fell next to her, mere inches from her left foot and another hit the top of the fence. Luckily, it got caught there, dangling just above her body with the flames eating away at the plastic like a knife sawing at the string holding a guillotine blade.

Ringing; that was really the only sound her mind could comprehend as she lie there, unable to move and find a way out of the uncomfortable situation. _One thing at a time,_ she thought and took a deep breath. First her fingers responded then her toes. Soon, bigger appendages started to listen, twitching up and down as they built up enough energy to push her over onto her back.

"Well, that hurt," she muttered, focusing on breathing through the pain.

"Aid due siding buy pet?"

Namarra opened one eye, figuring Phoebe was the one talking, but her damaged ear drums weren't able to make sense of it. "You'll have to speak up." She pointed to the sides of her head. "I'm a bit deaf." The Natural was definitely out of it if she didn't even hear the hammer click back on the Lust twin's gun.

"Have you decided to die yet?"

Namarra laughed. She really didn't think Phoebe would shout it at her, but there she was, her lips exaggerating the words as well. "Wow," was all she could say. Gasping, the rapid breathing hurt her chest, but the whole thing was just too funny.

"I poo fling?"

Again, she couldn't make out the words and her ears' translation was quite humorous. There was really no other option than to keep laughing. The barrel came dangerously close then, pressing cold and hard against her temple. The coolness actually felt good to her aching skin, but for some reason using a loaded gun as an ice pack seemed unhealthy. Her body reacted nonetheless, grabbing the gun—with speed she didn't think her body could obtain in such a state—and pulling it down. Slowly, she opened her other eye, focusing in on Phoebe as the girl's gasp made the Berserker smile.

"Now you have to kill two of us, bitch."

* * *

The Berserker found it most inconvenient. Melanie's resolve proved to be better than Eclipse had anticipated and when she turned to see if she had an easy shot at the girl, the only appendage left seen on the stairwell was her injured left foot being dragged around the corner. Sighing, Eclipse didn't want to waste the opportunity so she gripped the knife she had just recovered and took aim. She threw the weapon at the disappearing limb, the sharpened blade cutting through her Achilles tendon with a slick slice. The knife thudded into the wall just as the initial blood hit the cement stairs and only milliseconds before Melanie screamed in pain. It was a comforting sound and where Eclipse might have been disgusted, the Berserker licked her lips in excitement.

"Keep running, little pet," she cooed, exaggerating a stomp just to watch Melanie pull her flopping foot around the corner and head upstairs. "Pray God sent you an angel on the next floor."

Eclipse took her time getting to the corner, enjoying the feeling of being the predatory cat chasing the wounded mouse. Passing her tongue over her teeth with a satisfactory "Tck," she pulled the blade from the wall and wiped it on her pants.

Turning, she caught sight of Melanie's gun barrel just before it fired and ducked back behind the wall. The Sin was standing—definitely an impressive feat with only one good leg and a foot half attached—but her hand was shaking so badly her shot went high, ricocheting off the ceiling and back down the hall.

"It's called aiming," the Berserker mocked, hearing shuffling footsteps and a curse as Melanie slipped. Poking her head back around, she saw no sign of the girl's body, say the blood trail on the stairs and the four fingers grasping the corner for support. Eclipse smirked and slung her gun up. The bullet travelled parallel to the wall, clipping Melanie's middle fingernail and cutting up to severe the knuckle. Her hand jumped back with the force, a mere trail of skin left as her finger.

"Hm, your left hand seems to be a good target today," the Berserker said, having to shout over Melanie's painful cries. "You're right handed, correct? It'd really suck for you if you weren't." There was no response—not like Eclipse expected there to be—but the girl still showed some signs of resilience. She disappeared up the stairs again, the blood trail getting thicker as she climbed. The Berserker shook her head and followed, kicking the severed finger back against the wall and putting a hand on the railing to steady herself when she slipped. Laughing, she mocked her own clumsiness and avoided the red stream on her way up, humming Namarra's ballad between her lips.

* * *

"Alright, I admit the grenade was a good touch," Namarra commented, feeling the adrenaline already numbing her new injuries. Crawling to her feet, she kept her hand on the gun, ready for Phoebe's retaliation but nothing ever came. Stretching her neck, she heard it crack once or twice before she continued talking. "You should've thrown it in the street instead of sniping us though."

"I'll remember that next time."

"Hah! Next time." The Berserker smiled. "How naïve."

Phoebe fired the gun even though it wasn't pointed anywhere dangerous, probably aiming more to distract than anything else. The bullet sank into the ground, but the sound acted like a fighter's bell announcing round one. Namarra let go of the gun—to avoid the recoil—and spun in a roundhouse kick. Phoebe tried blocking the attack with her right forearm and shoulder, but the kick was too strong, sending her falling to the side. She brought the gun around to aim for another shot, but only managed to get it as far as the Berserker's shoulder. Firing, her aim was off and the bullet went high and wide.

Namarra crouched down and leapt forward, tackling the girl hard against the ground. She pinned down the gun hand and put her right knee into her diaphragm. Namarra's free hand grasped Phoebe's throat as the Lust girl tried to claw off the Berserker's grip. It was amazing perseverance, actually, since that arm had already been injured thanks to her stupidity earlier in the fight.

"Ouch, that hurts," Namarra said, leaning closer to Phoebe's face. "No, really, keep trying. I'm _sure_ you'll break free."

Phoebe made a sound close to a growl and reached out for Namarra's face, her fingernails aiming for the eyes. The Berserker was quicker than that, however, her teeth reaching out and biting down on the exposed fingers.

Phoebe screamed.

* * *

"You're weaker than I thought you'd be," Eclipse mused, looking out behind the Lust girl at the building tops. It was amazing she had managed to climb all four floors to the rooftop and even had enough strength to pull herself to the lip, attempting to make some kind of escape, she figured. "Somehow I thought I'd at least have something dislocated."

"Sorry to disappoint," Melanie responded, her speech strained and thin. Seeing how much blood she had lost, there was really no other reason than stubbornness to suggest why she was on her feet then. Leaning against a bit of rubble, her eyes flickered back and forth, trying to stay conscious.

"Meh." The Berserker shrugged, the gun barrel moving up with the movement. Melanie—probably hoping it was a relapse in concentration—aimed at Eclipse only to receive a bullet in her right shoulder for the effort. Apparently, desperation really didn't mean intelligence. "Wow, really?" Melanie made some attempt at a painful scowl. She spit near the Berserker's feet as she brought her mangled hand across to grasp the wound.

"Where're FS and Stray?" Eclipse asked, not really caring about her bodily fluid.

"You lover's insane, y'know?"

"I've known that for a while."

"And yet you gave us all those chances to kill your family? Wow, some scary Berserker—"

Eclipse fired again at her shoulder, the bullet going through her crippled hand. "Maybe I _should've _tried cutting out your tongue instead. After all, you have enough fingers on your other hand to point me in FS's direction."

Melanie spit again, but that was more for her physical benefit than her psychological one. Blood splattered onto the pavement near Eclipse's foot. The Berserker frowned at first then started to laugh at the sight, watching the liquid soak into the soles of her shoes.

"Check the other satellites," Melanie said.

"Gee, thanks for being vague."

"I'm not sure myself. If I was, I'd tell you straight away."

"I take it you don't like them either."  
It seemed like she tried to shrug, but given her injuries, it looked more like she was trying to bend over to retch. Then again, maybe she was trying to do that too. "Now what?"

The Berserker took a step forward, having to do some kind of skip to the side in order to avoid another one of Melanie's spits. Sighing, Eclipse put her hands on her knees as she leaned forward. Tilting her head to the side, she grinned. "You fry."

Melanie didn't even have time to respond, the Berserker standing to put her shoe on the Sin's injured shoulder and collarbone. She pushed. Melanie's left hand came around to grasp Eclipse's foot, but not being able to grab onto anything other than her own blood, it wasn't a strong enough grip to keep her from going over the edge.

Eclipse cocked her head to the side, smiled, and then waved. "Bye now. Send Satan my regards."

To her credit, the Lust girl didn't scream, at least not until the involuntary sound was torn from her throat when her body fell tangled into the draping power lines below.

The Berserker peered over the side edge just in time to see her clothing catch fire and smell the delightful scent of burning flesh. She took a moment to bask in the screaming a little more—and played an imaginary drum set to the melody the sparks were making—before taking aim. Waving again, she put a bullet through Melanie's open mouth and one through her chest before turning to move onto the bigger game. Another scream bounced around the city interior and Eclipse smiled as she bent down to run her fingers through the pool of blood near her feet.

"Such sweet music."

* * *

Phoebe didn't have a lot of options. Her left hand was pinned to the ground, her right between the teeth of a psycho with a biting fetish, and more air was probably being pushed out of her lungs than coming in. Namarra found it all amusing, of course, but based on the Lust girl's contorted look, she didn't.

Oh well.

"Kai!" Phoebe screamed. "Kai! Kai! Ka—"

Namarra tightened her fingers around her neck and—at the same time—her jaw clenched, stopping her teeth mid-grind. Tears fell from the corners of Phoebe's eyes, trickling back into her hair because of the awkward angle.

"That doesn't work as well," the Berserker mumbled, "since I'm already berserk in some form." She doubted the Lust girl understood—or even cared at that point—but the words were mostly for her benefit. Her brain had still reacted, quickening her breathing and sending her body into some confused stupor. Shaking her head, she felt her head clear a little, but by then her advantage was slowly slipping.

Somehow, it didn't seem fair. The Berserker was seconds from another kill, Phoebe's fingers oozing between her lips as the skin grinded between her teeth, and a good grip on the only firearm out in the open. A picture-perfect moment, actually.

Until the debris burned through the top of the fence.

It fell awkwardly on Namarra's back, forcing her jaw loose and throwing her off balance. She tried to maintain the hold, but ended up releasing Phoebe's neck in order to catch herself on the ground.

Panicking—there was really no other way Phoebe could have gotten the upper hand—she managed to wiggle out of the pin even more and free her gun. Just turning the weapon in the general direction, she fired twice and forced Namarra to abandon her advantage and roll further out of grabbing range. Her back throbbed and based on the burning sensation, there was probably still some debris lying there. Looking up, she checked for her opponent, but only saw her sprinting out of sight.

"Running away?" Namarra breathed, sinking down to one knee. "Fine, just give me a couple of seconds." That explosion had taken more out of her than she had originally thought. Even the Berserker had limitations, it seemed. _Or maybe just me_, she thought, sitting on the ground and looking the opposite way of the disappearing Lust twin. Leaning back on her hands, she let her head fall and her mouth drape open as she tried to regain her composure.

It was a peculiar sound, reminding the Natural of coins falling out of a slot machine, but when she brought her head up to find the source, her breath caught in her throat. Eclipse was walking towards her, flipping a couple of the sniper shell casings up into the air and catching them before they fell to the ground. That explained the sound, but the blood splatter on her pant legs and the suspicious way her shoes squished on the pavement added to Namarra's discomfort. To make it even creepier, she was whistling the same song they had sung in the hangar not too long ago.

"Did you have fun?" Eclipse asked when she had gotten closer, the phrase sounding like its own mockery of music.

Namarra narrowed her eyes and willed her body to remain alert. She didn't notice it at first, but as her companion drew closer, she realized how terrifying her situation really was.

Eclipse was still berserk.

"Hm, you look hurt and why are you swaying like that? Oh, nice job with the scenery though."

The Natural tried taking deeper breaths as she followed her comrade's exaggerated movements, but her vision refused to stay clear.

"Hey, you okay?" Eclipse crouched down next to her, the smell emitting from the drying blood on her hands mixing in with the burning plastic. While it was a valiant effort, there was really nothing Namarra could do.

_Shit_.

She blacked out.

* * *

Namarra had no idea how long it had been. That was both the blessing and the curse of falling unconscious. Based on the aching in her body and the sizzling of the coals next to her she could confidently say about an hour. Other than that, she was terrified.

The Natural wasn't sure what Eclipse was up to then, or even what she had been doing while Namarra had been out. Another unnerving thought because Eclipse was still not herself, at least she wasn't the last time Namarra had seen her and that was all of—well how many hours she had been lying defenselessly unconscious.

"Shit."

"Morning, sleepy head."

Namarra jumped and rolled around onto her stomach, immediately regretting the sudden movement, but sometimes survival instincts beat out pain. Looking up, she saw Eclipse squatting down in front of her, her head resting on her hand as her elbow was propped on her knee. With the other hand she waved, her fingers moving like a centipede as they rippled.

"You mutter in your sleep."

"Hopefully, bad things about you."

The Berserker smiled, a devilish little thing that involved too much teeth and a head cock either too impossible for a normal human or her neck had muscles no one else did. Namarra shivered at the sight, her comrade looking more and more demonic by the waking second. She tried moving to a more defensive position, but ended up cringing in pain. She heard the Berserker chuckle and glared. "You could have dressed my wounds at least."

"But why? You weren't dying or anything. The only major thing involved your two fingers and they're both attached."

It was amazing how much sense that made to the Natural, but she still wasn't pleased. "Alright, point taken." She paused, watching her comrade continue her demented grinning. The only difference in her posture was the small bounces she made as she was squatting. "Antsy, are we? How about using your brain to figure out what the hell we're gonna do now? Are we going after the rest of SIN-ED?" Namarra probably should have mentioned Phoebe's escape, but somehow she doubted the Sin would be back any time soon.

Eclipse shook her head and shrugged at the same time. "Since only Lust met us here I have a feeling something's happened we don't know about."

"My opponent hinted at something, but she never elaborated," Namarra explained, groaning as she pushed herself into a sitting position. Eclipse didn't even offer to help.

"Probably nothing short of large scale slaughter, I'm thinking." She chuckled and the Natural held back another shiver. "It would explain how foolishly desperate they have been lately."

"They could just be upping the ante a notch and Lust was trying to throw us off the trail."

"Then why were only two sent after us? And both Sins? They weren't even powerful enough to be considered enemies, but they were still high up in the hierarchy. You'd think they'd sent someone disposable."

"SIN-ED's never really worked in big groups, especially not when it concerns the Sins."

"Maybe so, but given their display, they _obviously _wanted to get our attention. Don't you think it would have been a trap or something? I mean, even the sniper missed every shot." Eclipse yawned, tracing her hand aimlessly over the cement. If she was drawing something the Natural didn't know what it could be, but watching the dried blood flake off made her a bit nervous.

"Then what do we do now?"

"Heh, we?" Namarra cringed, having given that look enough to understand how deadly it really was. Her body tensed, but the Berserker seemed more amused by the torture image in her head than by wasting the energy doing it. "Yeah, I guess the action of killing another Berserker is far inferior to the thought of causing misery with one."

"So I'm gonna live?"

"Well, _I'm_ not gonna kill you at least—unless you do something totally moronic that is. But whether your stupidity will allow someone else the chance is up to you." Reaching out, she patted Namarra's shoulder and jumped to her feet, doing a little twirl as if acting juvenile would make her less terrifying. "And now, I'm _starved_! Care for anything?"

Apparently, the serious conversation was over. She wasn't about to argue. "Just something edible."

The Berserker made a mock salute and walked off. The Natural sighed and sank back to the ground, laying her arms out flat and resisting the urge to scream in frustration. Eclipse was still berserk. That meant Namarra needed help to snap her out of it. _Shit. Time to make a call._

The phone she had gotten from the Earth Alliance was amazingly resilient. Not only had it survived a grenade, it was still working perfectly say for the numbers 5 and 6 gouged out. She could still dial and—only for this reason—she had memorized the technician's number on the _Archangel_. The woman must have been waiting for the call because she picked up right away.

"Please tell me—"

"Erika, it's Namarra."

"Lexi's friend, right? The one who ambushed me the other day?"

"Yup, that's me."

"It's about time you guys called in! How are you?"

"Fine, but we need to skip the pleasantries, so I'll get to the point," the Natural said, switching the phone to her other hand and quickly checking the battery before she started talking again. "I'm a Berserker too so I know that I'm talking about when I say there's something wrong with Lexi."

"Wait—what?"

"I don't have much time so you have to keep up. Lexi's been berserk for—how long have we been gone?"

"About three days now."

"Add on the eight hours she was shacked up in the Stealth before we clocked and do the math. She's been berserk the whole time and there's no sign of her going back."

"Where are you?"

"I can't say. Lexi'll kill you." Namarra could hear the technician sigh on the other end of the line and she rubbed her temples in response. "Listen, just calling you for help is a step towards maturity for me, so we gotta work together here."

"You're asking for help?"

Now Namarra sighed. "Just because I'm a Berserker too doesn't mean I know what's going on. I've never been snapped for more than a couple of hours. Remember what I asked you before we left?"

"To go over that data, you mean?"

Namarra nodded even if she knew Erika couldn't see. "Find anything?"

"Not much. I haven't really had a lot of time." The Natural didn't respond so the technician could explain. "Athrun decided to visit his father and—out of some dumb luck—we're about to gain a new ship, the _Eternal_, with Lacus Clyne and Commander Waltfeld at the helm."

"Athrun went back to the PLANTs?"

"To try and talk to his dad."

"Commander Waltfeld?"

"He's coming with Lacus Clyne."

Namarra smiled and thought on that for a second. "He might be of some use if things go even more south, but just tell me what you know of the data."

"Alright, here we go. Apparently, there was a Berserker case study done that started this whole escapade. It was presented by two scientists—husband and wife from Earth—and published."

"Names?"

"They were erased a long time ago along with every copy of their paper. But whatever information was in there, the PLANTs compared with what little info they gained from Lexi."

"What kind of comparing?"

"It looked like they were focusing on the Berserker take over severity or—as they call it—its decomposition."

"I'm not following."

"The first research done on a Berserker was when the candidate was really young. It looks like—at least from what data they _could_ gather—the older the candidate, the more 'decomposing' the Berserker can be. It's still just a theory but—"

"Erika, we're walking myths, so both theories and facts are practically the same to me. What does 'decomposing' mean?"

There was a pause. "The older you guys get, the more powerful the Berserker becomes."

"So, in the end, it might have enough power to 'decompose' us entirely?"

Erika was hesitant again, but finally she replied in a more confident voice than Namarra expected. "Most likely."

"Great." She sighed and rubbed her forehead. It wasn't really something she had wanted to hear, but there wasn't anything she could do about it until later on. "How do I help Eclipse _now _though?"

"You don't."

Eclipse's hostile response was expected, but the Natural's instincts were still pretty quick despite her injuries. If she wasn't bracing herself for the next attack, she might have had the time to be proud of herself. Whipping around, she nearly dropped the phone as she brought her arms up to defend her face from the punch she knew was coming.

Eclipse's fist hit hard, forcing the Natural to stumble back a couple of feet. Her new bruises—a bit more painful now—didn't help much and trying to catch herself only made her body whine in response. Her knees buckled first, sending her into a position the closest thing to defenseless she had been since Shani had nearly cut her suit in two. Somehow she didn't think anyone would block the attack for her this time. The Berserker's sidekick came next and Namarra barely managed to bring her forearms up in time. The top of Eclipse's foot connected with the block and the Natural's head just above her ear. If the Berserker had been serious, Namarra would have been knocked unconscious, but—luckily for her—she was only given a migraine with a side of whooped ass. She tensed for her counterattack, but when she swung her empty hand around to punch the Berserker, she was gone.

Just a game.

Why was it always a game?

She waited for a couple more seconds until she brought the phone back up to her ear. Erika was as broken record with her name as the refrain.

"Namarra!"

"Yes, I'm fine."

"Was that Lexi?"

"Just tell me what you know."

Erika sighed, probably frustrated the Natural wouldn't tell her anything useful, but there really wasn't much Namarra could share. Eclipse would definitely pull some kind of stunt and get them all killed if she knew there were more "targets" coming to visit. "I don't have much to tell you on _why _she's been berserk for so long, but if the Berserker is much like a separate personality, I might have some theories."

"Go for it."

"Lexi might be hiding in her own subconscious."

Namarra heard a sigh and tensed, Eclipse's statement breathing against her own cheek.

"Meh, that might be a possibility, but I think you just underestimate me."

The Natural managed to jump backwards again, amazed at how well Eclipse was able to sneak up and actually put her ear near the other side of the phone. Things were about to get really ugly if Namarra couldn't even feel her presence anymore. Crouching low, the Natural flexed her fingers only to find the phone missing from her grip.

"Erika? It's Lexi," the Berserker said, her shoulder holding the phone against her ear as her one hand used a knife to pick the blood and dirt from under her fingernails. "Huh? No, I'm fine."

Namarra watched her carefully, her eyes darting around to try and see if there was anything of use for self defense. The only thing she could find was a large plastic splinter from the destroyed playscape but it was twenty feet too far away.

Eclipse would attack her long before she even got there.

"Tell him to stop worrying; we're doing A-okay." There was a pause. "No, he should stay there. We'll be back soon." She smiled and Namarra shivered. "Yes, soon."

Somehow, "soon" didn't seem near enough.

Shutting the phone, Eclipse tossed the device back to the Natural and proceeded to let out an obnoxious yawn mixed with hand gestures and stretching appendages. She was like a giant feline.

"I thought you went to find some grub."

"I didn't find much," Eclipse admitted, reaching into her pocket and throwing what looked like sausages at the Natural's feet. One was charred black while the other was a juicy red color. Eying the Berserker suspiciously, Namarra squatted down to get a closer look and ended up back on the ground with more than a few curses falling from her lips.

They were Melanie's fingers.

"I wasn't sure how you liked your meat cooked. Rare or well done."

"What the hell?" Namarra kicked the "food" away and crawled backwards until she put a hand on a piece of plastic and slipped to the side.

"Huh? It's edible."

"To a cannibal."

"Then what're you complaining about?" It was a bad joke, but Eclipse didn't seem to care. Reaching around, she untied a small pouch hanging off her belt loop and reached inside. Namarra couldn't see what she popped into her mouth, but it went down just fine.

"Here."

"What is it?"

"Dried fruit."

"You sure?"

"You doubt me?" The Natural frowned and Eclipse shrugged. "Check for yourself."

Namarra caught the bag and peered inside. Nothing felt out of the ordinary and after tasting the objects inside the pouch, she agreed it was dried fruit. Grabbing some of them, she tossed the rest back her comrade. "Now what?"

The Berserker shrugged. "You're too injured to do anything fun so I'm gonna see if I can find a map of the surrounding satellites. I'm sure the ships have one, but I really don't feel like going back yet. Besides," she continued, stretching obnoxiously once more, "I feel like exploring a bit."

"And I'm gonna what, stay here?"

"Do you really have a choice?" Namarra's frown deepened and Eclipse waved as she walked away, whistling a different song this time, one the Natural didn't recognize.

Eclipse was an interesting Berserker. While Namarra thought—no, knew—_she _was scary, Eclipse just had this horrific aura surrounding everything she did. Even the way she tucked her hair behind her ears seemed threatening in some way. Knowing that, it was amazing the Natural got her phone back, but even though she had the electronic device, there was nothing productive she could do with it. Even making some kind of explosive device seemed useless, and that might kill Eclipse instead of bringing her back. Then again, that was a tempting notion.

She could call Erika again, but she wouldn't tell her anything new. Useless; everyone was useless. She stared at the screen then, her breath catching in her throat as her finger lingered over a single name, Orga. There was no guarantee he would have any answers. Hell, he probably wouldn't even pick up, but the idea of hearing a comforting voice was too appealing. The phone rang four times before someone picked up. Her lips curved into a smile then instantly drooped when the voice was all too familiar, but in no way consoling.

Azrael.

"Hello, my dear Chicabo."

"Don't call me that."

"What, 'Dear' or 'Chicabo'?"

"Neither."

"Now, now, no need to get snappy. Where are you?"

Namarra didn't respond.

"Well, how about, what do you want?"

Still silence.

He sighed. "Y'know, I might not be able to hurt you directly, but there are three guys who happen to travel everywhere with me. I'll ask again—"

"How do you break a Berserker connection?"

Namarra could almost hear his skin creak into a smile. He knew she would answer when he threatened her teammates. "You would know better than me."

"From the outside." That remark actually caused some hesitation and Namarra started getting nervous. Azrael quiet usually meant something like slaughtered bunnies or skinned puppies.

"Trying to warn your new friends?"

"I just wanna know."

"Or did you meet another one?"

"Azrael, it's a simple question."

"So is mine." The shrug in his voice was obvious and Namarra gave a relieved sigh when he didn't press the matter. Perhaps he was short on time. She could hear some movement in the background and it sounded like he was outside. Based on the seagull calls, he was at a port of some kind. "A good shock to the system might do it."

"Emotionally?"

"Or physically."

"Fine."

"Oh, and remember, Legund, you find a friend, you bring it home."

"No."

Azrael snorted. "Breaking orders, are we?"

"I proposed a trade, not a kidnapping."

"The guys do their job and you do yours then you're all free to live your pathetic lives. It's that simple."

"The guys for her, my last offer."

"Oh, _another _female?" He sounded too intrigued and Namarra cringed. She probably shouldn't have mentioned that.

"Azrael."

"I can't spare them now. And besides, I think we'll be seeing each other again pretty soon."

"What's that supposed to mean?" He didn't respond and she tried not to get frustrated. "No deal. I'll do it my own way."

He laughed, one of the more genuine sounds she had ever heard cross between his lips. "Because you're doing so well with that so far. Enjoy your rebellious stage, little Chicabo, and remember my offer." The line went dead. Namarra's attention went instantly to her surroundings. If Eclipse had heard that conversation, she would be in some pretty deep shit. _Then again_, she thought, trying to remember where the street was with all the downed power lines, _maybe she'd understand._

* * *

The Berserker's pistol followed Namarra until she stepped out of range. Even if she had only heard the Natural's side of the conversation, it wasn't hard to know what she was talking about. _Who _she was talking to made all the difference because Murata Azrael was a well-known enemy, especially considering his role in Orb's destruction. If Namarra was playing for two teams, she should just kill her now and get it over with. Backstabbing the others was fine by Eclipse's standards, but backstabbing her was something the Berserker couldn't tolerate.

Switching the safety on the gun, she leaned back against the brick wall and rubbed a finger across her lips. It didn't sound like Namarra was going to try and capture her anymore—and she really couldn't blame the girl for using Eclipse to protect her brothers—but she had to start being a little more careful. Perhaps Namarra's sudden impulse to stay in Orb wasn't as unplanned as she had originally thought. Regardless, the Natural was in over her head, and the last thing Eclipse needed was a stupid teammate. This must be one of those moronic movements she had warned Namarra about, so perhaps it was about time the two Berserkers had a serious chat.

* * *

**_A/N:_** Hey guys, I know this chapter took a little longer than usual, but it's been a very depressing month for me and writing has been on the back burner for a while now. Not to mention whatever I write doesn't really sound like me so I have to edit it constantly. It's been…frustrating on many levels and not all of it writing. Anyway, enough of my depressing life, let's move onto Lexi and Namarra's.

We see a bit more of Namarra in this chapter and she's officially become a main character since most of it is in her POV. Yay for her, she's moving up on the importance scale! You'll be seeing a lot more of her from here on out so I hope you all like her.

As I'm sure you guessed, this chapter was pretty action oriented. Practically a 180 degree switch from the last one where there was more lighthearted fun. Not anymore because it's about time we start bringing things to a close. Alright, I take that back, there _might _be some more fun, but no guarantees!

Thanks for all the support even through the long-ish breaks. I really appreciate the patience because life really sucks sometimes and while it's nice to retreat to the back areas of my mind and hide, it's not always realistic. Thanks for enjoying my mental vacations.

Shout out to my betas _CSSStravag, Death-Scimitar_, and _Maderfole_ for helping me through all this.

* * *

**_Corrections to the Narrative:_**

I really don't think I changed anything to the timeline itself, merely strayed away from it so I could do my own thing and make the days go by a little faster. Besides, having Lexi come back and hear Athrun went off alone to confront his father and got shot for it just sounds like so much fun.

* * *

**_Questions/Gripes:_**

Not many gripes, it seems, and I really appreciate that. I'm also glad to see you all liked the flow to the chapter and Strip Go Fish was a matter of necessity. There was just no way I _wasn't _gonna do it.

* * *

Thanks, guys, for all the support and I'll see you in the next chapter!

_Strata_


	50. Idiot's Guide to Babysitting

Idiot's Guide to Babysitting

_Day 3_

Namarra's eyes wavered as she looked out the car window. She didn't want to fall asleep, but at the same time she was so damn tired. Her body still ached from the explosion and scrunched in the back seat of downed sedan was only as comfortable as the seatbuckles jamming into her back. It was better shelter than the burning playscape she had fallen unconscious near before, but with a prowling Berserker around, "safe" was more of a concept than a reality.

_Then again_, the Natural thought, shaking her head and patting her cheeks to keep her eyelids from drooping, _Lexi hasn't even showed._ Namarra had lost track of time a while ago, but it had to have been nearly three days since the two of them had come to Mendel and she doubted Eclipse would have changed back to her normal self. Not without a jolt, that is. Whatever had happened—whether her parents' death was enough trauma to push the Berserker out—was enough to give her other half strength to take over completely. If she had still been in the military, the switch might have been more on the positive end, but sleeping around a bunch of peace-loving Orb and Earth Forces renegades probably appealed too much. But now that she was wandering about with no babysitter, Namarra had to step into the role and shock her back to existence. Somehow, she doubted any normal person would willingly have her babysit a child from here on out.

Her stomach rumbled as she rubbed her eyes, knowing her belly wasn't the only body part complaining, but she figured she should appease something. Opening the car door, she caught herself as she stumbled out, taking a moment to assess the damage before limping off to find some kind of grocery store. The walk was eerily silent and—since her hearing had finally returned to normal—she felt her sore muscles tense at every shifting stone.

Thankfully, she didn't have to walk much further to find a store—a soft whine was what brought it to her attention—but the door was jammed tight when she went to open it. The low drone of an alarm murmured through the crack in the doorframe, just loud enough to be annoying, but since it had been running so long, the sound was wearing out. It sounded more like moaning dog, at the point where someone should put a bullet to its head and stop the suffering.

"Of course," she muttered, taking a couple of steps back and picking up a loose cement chunk from off the street. Tossing it up twice, she got the feel of it and started ramming it into a weak corner of the door. It was long, tiresome, and no doubt causing quite the racket, but it was most likely the closest place for miles. Her injuries still throbbed and scouting out another area seemed like more wasted effort. She would hit the door, stop and listen, then continue until there was enough of a give to kick the doorframe in and step inside.

It was only a small drug store—four aisles in front of a register with cigarettes and lottery tickets lining the wall—but there were three good things about it, food, beverages, and a bathroom. "Oh, thank God," she said and limped towards the back hallway. It was amazing how much the little things were missed.

The alarm quieted the second she shut the door and, welcoming the brief semi-silence, she leaned back against the wall. Her leg throbbed by that point, a painful reminder that no matter what demon swam below the surface, she was still human and very brittle. Cursing, she scanned the room to occupy her mind.

Everything was, surprisingly, clean. For the place being a small store, she didn't expect it to be sparkly and after all the years it had been abandoned, she didn't even think the plumbing would be working. A toilet was a toilet at that point, but she couldn't help the amazement on her face when she pushed down the handle and watched the water swirl away. "For once I'm impressed with my own genetic comrades. Congrats, Naturals, you still have a working toilet on a dead satellite." Laughing, she washed her hands—mainly to get the blood and grime off—and was about to test the dryer when the alarm gave a high-pitched squeal and died. Namarra tensed and refused to move, her dripping fingers spreading a mixture of clear and light red water onto the tiled floor. Most of her prayed for a power shortage, but still seeing the light on above her head made her curse.

Getting shanked on the toilet was so overrated.

Knock, knock.

Namarra jumped. She probably wouldn't admit it to anyone who asked in the future, but her hand jerked to the handle as her heels sat back onto the ground. She covered it up well, but still had to take a calming second before turning the handle. She hid behind the door as she opened it and peeked through the gap near the hinges. Thankfully, Eclipse wasn't there pointing a gun at her, but she did see someone ducking through the aisles, making her—or his—way to the door.

"Hey!" the Natural shouted but the only response she got was the Berserker's toothy grin as she slipped through the door and out of sight.

Namarra should have followed her, but with an empty stomach and injuries in desperate need of bandages—not to mention pain killers—she wouldn't be leaving the store for a while yet.

After walking around to gather her supplies, she set them down on the counter and frowned. A note with some other packaged food was already lying there, the groceries spaced out and labeled as the eight food groups. Frowning, Namarra picked up the letter.

_ Remember to keep your strength up and lay off the drugs; you're tougher than that. We'll be seeing each other very soon!_

_ Bob_

_ Oh, and don't forget to eat your meat._

The Natural knew what was going to be under the slip labeled "meat" before she even looked, but she still—despite her psychological intelligence—felt her eyes trickle in that direction.

Two more of Melanie's fingers.

"Son of a bitch!"

* * *

The Berserker stretched as she walked up the stairs. Screwing with Namarra was quickly becoming a favorite pastime. She had no idea why her comrade had decided to pitch camp in the back seat of a car, but Eclipse was definitely going to make the most of her situation. Opening her apartment on the second floor, she traced her fingers fondly over her bloody signature and shut the door.

Stretching again, she started peeling off her clothes, dancing her way to the bathroom with a trail of garments littering the floor behind her. They were already beat up anyway, so after the drug store she had done some shopping at the mall. The outfits weren't stylish, per se, but she could make the most of them. Naked, she braced herself on the window frame in her living room as she pulled off her last sock and threw it next to the other one. She smiled and waved through the glass to the dangling corpse just outside. "Lovely day, isn't it, Melanie?" She was going to continue the conversation like some puppeteer longing for company, but stopped, her smile flipping to a frown.

A silhouette moved on the other rooftop. She doubted any animals still roamed around so it had to be human based on the size and female, seeing its ponytail flip up then down as it ducked behind some debris. Eclipse would have noticed if Namarra had followed her back, so it had to be someone else. "If that's who I think it is," she growled, "Namarra better _not _lay off those painkillers after all."

* * *

Namarra pulled her phone out of her pocket for the fifth time in as many hours. She had had one bar left roughly five hours and two minutes ago when she had turned it off and knew it would take that much energy just to turn the damn thing back on. She wasn't expecting any calls so she was going to save it for an emergency, but hadn't anticipated it to die so soon. Maybe the grenade did more damage than originally shown.

Sighing, she shifted on the tiled floor and reached up to her earpiece. "Chicabo App, tell me the date and time."

"Date, July 2 Greenwich Mean Time is 1900 hours and our current position is four hours earlier."

"So, 1500 hours? Why didn't you just say that in the first place?" There was no response and the Natural sighed, imagining the Decay shrugging in the hangar. Eclipse had warned Namarra about the potential bitchiness, but, in her mind, machines and personalities really didn't go together. She thought differently now. Rolling onto her back she popped a potato chip into her mouth. "How far are Athrun and Waltfeld from your current position?"

"No one with either name is currently on board."

_So, they're not there yet. _She had figured as much, but thought she would ask anyway. Groaning, she shifted back over to lie on her stomach when the chip went down wrong and coughing on her back did about as much as drinking water as a person drowned. "What about Lathan?"

"Confined to quarters."

"Dare I ask why?"

"Tried jumping ship when everyone was ordered to stay aboard."

Namarra cursed. He had probably tried to find them or something, especially since their cryptic call to Erika and how neither of them had bothered checking in. Paranoid big brother was being—well—paranoid. It was amazing he survived her whole military career. "Anyone else try pulling together a search party?'

"The Orb Princess."

"That's a given." The Natural took a big gulp of her water bottle, not having enough guts to try anything else in the store. Then again, perhaps that was more smarts than courage given the amount of time they had been stored there. Refrigeration or no, things spoil. "Would you be able to tell if Lexi had contacted the Stealth?"

"Yes, we are the same program so we have a shared database."

"So, have they made contact?"

"No."

Well, that was both a relief and a disappointment. Good because that meant she wasn't sending the Stealth around the ships and wreaking havoc, but bad because it could mean she tore the earpiece out completely. Berserkers weren't above masochism, after all.

"Could you tell me if they were still connected?"

"If the mobile piece was destroyed, Coffee Addict's performance stats would drop dramatically."

"And have they?"

"Negative."

There was a chance it might work then. Crawling to her knees, she sat back on her ankles, staring at the bag with a red cross just behind the counter. "Chicabo, would you be able to talk Addict into something?" It was rather funny how she had been reduced to speaking to her machine like it was another human being. Sooner or later they would probably end up having to bribe them with repairs or weaponry in order to get their cooperation.

"Most likely."

Namarra smiled and shoved another chip into her mouth. "Perfect. I have an idea on how to bring back our charming redhead."

* * *

The Berserker had hoped for a longer, more relaxing shower, but with that other shadow running around, she couldn't put her bloodlust at rest. Killing another Berserker was still at the bottom of her list of lifetime achievements so she had to take her frustration out on someone. If there was some wounded prey scampering about, she had to hunt it.

After putting on a new outfit, she headed to the door. Bending down, she double knotted the ties on her knee-high boots and readjusted her black tank top before running a hand through her damp hair. Pulling at her gloves, she left the apartment, blowing a kiss to Melanie's corpse.

* * *

Namarra ducked back around the corner when she saw Eclipse leaving the apartment building. She had no idea how she could have missed such an obvious hiding spot but the Natural didn't have much time to wallow. The Berserker looked to be going on some kind of mission, so to speak, and Namarra planned on taking full advantage. Eclipse had even bothered to get a new outfit for the occasion so her trek had to be more for pleasure and pain than necessity.

Namarra inched further behind the corner and listened to Eclipse as she skipped out of sight. Her creeped out meter was still high when it came to the Berserker so the Natural was unsure when it came to reading her moves. Eclipse could be balking and just leading Namarra into a trap, but that was more of a thing the redhead would do, not her other half. It was a small comfort when she realized that, but she still waited another ten minutes before opening the door to the apartment building.

"Chicabo, tell me if Lexi contacts Addict."

"Roger that."

Namarra had seen a lot in her military career, but the apartment stairwell was still a sight. The first things she noticed were the bloody footprints littering the entryway. There was a carpet the ugly shade of puke green, but it was more like a runner going down the middle of the hall and stopping at the first step. The footprints, however, danced on either side of it, the owner probably liking her paint job better than the grey cement. What Namarra found most disturbing though was not so much the fact that the prints were there, more like they were of bare feet and not boots. The outline was so pronounced she found herself stepping around them, not wanting the crazy person to know she had been there.

On the stairs was a dried stream of brown, but Namarra knew better than to think it was paint. Taking a breath, she swallowed hard and put mind over matter when she started gagging from the stench. Poor ventilation was probably a good reason for the smell, and somehow the Natural doubted Eclipse had cracked open any windows. Stepping forward, she took a giant stride over the mushy carpet at the base of the stairs and headed up.

The next stairwell had even more blood than the first, a giant pool of it sitting at the corner base. Taking a closer look, Namarra could see some curlicues off to the side of the pool along with skid marks and a handprint on the wall. More prints were smeared on the way up and it looked like the middle finger was missing from most of them.

"Well, shit."

She checked each room, but all of them were locked save for the furthest one across from the next stairwell. It didn't take long to figure out that was where her comrade was staying. Hesitating a moment, Namarra stared at the designs drawn on the door. Most were just elegant swirls, but the phrase, "Home Sweet Home," smeared in blood onto the door made her mouth grow dry. The trail leading down to a severed finger made her shiver, just thinking of how the Berserker wrote all of that with the handprint's missing middle digit.

"Damn, you're creepy," the Natural whispered and pushed open the door, trying not to rub her body against anything.

A trail of tattered clothing led her inside to a modest apartment. There was a couch, a kitchenette, a bedroom in the back and a bathroom. The clothes led to the bath and—now squirming from how dirty she remembered she felt—the idea of cleaning up didn't sound too bad. If the Berserker didn't shank her on the toilet, maybe the shower was a safe zone too. There were some other shirts lying on the couch and Namarra looked down at her own. While it still functioned as a piece of clothing, the burnt holes were starting to fray and expand, allowing for a nice breeze to chill the ointment under the bandages there. Shrugging, she sat down on the couch and checked them out. Holding one up, she twisted it towards the window and slowly brought it down. Two feet were plastered against the glass and as the shirt dropped, Namarra saw the awkward twist in the back as it arched to bring the upper torso forward. Its knees were hooked over some draping power lines, looking amazingly acrobatic considering the circumstances. The body was black—so nudity was only a guess—and still whole save for the fingers missing from both hands dangling to the sides. The forehead was leaning against the glass as well, eyes merely bloodied sockets and a hole through its open mouth to the back of its head. The flames must have burned the gap wider because it wasn't a perfect circle.

Namarra gulped and slowly stood, feeling the fabric grow moist from her sweating hands. Melanie's corpse was dangling upside down in the Berserker's living room window and the curtains were tied off to the side, displaying the body like a prized animal mounted above a mantle.

"Oh, Lexi, I hope you don't know what the Berserker's been up to." The Natural backed up and headed to the bathroom. She would need to place her trap eventually, but right now she had to adjust to what she was looking at. "I'm gonna shower," she said, feeling it was respectable in some way to let Melanie know her plans. "If you need anything," she paused, glancing at the open mouth, "just whistle."

Smiling briefly, she left the room and closed the bathroom door quietly behind her, not wanting to disturb the dead.

* * *

_Day 4_

The Berserker wasn't sure where to begin searching for that strange shadow, but somehow she knew it would come to her. Call it arrogance. "Come out, come out, wherever you are!" There was no response and Eclipse climbed up onto a car then hoisted herself up to a garage roof in order to get a better view.

She had walked all the way to some housing complex. With the size restrictions on satellites, this kind of a complex was improbable, but sometimes the citizens' happiness was more important. They weren't large houses—about the size of a typical one-story on Earth—but they were expensive. Basically, only the rich could afford such establishments, so what may seem like the low-end on Earth was the high-end in space. The insides were no joke, however, having more useless gadgets than mobile suits built solely for ceremonial purposes.

There were approximately twenty homes in this complex and one of them _had _to house the silhouette. This place was only an hour walk to a space port and—from what she could remember—near a very ritzy hotel with a ballroom to kill for.

Eclipse frowned with the thought. "Alright, c'mon! Which one are you?"

It wasn't a response so much as a mistake. A car alarm went off nearby, the suspect probably not aware most of the vehicles in this complex had one—let alone one that was working. Looking down at the car she had just climbed up on, Eclipse shrugged. Perhaps hers had died. That one alarm caused a chain reaction, however, making it hard to pinpoint the exact vehicle, but she didn't have to look long when she saw someone running down the street behind the garage she was standing on. Cursing, she looked for the quickest way down. She found the safest, the deadliest, the slowest and the most fun, but none of them were overly quick. Seeing her prey gaining some distance, she took the most risky path.

Leaning onto the balls of her feet, she crouched down and leapt forward. Grabbing onto a hanging branch, she used her momentum to fling herself over the backyard fence and into the next property. It wasn't called the risky plan for nothing because on the way down her boot lace snagged on the top of the fence. Her hands hit the side of the wood before her face did, but she was now hanging upside down with her prey getting away.

"Damn double knots," she grumbled, steadying her body so she could reach up and untie herself. Holding her breath, she swung and twisted her free leg up, hooking her ankle on the top. Now having a hold, she used her arms to help crawl herself up until the knee was hooked between the boards. With a more stable base, she crunched her abs and lifted her upper torso to be at eye level with the snag. The lace was jammed in between two spokes; in there so good Eclipse knew she'd never get it out in time. Cursing, she pulled out her knife, held onto the fence with her left hand and cut the laces. Finally free, she dropped down and ran into the street to see if her adversary was still in sight.

Gone.

"Son of a bitch!" she shouted, kicking her foot and watching with vague amusement as the boot did somersaults in the air. Leave it to some personal obsession to screw her over. _But maybe I can make the best of it,_ she thought, swinging her leg back and forth as she petted the cement with her toes. "Fine then, it's a race. Let's see who can get to the port first." Smirking—feeling a bit better about her mishap—she started humming Heine's song, pumping herself up for the chase. Bending down, she picked up the boot, tightened the laces once she put it on, stretched, and then started at a jog.

* * *

Eclipse had been gone quite a while, at least longer than Namarra had expected. It was good because the Natural's preparations had given her a bit of trouble, but the wait was still unnerving. After sifting through Eclipse's new clothes and getting squeaky clean in the shower, she had to find some durable—preferably plastic—twine and cut it into various pieces. She had to tie at least one end to something sturdy and shove the other side out of sight. She hadn't gotten far when she decided to shut the curtains over Melanie's corpse, still a bit unnerved by her eyeless stare. She could understand how the Berserker would find some kind of aesthetic value in it, but Namarra decided it looked better hidden. Now, everything was set, the small, red-crossed case within easy reach and the two CA systems ready for the go ahead. All they needed now was the psycho.

Shrugging—deciding to make the best of the situation—Namarra jumped onto the couch and shut her eyes. If the Berserker had taken that much care to dress up, perhaps she was going to be out for a while. Might as well get some proper shut eye since the backseat of a vehicle is far from comfortable.

* * *

Eclipse had been running for a good half hour to an hour, but she had yet to gain any ground on her prey. She wasn't entirely sure how far away her position was from the apartment, but she was determined to take her time walking back. Maybe waste another day or two and let Namarra rot—and heal, for that matter—that way she could spend a little time in luxury and enjoy the fact that the Natural was quivering in the back of that immobile tin can.

Taking a moment, she stopped, cursing the injuries she had obtained and the lack of endurance from all the days stuck in a bed. Both halves were to blame, the Berserker knew, but she hated how fragile her body was. Stretching, she checked her surroundings and frowned when she realized she was in an office-infested area. The business sector meant she was near the port, but somehow the new-found congestion was annoying. More places to look, more places to hide, and more adrenaline to waste.

Grand.

Stretching again, she was about to start up the chase once more when she took a step and the ground shattered, her mind falling backwards as her breath slowed then stopped. A scream echoed in the Berserker's head, growing louder and closer as the time passed, but she knew it couldn't have come from her mouth, because it felt as if a greasy rag had been shoved between her teeth. Blinking, she knew she had to push the darkness away, but she had fallen too deep into her subconscious. _Shit, shit, shittity, shit._

"I'm coming back."

The Berserker paused, realizing the screaming had stopped; however, no matter how threatening her other half sounded, she couldn't help the smirk. "Courage is nothing more than ignorance to the weak," she said, her mouth sluggishly muttering the words.

"You can consider me naïve," the voice continued and the Berserker felt a cold hand touch her shoulder, "but never weak." The fingers tightened its grip and a frigid wind blew across her face. Flinching, she tried to see some kind of source, but saw nothing. The presence was there, though, the scariest thing the Berserker had met in years.

"Your time's running thin."

"So says the big bad whisper," she mocked.

Two silver eyes opened in front of hers, eyelashes combing up her cheeks as the pupils focused, stared, then narrowed.

The Berserker snapped back, the darkness melting away to the rural scenery she had come so accustomed to. Staggering, she stumbled over to a parked car and braced herself. She gagged, spit on the cement then cursed, making her way to the port once more. The car alarm erupted behind her, tearing a frustrated scream from her throat.

This time, the Berserker heard Eclipse laugh.

* * *

Namarra awoke to the most disturbing scream. Disturbing it the way that her own throat ached with the effort. She had been told of her apparent night terrors, but had never believed the stories until she felt the air scratch against her dry mouth and hear the sound echo against the silent room. She jumped awake, thinking the Berserker was going to be standing over her or something, but—thankfully—there was no sign of her. Sighing, Namarra lied back against the cushions and stared at the ceiling. "I wonder where she is," she said, rubbing her eyes and yawning once more. "What do you think, Melanie?" She stopped herself before turning to look at the window. A part of her feared the corpse would actually talk back and another part of her wondered when the hell Eclipse's insanity had rubbed off on her.

Shivering, she dozed back off to sleep.

* * *

The Berserker didn't even see her prey until she walked into the terminal. For the sake of looking like Earth, the space terminals were much like airports on the surface. The only differences were the airlocks, gravity fields and shuttles instead of airplanes. There were still bookstores, bars and luxurious bathrooms, just little more space-conscious. It was amazing how much the outer satellites had tried to copy its original homeland.

Eclipse stepped into the main lobby and took the stairs up to the digital screening area. She could have taken the escalator, but somehow the moving stairwell seemed like cheating and since she had no baggage besides a couple of concealed knives and handguns, taking the steps two at a time was a welcomed diversity from jogging on a flat surface. Taking the hallway next to the screening machines she secretly hoped they would beep or something in order to scare her prey into the open, but she never stepped close enough to set off their alarms. As it stood, the Berserker had no idea where to even start looking. There were roughly seven hangars: two for shipping, two for commercial travel, two for personal shuttles and one left over for emergency military transportation.

Eclipse stood at the trunk of all those branches, looking down each hallway for some kind of sign. Cursing, she didn't find anything until she spun two 360 degree circles and stopped at a small tourist shop. Some of the munchies were messed up and thrown onto the floor near the display. The trash was so similar to the carpet she almost overlooked it, but a corner was bent up against the wooden display, giving off enough variation the Berserker was able to spot it. Looking back down the halls, she saw a piece of the same wrapper and started sprinting towards the shipping docks. Her prey was either sloppy or in a hurry and—judging by her careful undertaking the rest of the chase—she was starting to panic. Leaving a trail was a novice mistake.

Turning the last corner, the Berserker was forced to duck behind some abandoned shipping crates when a bullet ricocheted off the wall next to her head. It wasn't a bad shot, but when Eclipse heard the gun fall useless to the ground she laughed. "Really? You had one bullet left and you wasted it on _that _shot?" As expected, there was no reply and she jumped out of her cover to dive into a forward roll, only to feel herself spinning towards the opposite end of the dock. Someone had switched off the gravity and—based on the shushing of a shuttle door closing—was about to open the outside hatch. No matter how impressive the Berserker was, she couldn't survive in space in her current condition.

Her back hit the top of one crate, forcing her to ricochet off at a less than advantageous angle. Reaching out, her fingers barely brushed the end of the crate and—by mere luck most likely—the seam of her right glove snagged on the wood. With no gravity, it was enough to stop her momentum but she was still running out of escape paths. Her only real option was to flee back to the hallway before it locked, but since her tumble to the other side of the hangar, she would never make it in time. Cursing, she took off her glove and looked for an alternative. Secretly, she was impressed by the trap, but still didn't make any plans to be turned inside out and frozen. There was a door with a blinking red light behind her roughly a hard shove away.

It would do.

Kicking off, she grasped the handle and turned it, pulling herself inside before the light went completely red and the door locked automatically. Sighing, she leaned backwards and—expecting a wall—tried to calm herself down. However, she tumbled backwards again—she would have to check her sense of balance—and hit some more stairs. With the shuttle still beginning its preparations, Eclipse figured she had a little time to try another sabotage. Smirking, she turned and pushed herself up to the next room, smiling when she saw it was some kind of control room. A large window stood between her and the hangar, the leaving shuttle now closer to its take off.

_Finally, some good luck_, she thought and stared down at the panel. Rubbing her hands together, she was about to just start pushing buttons when she noticed she needed some kind of password to override the shuttle's preparations. The hatch was halfway open by that time and the craft was already inching its way out. Whoever was on that ship had thought ahead because there was no way the Berserker could figure out the password in time.

"Damn it!" she yelled, pounding her fists against the panel. How could she have let her prey escape? She had never lost to such an adversary; one at least two steps ahead of her. Perhaps she was losing her touch, but even she had confidence her counterpart wouldn't screw things up _that _badly. "Damn it!"

"I'll…et…for…illing…sist…."

The Berserker glared down at the speaker. Based on that statement alone, she was certain it was the other Lust girl. Namarra had grown weak indeed if she had let her adversary escape. All she was asked to do was kill the girl, but no, she had to let her get away and now she was probably going to skip back to her comrades.

And Eclipse couldn't even track her.

"Fuck you!" she shouted back at the speaker, but knew the girl couldn't hear her since she didn't press the outgoing button. "Fuck you, fuck you, fuck you, fuck you!" she repeated and kicked the panel. It buzzed loudly and sputtered some sparks, but nothing could stop the departure, only piss off Eclipse when one of those sparks nicked her hand. The hatch closed a couple of minutes later and Phoebe was gone.

The Berserker was _not _pleased.

* * *

Namarra sneezed and squeezed her arms closer to her chest.

_I hope it's the guys who are thinking about me_. She sneezed again and shivered. With her brothers in the state of mind that they were, they probably didn't even remember her let alone have a conscious thought about her existence. The people on the _Archangel_ and _Kusanagi_ kind of knew her, but doubted she frequently aired in their daydreams. Lathan was a rare older brother figure, but he was probably more concerned about Eclipse than her rag-tag teammate. So, that left the Berserker.

_Oh shit._

She sneezed again.

* * *

_Day 5_

Namarra was bored.

Her mind had gotten tired of fear and went straight to physical laziness. It had gotten so bad the Natural found herself folding Eclipse's clothes and organizing them by color and style on the coffee table. When that was done, she took a break to eat and found herself back at the drug store munching on something close to popcorn. She was careful walking back to the apartment, but there was still no sign of her fellow psychopath.

"Damn it, Lexi! Where are you?" Shouting was normally satisfying, but not even the echo was amusing this time. "Chicabo—"

"No, now stop asking!" the automatic voice bitched back.

She gave another frustrated scream.

* * *

The washcloth slipped from the Berserker's eyes, her cheekbones pushing the fabric off center as they rose in a smile. "I think she's getting bored," she muttered, folding her hands back behind her head after she switched the hot tub on for one more massage session. She wasn't as far from the Natural's hideout as Namarra probably suspected, so the scream held a delicious tone the Berserker found herself toasting to. She raised the glass in her hand and downed the wine. Why waste such a good opportunity to do a little pampering? After all, her other half had been neglecting their body for nearly a year, so it was about time the knots in her neck loosened and her fingernails actually resembled something other than crusty red-brown.

Oh wait, that was her fault.

Eclipse smiled as Namarra screeched again and put the washcloth back over her eyes. Let her stress 'd go beat the shit out of her eventually.

* * *

In all reality, it was a choice between evils. Namarra could go through with her plan and—hopefully—bring the real Eclipse back, but the hand-to-hand for that fight sounded painful. If she chickened out and waited for Eclipse to come back on her own, who knew how bored she could get and—since the Natural was the only one really around—guess who was the perfect target? Quick torture and possible failure? Or prolonged suffering for—well, she really had no idea.

She was determined to debate it even longer, but finally one of her window staring sessions—the one _opposite_ Melanie's corpse, obviously—ended up being fruitful. The Berserker was walking down the street, her stride a cross between a skip and an angry stomp. It was hard to tell her mood based on that spectrum of emotions, so Namarra just sighed. No matter what, things were about to get very complicated. Somehow, she had to get Eclipse onto the floor and wrap the twine around her wrists. An easy—and probably kinky in any other circumstance—task in theory, but really tackling the Berserker to the ground wasn't going to be _that _simple. Hell, _tackling_ her wasn't going to be easy, let alone to the floor.

The Natural sighed. "I'm screwed."

There were two options: catching her by surprised and hope to overpower the Berserker or seriously wound Eclipse and hope her medical skills weren't too rusty. Surprise seemed like the opportune plan, but somehow injuring the Berserker sounded like the smarter option of the two.

Sighing again, Namarra shrugged and crouched down in the little space between the back side of the door and the bar. Simplistic? Maybe, but those plans seemed to work better than her more elaborate ones.

Eclipse whistled as she climbed the stairs, an eerie melody Namarra hadn't heard before. Given her wide range of the music repertoire, that was surprising, but she didn't have much time to think on the short comings in her life. The Berserker must have taken the stairs two at a time because she was there quickly, but she took her sweet time opening the door.

Namarra—antsy as she was—took a couple of the steadying breaths, but she hadn't expected the hesitation. The Berserker was smart, apparently.

Too smart.

There was a loud thud and the Natural jerked her head to the side, looking across towards the bar and down a little bit near her left hip. Half a blade was sticking through the wall and based on its size and shape, Eclipse had decided to do some machete shopping.

_Shit_, she thought and started shuffling away from the wall when the blade started moving forward and then back quickly, sawing its way towards her. _So much for the surprise option_. As quietly as she could, Namarra looked for another good ambush spot, but the machete had been pulled from the wall and Eclipse was already opening the door. Namarra was stuck in the middle of the entryway, the bar to her right, a hallway behind her and a couch to her left. In front of her was the Berserker flipping the machete up into the air and casually catching it.

"Seriously?" Namarra whined.

"What?" Eclipse caught the blade and shrugged. "_You _broke in."

"At least you didn't say something korny like, 'Honey, I'm home!'" The Natural rolled her eyes, faking interest and devising a Plan C. Somehow, seriously injuring the Berserker didn't seem like a good idea when _she_ was the one with the big ass blade.

"I figured we were past all the pleasantries." Eclipse walked into the apartment.

"Hence the pumpkin carving in the wall?"

"That's mainly for letting the Lust girl get away. You're lucky I enjoy the personal touch and it wasn't a shotgun in my hand."

Namarra really couldn't argue that one. Turning, she lunged to the side and tumbled over the back of the couch down to the front as the Berserker attacked. Eclipse's first chop hit the top of the sofa, narrowly missing the Natural's left shoe and welding the blade so far in it stuck. Cursing, she ducked behind the piece of furniture just as Namarra threw a high heel from the coffee table at her.

The Natural's attack missed, but it gave her enough time to go for the blade. Stepping onto the cushions she ran back up the couch cushions and jumped down at the Berserker squatting there. Eclipse bailed backwards toward the bar and Namarra grabbed the machete's handle. She was hoping her momentum would help pull the weapon out, but instead it jerked her backwards, the blade barely budging.

Eclipse ran to the small dining table and grabbed the back of one chair as Namarra was regaining her balance. Dragging it out in front of her, the Berserker twisted her body and slung the chair at the Natural.

Having no other options, Namarra abandoned the weapon and dove off towards the hall. A chair leg clipped her left arm as she dodged and the back of the seat hit her hip. It cracked painfully against the bone, but she didn't have time to digest the damage since that throw had dislodged the machete and the Berserker was already two steps from picking it up. Cursing, she scrambled towards the bathroom door—nearest one in the hallway—and held back her panic. She didn't get far, Eclipse grabbing her foot and pulling her backwards.

Namarra almost screamed, but forced herself to think instead. Eclipse was—most likely—pulling her in for an instant kill, so she had to time herself perfectly or—well—have a blade wedge itself into her ribcage. At the exact moment, the Natural twisted to avoid the machete thrust and grabbed Eclipse's hand once the blade sunk into the floor. Digging her nails into the soft part of her wrist, Namarra kicked her free heel back at the Berserker, hoping to hit something. She didn't manage much, but at least Eclipse dropped the machete.

The Berserker—now off balance from avoiding Namarra's kick—tripped over the chair and fell onto the side table, finally making her way face first onto the floor.

The Natural didn't miss the advantage. Standing, she grabbed the twine around the bathroom handle and leapt on the downed Berserker. Namarra sat on Eclipse's back, one knee jamming into the lower back just above her tailbone. Clotho had done the move on her once a long time ago, so she knew how stunning the pressure could be in that area of her body. The more force, the less Eclipse would be able to feel from her waist down. Actually, Namarra was fairly confident she could paralyze the girl if she pushed _too_ hard.

Both hands were trying to tie the twine in a way the Berserker would have limited movement. She was doing an okay job at that, but Eclipse's struggling was becoming a bigger hindrance by the second. Namarra refocused on her elbow, jamming it into the soft area at the base of the skull, attempting to limit movement in her upper body as well.

"Almost there," she grumbled, finishing the last wrap around. She was just about done with the final knot when she felt pressure and pain on her left knee. The leg was bracing her body on the floor and with such an awkward position, she couldn't just turn and look without seriously injuring Eclipse. "Son of a—" Gritting her teeth against her bottom lip, she focused on the knot.

"Chicabo, now!" she yelled. Her suit must have complied because suddenly there was a loud "Zap!" from Eclipse's right ear. Namarra had moved her elbow just after she gave the command, not wanting to snap her comrade's neck. The jolt might as well have done her in, however, because her head jerked sideways so quickly and so awkwardly she thought she was dead on the spot. Instead, the pain in her knee increased, forcing her to lean over and bail off.

"You motherfu—" Eclipse began, but another jolt—and the twine around one wrist—crumpled her flat on the floor.

"Holy shit," the Natural breathed, glancing down at her left knee and seeing a blue dot there with the pen not too far away. It must have fallen off the side table when Eclipse hit it and Namarra was more than impressed with the Berserker's resourcefulness. The pen didn't go deep enough to puncture the skin, but it was mostly an attack to the pressure point anyway.

Eclipse recovered while Namarra was checking the wound and was lunging at the Natural before she could get up a defense. "Ch-Chicabo!" she yelled again, noticing how Eclipse's eyes had failed to go back to normal.

The Berserker managed a hold, sitting on the Natural's stomach with her one arm bent awkwardly behind her, the rope around her wrist attached to a door handle across the hall. Her shoulder jutted forward, as her face moved in closer to Namarra's, a thumb up and back against the Natural's throat. "You little bitch!" she hissed, drool sputtering down her chin and dripping onto Namarra's cheeks. Her mouth opened in a feral grin, making her look like nothing more than a rabid beast. "You _honestly_," her grip tightened, "thought that,' her thumb twisted so her nail dug into the skin, "you could—"

"Zap!"

Namarra knew she owed Coffee Addict big time. Scrambling away from the Berserker—who had convulsed and tumbled off to the side—she grabbed the bag she had hidden and flipped it open. The defibrillator had already been charging so she grabbed the two paddles and—thanks to some movie clichés—rubbed them together. Turning, she saw Eclipse kneeling on the floor and shaking her head. Her face was contorted in pain—and given the amount of voltage running through that brain of hers the Natural wasn't surprised—but more disheartening than the scowl on her lips was the muttering slipping out. If she didn't know any better, Namarra would have said she was talking in a different language, and since she didn't know how cultured the Berserker really was, it was a strong possibility. When Eclipse opened her eyes to glare back at her comrade, the Natural thought she had gone back to normal, but her eyes bled back to their pupiless grey. Apparently, it would take more than Namarra had ever anticipated to bring back the rambunctious redhead. Based on how difficult it had been so far, she couldn't help but wonder if it was even worth it. Rubbing the paddles together again she smirked.

Alright, it had its perks.

"You'll thank me for this later!" Namarra yelled, practically lunging in her direction. She would have tackled her completely if she didn't know she'd get shocked too. Reaching out, she put the two paddles onto Eclipse's chest just below her collarbone, avoiding her poor excuse for a defense. The Berserker mouthed a curse.

"Clear!"

And collapsed.

_Ouch, I forgot the gel thingies. That's gonna leave a mark._ Namarra threw the pads off to the side and reached out to check the pulse at her neck, ignoring the burning stains on the front of Eclipse's new shirt. _So, how much voltage does it take to kill a Berserker? _Gulping, she took some steadying breaths and felt for the main artery. It took a moment for her to find it, but the blood was pulsing and Eclipse was still breathing based on her chest moving up and down. Her eyes lay open, staring blindly at the open apartment door, but they were slowly shifting back to normal. "Oh thank God. I'd hate to have failed _this_ miserably on my first babysitting adventure."

* * *

It was a strange feeling, almost like taking a breath after laughing too hard, or—in this case—the gasp after a bad dream. Eclipse's body twitched on the carpet, her arm screaming in pain as one spasm pushed her shoulder further out of joint. Gasping, she barely had enough energy to twist and put it back into place before Namarra jumped up and untied the twine from her wrist. Laying back down and staring up at the ceiling, she just focused on breathing.

"So, it _is _you, right?"

The redhead didn't respond, her free hand rising to her forehead as the other lied limply on the ground. The lumps on the ceiling seemed to move, swimming up and down in taunting arches, but the more her eyes tried to concentrate on them, the more she felt her body sway along. Closing her eyes, she tried to focus once more but one bad swallow and cough sent her retching onto the floor.

Frowning, Namarra plugged her nose and sighed. "Welcome back, Lexi."

* * *

They had changed apartments not only for the stench, but Melanie's silhouette had caused a spell of dry heaving so strong Eclipse's stomach bile was forming an acid pond on the kitchen tile. Perhaps opening the curtains for some fake sunshine hadn't been one of Namarra's better ideas.

The walk outside through the bloodbath wasn't pleasant, but Eclipse held her composure a little better that time. Then again, she really had nothing left to throw up. They were now on the first floor and on the other side of the building, just in case Melanie could still be seen.

Tossing a wet washcloth at the redhead, Namarra pulled up a wooden chair next to the couch and sat down. "Here," she said, holding out a glass of water too. "You done puking? Because I don't feel like picking another lock."

Eclipse attempted a shrug and grabbed the water. She took a drink before responding, cringing and shivering as she felt the left over bile trickle back down her throat. "What time is it?"

"Hah, I'm thinking you mean what _day_ is it."

Eclipse frowned. "How long, Nam?"

"In about two hours it'll be six days."

She choked on her next sip and Namarra grabbed one of the seat cushions as a blast shield. The redhead, however, kept everything down. "Fuck."

"Something like that. Do you know how exhausting it is to be around your Berserker?"

"More like scary, right?" Eclipse opened the washcloth and threw it over her whole face. "I saw everything."

The Natural sighed. Normally a bunch of bitchy comments would come to mind, but knowing the struggle first hand, sarcasm seemed more like torture than comic relief. "I was afraid of that."

Eclipse sighed as well, sounding more frustrated than anything. Her stomach cramped with the memories, but there was nothing to vomit. Besides, she was slowly moving beyond the emotional attachment to the cold distance, a place she hadn't been in nearly a year.

"How're your injuries?"

"I'll live," Namarra replied, pulling the cushion back down once the false alarm was over. "What'cha thinking?"

"I just want go back."

"To the _Archangel_?"

"To somewhere not here."

Amazingly, that made a lot of sense and the Natural stood, stretching as she did. "Then you have to get off your ass." The only thing seen outside the washcloth was Eclipse's smile. It was small, but still a comfort. Maybe they'd both survive this after all.

"You're a bitch."

"I said it before, but I'll say it again, welcome back, Lexi. Someone help us if you pull that stunt again, though."

_Someone help _me _if it happens again._

The Berserker just laughed in the background.

* * *

Eclipse had no real injuries—at least nothing fatal—but her muscles ached more than anything she had remembered feeling. Most of it she knew was from being electrified, but some was still from the pulled muscles the Berserker so happily gave her. Too bad her other half never had the chance to feel the pain the redhead did. If she did, perhaps she'd tone it down a bit.

"Damn it. Are we there yet?"

"Why are you complaining? You didn't get electrified. Twice."

"Four times, actually, but who's counting? Besides, that was only recently and I nearly got blown up by a grenade."

"Yeah, and you have no burn damage why?"

"I have some," Namarra corrected, stopping a moment to adjust Eclipse's arm across her shoulders. "Just no where I'd willingly show you." She grimaced and stopped again. "Can we take a break?"

Eclipse was going to say "No" for the sake of argument, but the Natural dropped her hold before she opened her mouth. The redhead was strong enough to stand on her own, but one bad shift on her hip took her down to a sitting position anyway. Breathing slowly, she watched her counterpart carefully. Since she remembered everything from her Berserker moments, she couldn't forget Namarra's conversation with Azrael. Her other half felt betrayed, but Eclipse knew better. Those three pilots meant the world to the Natural; they were family. While the redhead agreed with the Berserker in Namarra's foolishness, she understood.

Leaning back on her arms, she crossed her ankles and shifted to as comfortable a position she could on cement. "What did Azrael have to say?" Eclipse expected her to jump, but instead she took careful breaths before responding.

"I would normally ask how you knew about that, but I think the answer is fairly obvious."

Eclipse shrugged and waved her fingers as an indication to continue.

"If the Berserker heard, there's really no reason for me to explain."

"I only heard half the conversation, so feel free to elaborate."

Namarra didn't reply right away. She fingered the knife near her ankle, but the redhead's gaze shifted in that direction and she stopped, probably realizing it was too obvious of a gesture. "What did you get out of it, at least?"

"Your rash decision to join me was a cover up for betraying me to psycho number two."

"Who's psycho number one?"

"Can we stay in topic, please?"

The Natural sighed and pulled the knife out. Glancing down at the blade, she played with it as she spoke. "I'm not dumb enough to think I could get you with your whole posse watching. I joined because I _honestly_ think you can help me more than Azrael."

"So, you're saying you trust me more?"

Namarra shrugged and started picking out some dirt from under her fingernails. "Whether we like to admit it or not, we have no other options."

"Because we're both Berserkers?" Eclipse made it a question, but there was really no answer needed. No matter how risky it was to work together—if they both snapped at the same time there was no guarantee they'd come back—sticking together was smart. "So, how you gonna save them without psycho two's help?"

She itched the back of her head with the dull side of the knife. "I've been trying to come up with some kind of plan to lure them into a conversation."

"_More_ talking? I'm sorry, Nam, but that's not—"

"I know what you're gonna say, but if we fight them, it's gonna end up with someone six feet under."

"More likely obliterated," the redhead muttered, grimacing as she sat up and rested her hands on her ankles. "But the only time we see them is in their 'battle mode.' How do you expect to sit down and sip tea?"

"Fine, what's _your_ idea?" The Natural was offended, Eclipse was sure, but she wasn't about to waste her sanity on anything iffy.

"We could infiltrate their ship."

"And _that's _a better idea how?"

"You have an in."

"Hah, not anymore," she scoffed.

"With Azrael. Promise him me and let's see how well his little instruments can handle _my _other half."

"He'd never go for it."

"We can even bring Erika's research documents. That'd make more than one area moisten, I think."

Namarra watched her carefully, wrestling with the proposal. It was a little riskier than the Natural's brute force, but if Azrael stayed focused on Eclipse, Namarra would have more time to speak to her comrades. A little planning never hurt anyone.

"Is there a moment in their medication cycle when they are most normal?" The Natural looked confused so she continued. "When the dosage runs through their system, do the effects ever weaken?"

"I honestly don't know. I'd _assume_ so, but I'd hate to face Shani again on a mere assumption."

"Too bad we can't tamper with their medication or something."

"We never have direct access and even if I have time when I'm on the ship, I'd hate to hinder their battle performance and get them killed."

Eclipse sighed. "Good point." The two sat quietly for a couple seconds, running the plan over in their heads. Eventually, they would hash out a solid idea, but their minds were only strong enough for pre-assessment at the moment anyway.

"After this—if it doesn't work, I mean," the redhead corrected, "are you done? Will you _ever _see this as a lost cause?"

"I'll _never _give up on them, if that's what you're implying."

"So, even on the battlefield, you're gonna protect them? Even if they wouldn't give a damn if you were killed in the process?"

"Lexi, they're _family_."

"I understand that, but you have to figure out your limitations."

"Who else do I have besides them?"

"Oh stop being so dramatic. You know they're others, you've just not given them the chance."

Namarra frowned and stood, brushing off her pants as she held out a hand. "C'mon, let's figure all this out when we aren't grouchy and achy."

Eclipse frowned but soon grabbed the hand and swung her arm across the Natural's shoulders. "Yes, that and what to do about Lust." Now Namarra frowned and the redhead shrugged. "The only problem is, we're always grouchy and achy so I don't know how much we'll actually accomplish." The Natural snorted and started walking, dragging them both towards the port.

* * *

They talked a little bit more as they made their way back to the ships, Namarra mainly updating Eclipse on what had happened to Lathan and Athrun. The redhead was a bit pissed about Athrun skipping out to see his father, but Lathan's confinement seemed anticipated. Their latest conversation involved Eclipse's wrecked shirt and the two burn spots on her chest, but Namarra just countered with her lack of options and the redhead let it go. She would have to have someone check it out on the _Archangel_ along with her other injuries. In fact, it looked as if the duo would end up infirmary patients once again.

As they neared the port, someone was waiting for them and, amazingly enough, it was Athrun. He looked okay for the most part and the relief nearly sent Eclipse falling to her knees—since Namarra had no idea on what had really happened—but him standing there safe didn't mean she had forgotten his stupidity. After all, he had one arm in a sling and the other shaking as he pointed a firearm at them.

"Eclipse?" he asked, walking towards them. "Namarra?"

"For goodness sakes, man, put the gun away," the Natural growled, nearly dropping Eclipse. "Who'd you think it was?"

The redhead expected some snarky reply, but the pilot looked just as relieved to see them as they were him, even if Namarra wouldn't admit it.

They met each other half way and shared an awkward moment when they were so happy to see each other and probably shouldn't have been. So, they stood there, Namarra still keeping Eclipse upright with one arm around her neck and side glancing at each of them.

"So—" she began, but Eclipse reached out with her left hand and punched Athrun across the face. The Natural held her breath, watching Athrun stare at the redhead quizzically while Eclipse just glared.

"Ah," Namarra started, not liking the tense silence that followed the hit, "glad to see nothing's changed."

* * *

**_A/N: _**Hey, guess what guys I have good news this chapter! (Aside from the fact I made it to chapter 50!) I finally got a job so my stress level has dropped dramatically and I feel a little more focused on this story. I know this chapter took a while to get out, but with a combination of a ridiculous work schedule and family problems, I was lucky if I even touched the power button on my desktop let alone typed on the keyboard. I feel like I keep making excuses every time a chapter comes out, but I believe I need to give you guys some sort of explanation since you are all so diligent. I thank you all for that and I hope you enjoyed this chapter.

This part of the story has been rotting in my computer for over a month now, so I really don't like how it turned out. Many people say I'm too hard on myself when it comes to writing, but I'm always happier with my work when I don't have the opportunity to read and re-read it three millions times, waiting for my brain to develop some kind of creative kick. Surprisingly enough, I pretty much wrote this chapter once the other one was posted, but it was just in chunks and I had to piece it all together. That's time consuming in and of itself and I take full blame for not knowing what to fill in the middle sections. My characters shouldn't be blamed for any kind of boring dialogue and actions I typed then immediately deleted. Just thought I'd get that out there. :P

After reading what the unchained Berserker did in this chapter I can't help but think, if she can be this creepy on a desolate satellite with few resources, can you imagine her back on Earth or in a PLANT? A scary thought, to be sure, and that's with only one. O.o We'll have to see what the other chapters have in store for us because despite the fact that I'm "technically" running this drama, I have no idea what my characters will be doing next. We're all going to be surprised.

Special thanks to my Betas who have braved busy schedules, illness, and Psychology classes to get me some feedback. I think you all deserve some kind of vacation to a deserted island at least. (Betas: _CSSStravag, Maderfole, _and _Death-Scimitar_)

Thank you to all the readers. Your suggestions, comments, loyalty, and especially your patience are _greatly_ appreciated.

* * *

**_Corrections to the Narrative:_**

Didn't change anything again, per se, more like kept the focus on the girls besides jumping back and forth to the boredom on the Three Ship Alliance. It's my way of time traveling.

* * *

**_Questions/Gripes:_**

_OrangeP47_: I'd like to thank you for your structure comment. I know I mentioned it in my review reply, but once I looked back at the chapter, I realize you were right. There should have been some kind of interaction before Eclipse and Namarra just jumped right into the fighting. Unfortunately, I can't really go back and change it, but I _really _appreciate the insight and am keeping it in the back of my mind for future chapters.

* * *

As usual, thank you all for the support and I'll see you in the next chapter! Let's just hope Athrun isn't too sore about his "long time no see" punch.

_Strata_


	51. Morning After

Morning After

It was Athrun verses Eclipse with Namarra sitting on the cot refereeing. Well, that's what it looked like. Really, the two girls were getting their burns treated and Athrun was sitting across from the redhead waiting for an explanation regarding his pleasant greeting. He hadn't gotten a bruise—and he was probably used to her temperament by now to expect rash behavior—but a reasonable answer seemed justified.

"Eclipse."

She cringed, but mostly because the doctor was examining the burns on her chest. If Athrun had any sense of respect he may have been embarrassed to be there. Instead, he turned his back to give her some privacy and said her name again.

"You left to see your dad, dumbass, and got shot in the arm! Isn't that a good enough reason?"

"To punch me?"

She glared and his back rippled, almost as if he felt the look. She hoped he did. "You _know _I was against that."

"And _you_ make my decisions? You went AWOL after your parents died, avoiding any of my help—"

"So you left out of spite?"

"Please, Miss Rymyr, stop moving," the doctor said calmly, putting a firm arm on her shoulder to keep her steady. No doubt, the medic had ulterior motives, hoping to stop the meaningless squabble. They were frustrated and taking it out on each other.

Namarra whistled. "Okay, suddenly I entered daycare. Either that or marriage counseling." Sighing, she kicked her legs impatiently as her back was bandaged. "Overlooking the obvious relief you both feel knowing the other person is safe, did your talk accomplish _anything_, Athrun?"

"You have new allies," a gruff voice answered for him and Eclipse didn't even have to turn to know Commander Waltfeld had just joined them.

A smile cracked Eclipse's lips, but before she could say anything, the doctor scolded the older commander. "Really, gentlemen, this is no peep show. Can we have some privacy, please?"

"Seeing as you're both males as well and your hands are already fondling these fair ladies I'd shut up and let us talk." The response didn't exactly make them friends, but it made a decent enough point that he blushed and remained quiet.

Namarra whistled again and pointed back at Waltfeld near the doorway. "Now that's what _I _call a man. Can you bandage me instead?"

"Now," Waltfeld continued, ignoring the crude remark, "I'd like to do some scolding of my own."

"Hey!" the girls yelled in unison, already knowing he was talking about them. Athrun turned around as well.

"You have _no _idea what happened," Namarra argued, but not even Eclipse would back her on that one. Waltfeld always seemed to know.

The commander smiled knowingly and stopped inside so the door would close. He floated against the wall. "_Au contraire_, I have an idea, just no facts. Lexi?"

The redhead wasn't exactly sure what had made her panic, but the second her name slipped out her body tensed. The doctor made some kind of motion to make her calm down, but she didn't even notice. It was an uncomfortable feeling, involving too many flashes from her Berserker half and a foul taste seeping into her mouth. She didn't feel nauseous, more like her body wanted to make sure she remembered _every _ugly experience. It could have had something to do with her speaking the words; her own mouth admitting what she had done and seeing the horrific looks on her friends' faces. Her breath quickened.

Namarra frowned as she watched her comrade, figuring she knew Eclipse's mental dilemma. Her eyes scanned over to Athrun and was actually surprised to see how worried he looked. No doubt he had the full view of her pain, but she had seen them as more of bickering siblings—despite her jest before—than lovers. Perhaps it was just the way they were honest with each other, the blunt reality that typically tore couples apart and somehow kept friendships strong.

Lathan barged into the infirmary as the Natural observed, propelling himself past Waltfeld and steadying a hand on Athrun's good shoulder as he turned to his sister. He looked so angry Namarra was sure he was about to start his own lecture, but he just stared, silently seething as he watched the doctor apply the last of the bandages to her chest. "Lexi—"

"I know, I know! Explanations—I get it! Just—" She stopped, clenching her fists up by her face and bringing them back down into her lap. The doctor had managed to pull his arms away in time.

Namarra tensed, expecting the redhead to snap again and with this many sharp objects in a crowded room, she knew no one would get out uninjured. She looked to Waltfeld immediately, but he was comfortable, as if a raging lunatic wasn't about to lash out.

Was he just stupid?

"Just not now, got it," Lathan finished, his face softening but never losing his older brother scowl. The comment had stalled her outburst for now, but everyone—including Eclipse—knew her scolding wasn't too far off.

"Fine, later," Waltfeld agreed and the others nodded slowly just as Cagalli opened the door.

"Damn, Lexi, you're Miss Popular," Namarra muttered, pulling down her shirt once the doctor was finished and welcoming the cooling gel on her back. A lonely pang hit her as she thought about her brothers and her head bowed, but she swallowed hard, firmly believing she would never forgive herself if she shed a tear in that room.

Eclipse straightened her shirt too before turning to frown at Namarra and then do the same thing at her cousin. Cagalli's face was contorted into something close to anger, worry, sadness, frustration, relief—all of the above with little room for a happy reunion. She shoved off into the room, gave a small nod and smile to Namarra—who actually returned the look—then headed over to Eclipse. One hand she used to brace herself against the bed, but the other she brought back, the redhead sure she was going to hit her and based on how she felt at that moment, Eclipse wasn't about to stop her. Besides, she had just hit Athrun, so why shouldn't someone else get the honors of decking her too?

Everyone tensed and Athrun even started saying her name when the blonde recoiled and just wrapped her in a hug instead. They all sighed and it was only until the doctor shooed them all out that they separated. Athrun gave Eclipse a stern glare and went to the right, practically telling her she still had some explaining to do. Lathan and Cagalli were having a quick chat in the infirmary and Eclipse was going to take that moment to flee unhindered, but as she turned, she bumped into Lacus's hand, probably on her way to grabbing her attention. The Pink Princess had a small smile on her lips, but Eclipse was, no doubt, gaping as large as Heine's over-enthusiasm. That thought made her frown but Lacus must have seen it as something else.

"I heard about what happened, and I'm sorry." She started grinning again and tilted her head to the side in some sort of comforting motion. "I never believed a parent could—" She faded out as her eyes shifted over the redhead's shoulder. Eclipse was about to follow her gaze to see what was going on, but Lathan put his hands on her arms.

"I need to show you something."

"Oh, I'm sorry, I'll talk to you later, Miss Lexi." Waving, Lacus turned and headed back down the way she had come. Eclipse was going to call after her, but Kira rounded the corner further down, holding out his hand to her. A sparkling grin crossed his lips and the redhead grimaced—mostly out of disgust. Lathan pushed her down a different hall before she saw them meet. She didn't want to know anything about their potential relationship, figuring she shouldn't disobey her brother a second time.

Namarra stopped just outside of the infirmary, watching the other people disperse and—surprising even herself—when she started feeling a little jealous. It was a petty emotion and one she decided to shove away immediately, but anger replaced it, her face slipping into a scowl.

"Well, that's an ugly look for such a charming young girl."

Looking to her left, she saw Commander Waltfeld leaning back against the wall not far from where she had paused. There was no smile on his face, but a vague amusement, as if her emotions were a teleprompter.

"Spend a couple more days around me and you'll realize I'm definitely _not_ charming."

Waltfeld shrugged and flicked his head down the hall, offering her to follow. Having nothing against the idea, she kicked off after him.

"Alright, maybe charming wasn't entirely accurate, but I actually think you're the first person to look at Lexi with any sort of envy," he continued.

She was so mesmerized by the empty shirt sleeve dangling beside him the comment startled her. "Who are you again?"

"Oh, my apologies. The name's Andrew Waltfeld, formerly a commander in the ZAFT military."

"So, you know Lexi pretty well?"

"I proposed to her."

"Huh?"

"Long story, but I guess so you could make _any_ sense out of this, I was her part-time commanding officer on Earth and her fulltime coffee tutor." Namarra frowned and the older man just laughed. "Not much sense of humor, huh?"

She shrugged. "You just caught me on a bad day is all."

"Or would a bad week be more appropriate?"

The way he said it made her pause, reaching out a hand to grab the wall and stop her momentum. While the others in the infirmary only seemed to speculate at what was going on, this man outright admitted he _knew_. Maybe in not so many words, but if he was so close to Eclipse, no doubt he had some inclination at what Berserkers we capable of. Looking at his missing limbs, she couldn't help wondering if Eclipse had been the one responsible, but if that was the case, why was he admitting close association with her? Wouldn't he want revenge instead? Or some other primal form of vengeance? And if he _did _know firsthand a Berserker's talents, then what the hell was he still doing around? And what would happen if he knew Namarra was one too?

"Remarkable," she breathed, feeling surprise twinge past the anger. When she was still in the Earth Forces the only people to give her any kind of acknowledgement or even affection were her three brothers. No one else acted like she even existed; as if the word Freak was pasted on her forehead. But here, practically everyone knew Eclipse was a Berserker and only a small few gave her a wide breadth because of it. If anything, it made those closest to her _stay_ close.

She could feel her Berserker stirring unhappily beneath the surface after that thought.

"In many ways, yes, I'm remarkable," Waltfeld joked, stopping a little further down. "But if you're referring to my comment, I'm thinking you just don't know me very well." He gave a small smile and nodded back down the hall. "C'mon, let me pour you a cup of coffee and you can tell me how bad Lexi _really_ was on that colony."

* * *

Eclipse stared at her brother, watching his face instead of down at the screen he was pointing at. Cagalli had left to grab something from the _Kusanagi _so they were alone in his room, the only light source a computer and the message Lathan had said she _needed _to see. Based on his urgency, she really didn't want to read what it said. All he mentioned was the sender.

Their parents.

"Mine's only a carbon copy and both the _Archangel_ and _Kusanagi_ received copies as well. I have a feeling yours is the original."

"Okay, so you're saying we should go see mine?"

"No, I'm just explaining that—"

"And does this mean they're still—"

"No, we received this the day _after _they were kill—"

"It took _that_ long to get here? In this day and—"

"I don't know why it took so long, but—"

"Well, maybe we should start looking into our communication connections and make sure—"

Lathan sighed, stepping in front of the screen and putting two hands on her shoulders. Shaking them once, he stared at her hard. "Lexi, that's _not _the point. Please just read it so we can move on."

"So we can move on? Lathan, it's gonna take a lot more than a simple Email to make us move on. They're probably nothing more than mashed potatoes now and I don't mean the kind with garlic unless we're talking bone frag—"

"Lexi—Honestly!" He sighed again and Eclipse started getting nervous once more. Obviously, there was something to this message that she wasn't comprehending, but she was still too anxious to actually look at it herself. Lathan knew practically every stall tactic she had so, no doubt, he had caught on a long time ago, but he was being patient with her. Sometimes she really had no idea how they shared the same genes.

"Lathan, what is in that message?"

"Lexi, you have to read it yourself, so please." He stepped aside and motioned for her to sit down. She stepped forward, but leaned instead, her arms braced against the back of the chair as she began.

_Sent: C.E. 71 June 28_

_Lexi Rymyr,_

_This is an official notification alerting you to your current status in the neutral Country of Orb._

_Based on your traitorous actions performed on June 15th you are hereby exiled from Orb. Any attempt at reentering the country will result in immediate arrest and containment until judgment can be passed. If any persons assist you in reentry they will also be tried as assisting you in crime and the appropriate actions will be taken._

_This notification is final and no judicial acts can be taken henceforth. If a retrial is insisted, the current Orb Representatives will act accordingly._

_Bryce and Emilia Rymyr_

_Representatives of Orb_

_Atlantic Federation Liaisons_

She could feel Lathan's eyes on her as she read, but was unaware of anyone else who had stepped into the room. Cagalli's voice could be heard right behind her, but it sounded distant and incoherent. Apparently, she was talking to Lathan, but the redhead was more concerned about the voice in her own head than the ones around her.

The Berserker taunted her, showing images of what she had done to Melanie and then revealing her own imagination's interpretation of the explosion that killed her parents. "It was all for nothing," the Berserker kept saying, her chuckling accenting every gory detail. "You avenged them just to hear they banished you from your own country— oh wait, actually you didn't even get as far as revenge."

Eclipse took a deep breath to force the voice away, but the Berserker was just too close to her now. The wall that used to trap her in had weakened considerably since her last rampage, allowing her other half too much leeway.

"You failed at that too."

"Shut up!" Eclipse screamed, causing the two behind her to jump. One of them slapped the wall in order to steady him or herself, and another knocked aside the stack of books on the dresser. The assorted banging as they hit the wall was almost comforting.

"Lexi—" Cagalli began.

"Seriously? You exile me the day after we leave for space and then die _just after that_? How can I get pissed at you now?" She hit the chair and felt her body lift in the anti-gravity, but the most frustrating thing was the Berserker influencing her rage.

And she couldn't do anything about it.

"You send me this shit—to your own daughter! Then you die!"

"Lexi, stop," Lathan ordered, putting a firm grip on her arm and pulling her back away from the computer. He managed to get her all the way out of the room, Cagalli standing in the doorway so it wouldn't shut on either of them—but she could tell he was starting to get upset too, even if she was in a clouded rage.

"Lathan, let go of me."

"I plan on it, but I don't want you to destroy any of my equipment." He should have been scared, hell he should have been terrified, but somehow he stood still. The Berserker stared at him hard, but Lathan didn't back away. It took her a moment, but she remembered how her brother had shown resilience in the past, going back as far as when she was a kid. Impressive feat really, given he had no prior military experience other than mechanic assignments at bases.

"Just leave her alone for a while, okay?" the Berserker said, turning and heading off to the hanger.

"Her?" Cagalli asked, reaching out to put a hand on her shoulder before she got too far. It was a firm grip, but Eclipse could feel it shaking as the fingers touched down. "Why did you say, 'her'?"

The Berserker turned, cocked her head to the side and grinned. "Just a slip of the tongue."

Cagalli must not have been convinced because she pulled Eclipse back towards her when she attempted to take off again. "C'mon, let's chat."

"Cags—"

The princess held up a hand, silencing Lathan. The Berserker cocked an eyebrow and let Cagalli lead her down the hallway to the _Reagan_'s hanger. Apparently, she didn't trust Eclipse around the mechanics in the main hanger of the _Kusanagi, _but the fact that she wanted to talk alone with her was admirable. Stopping at the catwalk, she let go of her cousin and stared out at the two empty mobile suit slots. The Stealth and the Decay were still in the _Archangel_.

The Berserker played along.

"I know you don't want to hear it, but I'm sorry about how this all turned out."

Eclipse shrugged. "Shit happens."

"Is that my cousin saying that, or her other half? Honestly, I don't get how that works, so why don't you enlighten me."

"Right to the point, huh?" The Berserker laughed, a short burst of sound she hoped would have at least unnerved the blonde, but she didn't seem affected. "Would you be satisfied if I told you I really don't know myself?"

"No," Cagalli stated.

"But it's the only answer I got."

"Then it's about time you started learning something, isn't it?"

"We're working on that," Eclipse admitted, her voice sounding suspicious. "Just haven't had much time to do some book work seeing as there's a war going on and everything."

"Cute."

"Just the honest truth."

"Then how about you 'honestly' step aside and let me talk to your more 'sensible' half."

"What, you don't think I'm sensible? That hurts, Princess." The Berserker lifted its lips in a smirk, but before she could even finish the cocky twist Cagalli was swinging her hand around to slap her across her face. Eclipse managed to lean back in time, but not far enough, the blonde's nails barely scratching the bottom of her chin.

Fingers brushing the cuts, the Berserker scowled. "Seriously? Now, what was that for?"

"You mocking me. Now step the hell aside and let me talk to my cousin."

Impressed, Eclipse managed a smile and licked her skin, rubbing the sting from the bottom of her chin before her pupils slowly faded back and the smile flipped down to a frown. "Sor—"

"Feeling better?" Cagalli interrupted, steadying herself back against the railing.

The redhead shrugged and turned away. "Some hours are better than others." The blonde probably wasn't convinced by the honest response, but she didn't say anything nevertheless. "I'd like to thank you," Eclipse continued. "I heard you helped Lathan with some repairs."

Cagalli shrugged. "You were gone, Athrun was gone—pretty much everyone left behind was a nervous wreck, even if only a couple would actually admit it. Kira was taking off each day to be there in case Athrun came back, only grabbing enough rations to sustain him for a day or two. His disappearance made even more of the crew anxious and—well, I'm thinking you get the picture."

Eclipse nodded and smiled briefly. "Yeah, I get it and I'm sorry I worried you so much."

Cagalli matched her smile. "I know it was important for you to leave, but just don't do it so abruptly next time. Most of the crew didn't even know you two had jumped ship. Lathan was suspicious and Athrun had a good idea you bailed—oh, he was pretty damned pissed too, by the way. I've seen a lot of emotions on his face, but have never seen him _that_ angry."

Eclipse wasn't really sure what she meant by that one and didn't prod any further. Perhaps she really didn't want to know.

"Can I ask you a question?"

"Sure," Eclipse replied.

"Did you get 'em?"

The redhead felt her cheekbones fall and—based on her cousin's fair face drooping as well—Cagalli had been expecting a more positive response despite her strive for pacifism. The sad thing was, Eclipse really didn't have to answer. Sighing, she turned to the side and replied anyway. "The ones we wanted weren't there. We had to settle for the small fry and still only got one."

"So, what's your next step? Do you know how to find them?"

Eclipse shook her head. "No, not really. We might have to wait for them to show up again."

Cagalli gripped the handle. "Like watch the television for some kind of terrorist attack? Is that _really _all you can do?"

She shrugged. "Seeing as we have a chance to properly end this war—or whatever the hell we're doing up here—my demons'll have to be put on the back burner."

"Hah!" she scoffed, not so much as a condescending sister, but more like a realistic observer. "A martyr now, are you?"

The redhead blinked. "Not intentionally. I just thought it was a rational decision."

"Then your 'rational' thinking is skewed." She put an arm around her shoulders and hugged her, a gesture that surprised Eclipse more than she thought it would. After all, the blonde had just seen her Berserker and yet there she was offering physical contact. "Just remember, the next time you disappear like that—"

"Yeah, yeah, you're gonna threaten me with some kind of disfigurement and extreme pain. Trust me, it's overrated."

Cagalli pulled out of the embrace and cocked her head, confusion adding a dullness to her face. Eclipse just countered the puzzled look with a head shake.

"Alright then, what do you say we grab some food?" The redhead gave another silent agreement and the blonde seemed convinced. Next thing Eclipse knew, she was being pulled down the corridors.

Cagalli and the redhead stopped at the cafeteria, a bit of amusement on Eclipse's lips for her cousin's courage, but that soon faded as she felt everyone else's eyes shift in her direction. Normally, she was able to ignore such aggressive looks, but since she had yet to come to terms with what had happened on Mendel, she was lucky she could come out in public at all, let alone see the people who knew her personally. If Cagalli noticed, she didn't say anything and just pulled her over towards the kitchen, grabbing a plate for both of them.

Athrun was probably with Kira updating the Freedom and Justice, Namarra had disappeared after the infirmary, and Lathan was probably working on some kind of project. That meant the only people left to sit by were _Archangel_ crew members, people the redhead didn't know too well. Cagalli had gotten the chance to get close to them while she was a stowaway on the ship, but she was considerate enough to pick the spots near Dearka and the girl, Miriallia, he had become so attached to. Dearka smiled weakly—although, it looked forced—and offered a "Hey" while Miriallia nodded.

"You don't mind, do you?" Cagalli asked before setting down the trays.

"Not at all," Dearka said, shrugging as he patted the table. Eclipse pulled herself down and he gave her a playful punch. Perhaps that was his welcome back, this was her first time seeing him since her adventure on Mendel.

Everything seemed to be okay—almost normal—at least until she looked down at her food. Now, it was a simple ration, macaroni, green beans, and a slice of bread. Nothing too spectacular, but Eclipse immediately felt nauseous, the macaroni suddenly looking like what she had vomited on the satellite and the green beans holding a sickening resemblance to the fingers her Berserker half had been cutting off of Melanie's corpse. Suddenly, the cafeteria faded away, the poignant mixture of decay and burning flesh seeping out of her nose rather than in. Her nostrils bled with the memory, her fingers pulling away to see her hand drenched in blood. Distantly, she heard Dearka's voice, but it wasn't until he put both of his hands on her shoulders and shook her did she finally zone back to the cafeteria. Looking down at her hands, she saw they were clean.

"Hey, what happened?" He didn't look worried, per se, more confused. Based on that look alone she knew she hadn't switched to her other half, but the memories she had been viewing were too vivid to just be from her mind's eye. And since the smells were still stuck in her nostrils she wouldn't be surprised if the Berserker was messing with her mind.

"Lexi, you alright?" Dearka asked again, but didn't have time to say anything else.

The redhead jumped up from her seat and scrambled out of the room, rushing into the bathroom and pulling herself down onto the toilet. She made it just in time, feeling her stomach crunching back to her spine in some effort to vomit. The problem was, however, she hadn't eaten much—if anything—since she had been released from the infirmary. Feeling her body react so violently she couldn't say it didn't try its hardest.

She stared at the toilet, her thumbs shaking as they unconsciously stroked the plastic seat. Slowly, her breathing steadied as she stared at the bowl, her head twitching as the bile seeped out her nostrils. Surprisingly, it was better than the burning flesh, but who knew an innocent lunch could turn so violent? She hadn't had the chance to shut the door behind her, but someone was polite enough to knock on it.

Not bothering to turn around, she spit into the toilet. "Just give me a minute."

"Either this means you're pregnant or you didn't get them."

"I'm not pregnant, Dearka." His voice was unmistakable and so was his anger. That she could feel even without having to see him. "And why can't this response be because I finished the job? It's not like me killing my friends wouldn't have some kind of effect." She spit again and flushed. Grabbing some toilet paper, she blew her nose before finally turning towards him.

Dearka frowned. "Somehow I think there's more guilt mixed into that vomit than success."

"What the _hell_ does that mean?"

"You haven't been able to make eye contact with me since you got back."

"This is the first chance I've had." She threw the tissue into the toilet and flushed again. Standing, she had to look up to meet him in the eye, but her intimidation never had anything to do with height. "Why you so angry, Dearka?"

If he had any problem with her breath he didn't show it. "You said you'd handle it."

"I _am _handling it."

"Is that why they're still alive? I heard you were fighting the small fry."

"Well, it's not like they'd come themselves."

"You got a trace on them though, right?"

"Damn it, Dearka, why the interrogation?"

He slammed his palm against the door, even making Eclipse jump. "They killed my father!"

"And my parents are dead too, if you failed to remember."

"Yeah, but you weren't even close to them."

"Wha—"

"Isn't that why you have the Berserker? I mean, why not embrace it and—"

Eclipse gripped his shoulders and shoved him out into the hallway. The anti-gravity kicked back in once he was through the doorway and he hit the wall. Her anger told her to continue her attack and put a hand to his throat but she held back, figuring her Berserker had something to do with her short fuse. Fighting right then was a stupid idea, but what was behind Dearka's outburst? What was—or wasn't—holding him back?

"What the _hell_, Dearka? You're _way_ out of line!"

"What's the point of having that kind of ability if you don't use it to your advantage?"

"You know _nothing_ about it!"

The Berserker started laughing.

"These people killed our parents, you go all berserk and run out before anyone can even try to talk some sense into you yet you come back empty handed? C'mon, the _entire_ military's after your gift—"

"Shut up!" she screamed, abandoning her original composure and reaching out to pin him against the wall. "Don't you _dare_ tell me what to do about my other—"

Dearka was more agile than the redhead had anticipated. Her traps were rarely broken and especially when the Berserker was so close to the surface. He did just that, however, tripping her feet out from under her and reversing the hold. Before she knew it, a forearm was up under her chin and his face inches from hers.

"I can't even be there to bury him," he hissed.

"No one's stopping you. Just go if you want to."

"My mother thinks I'm dead too. She lost the two men in her life—"

"So you're taking your anger out on me? A little juvenile, aren't we?"

By that time they had gained an audience. Most of them were probably more eager to see the fight play out than stop it, so their cheers did nothing more than annoy the ones genuinely there to help; the real ones being Mwu, Murdoch, and Miriallia. "M" to the third. Cagalli seemed to have been the one to grab the two "proper" adults. Definitely a sign of maturity if she knew she didn't have the power to do _everything_.

"You're calling _me_ juvenile? The one with the anger issues?"

"Oh, now they're issues? What happened with them being a gift?"

Murdoch pulled Dearka backwards and Mwu stepped in between them, looking at Eclipse and probably trying to assess the damage. She just peered over his shoulder.

"I-I had to watch the funeral on television. On a fuckin' screen! And you come back telling me you didn't get _any _justice? That you killed only _one_?"

"Dearka—" Mwu started.

"What is _your _definition of justice? Perhaps I should just give _you _the coordinates next time so you can do it yourself."

"You want an example of justice?"

"Dearka, stop!" Miriallia stepped towards them, but Eclipse didn't even pay attention to her. The blonde didn't seem to notice either.

"You getting exiled from Orb by your dead parents, now that's rich." The audience grew still and some even gasped. Dearka seemed to gain momentum by their surprise. "Maybe that's the real reason you didn't kill them all. Your own sense of justice was dragging out your revenge on the parents who betrayed you."

"Enough, kid!" Murdoch yelled, pushing Dearka down the hallway. "Go cool off!"

He was about ten feet away when Miriallia turned towards Eclipse, frowned and braced herself to chase after him but froze.

The Berserker stared back at her, two tears streaming from both eyes, but they were still different, only one pupil having faded away. "This is his _only_ pass, you understand me?" She turned to Mwu and took both of his hands from her shoulders. "And you, thank you for stepping in, but you're lucky you're uninjured."

Mwu—despite the threat—smiled. "I never underestimate your abilities so pay me the same respect, would ya? Now." He leaned in closer and gained more respect from Eclipse in that moment than he had ever had before. "You go cool off too before I put you both in the brig."

She was about to argue; the words were so close to spilling out, but she stopped. The Berserker was not happy, but she didn't have full control, so Eclipse took the opportunity and pushed off in the opposite direction of Dearka. She could hear the Berserker grumbling in her head, angry at how many times she had been stood up to within the past couple of hours. Lack of respect? The redhead didn't know the real reason, but she was sure if they had seen the damage done on Mendel they wouldn't so willingly be standing a couple feet from her.

The Berserker smiled at that.

_Shit,_ Eclipse cursed, knowing she had just given her other half too juicy of an idea. She definitely had to keep herself under control from here on out, or at least find something—hell, even someone—able to keep her mind stable.

She ended up back near the Stealth, surprised at how often her subconscious drew her back to the war machine. After everything that had been happening, her want for the simplicity of fighting made sense, but it had been nearly a year since she had had that kind of desire. Going back to that frame of mind was appealing, but all the work it would take to avoid her new friends didn't sound worth it. It was easier when she only had two comrades and ones she couldn't see on a daily basis anyway.

Sighing, she pushed off to her machine and opened the cockpit. Inside, she curled her legs to her chest and rested her forehead on her knees. Her body floated upward slightly, the small movement making her shift in the enclosed space.

_Don't cry. Don't cry. Don't cry, you idiot, _she thought, but even she was observant enough to know the chant would just make the tears fall. Taking a breath, she pressed a button and closed the hatch, willing herself to just get it over with.

* * *

Namarra poked her head out of the Decay when she heard the cockpit close next to her machine. It didn't take anything more than common sense to figure out Eclipse had been the one to lock herself inside. She had heard some shouting earlier and knew the redheaded ticking time bomb had been involved—not to mention, Cagalli had come over in a rush—but didn't know the extent of the argument. If she was a nosy person she would have set up a communication link and prodded, but not even she cared enough to ask. After Mendel, she needed some space from her fellow Berserker and if they were serious about infiltrating the guys' ship—the _Dominion_ she found out—she needed to start coming up with a plan and fast. They were running out of time.

Her brothers were another kind of ticking time bomb.

* * *

Tick, tick, tick.

"Someone's at the door."

Knock, knock, knock.

"Open the hatch."

Bang, bang, bang.

"They're growing impatient. _Open the damn cockpit!_"

Eclipse jolted awake, vaguely hearing Coffee Addict the first couple of times and not even registering the sounds outside her machine. The emotional drama must have finally exhausted her enough to fall asleep curled in a ball and floating in a metal box. The ironic thing was she had spent nights in worse positions.

Bang, bang, bang.

Sighing, she pressed the button and braced herself on the seat, shaking herself awake. Sadly, she had felt like shit, but never bad enough to actually cry. Now, she just felt grumpy.

Out of all the people she expected to be there, Murdoch was not one of them. His burly face poked into the cockpit. "We figured you'd be here."

"We?"

"The Orb Princess and Colonel Kisaka want to speak to you. Either you can get your ass over to the _Kusanagi_ or talk to him via screen. It's up to you." He floated off to the side to give her some room to step out. He had always been a straight-to-the-point kind of guy, but Eclipse had never known him to be so standoffish. Maybe he was still sore about the argument in the hall, but she had been the one affected, not him.

Deciding not to worry about it, she looked outside into the hanger and saw it bustling with activity. Namarra was standing near her machine talking with one of the younger mechanics. It looked like the man was trying to flirt with her, but while it may have seemed like she was playing along, Eclipse could tell she was merely mocking him. Poor guy never saw it coming.

Too crabby to be amused, she kicked out of the Stealth and over to the outside hatch. She had an idea they wanted to talk to her about her recent banishment and that should be done in person, not in front of some television screen.

All the ships were socked in one of Mendel's ports so getting to the _Kusanagi_ was simple. After stepping inside, she slipped off her helmet and headed straight for the bridge. Ironically enough, she ran into Athrun, but he just nodded and smiled before heading off with a group of mechanics. She really didn't understand why he was there, but that was a conversation for another time. Opening the door, she pulled herself inside and didn't get too far before running into Lathan. He had been standing near the entrance and managed to grab onto something before they both went flying to the other side of the room.

"Lathan?"

He nodded and steadied her near one of the chairs, putting a finger to his lips and pointing towards the front of the bridge. Cagalli was standing behind the ship commander's chair and Kisaka was sitting down. On the screen was an older gentleman, short and pudgy with a nice patch of skin extending from his forehead all the way back and out of sight. His hair was greying on the sides near his ears, but it still held a hint of dark purple. Across his nose rested some orange glasses and even though that was one of his defining features, Eclipse didn't have to see them in order to know who was on the other end of the communication.

Unato Seiran, head of the second family who was helping her parents rebuild Orb.

"The whole country's demanding justice, you have to realize that," the man said, his husky voice holding a bit of authority. They probably had been having the conversation for a while because he looked exhausted with the subject. "The PLANTs aren't even releasing the remains."

"I understand everyone's angry," Cagalli began, "but demanding the bodies right now—given your recent decision to join the Alliance and their relations with the PLANTs—is just going to start a conflict the country can't afford to fight."

"So we're just to take their word for it they're gone?"

"Are you honestly so stubborn you'd challenge their ability in pronouncing someone dead?"

"Princess," he began, leaning forward in his chair and coming uncomfortably close to the screen, "the Rymyrs deserve to be in their own country."

"Yes, we are both in agreement with that, but the means—"  
"So, you're telling me we should just have the memorial service _without_ the bodies simply because a bunch of patchworkers—"

"Watch your tongue," Cagalli spat. "I don't give a damn about your reasoning for joining the Alliance, but it better as _hell_ not be because you blame the Coordinators for this mess. Especially since the EA was the one who—"

"Careful, Princess, you're way too far away to be ordering me around right now," Unato threatened. "The only reason I contacted you about this matter was because of your relation to the deceased. I'm not going into policy with you just for that sake of some argument. Now, your opinions on the memorial, if you please."

Eclipse didn't like his tone and was even considering attacking a screen when Lathan put a hand on her shoulder. Bringing his finger up to his lips again, he shook his head, pointed at her then to the floor. Pushing off, he joined Cagalli behind Kisaka.

"Good evening, sir."

The man scoffed. "It's morning here, Mr. Rymyr."

Lathan shrugged. "Don't you think I should have a say in this memorial?"

He seemed offended at first, but soon his features relaxed, probably feeling more at ease with someone closer to his power status. "Alright then, what are your thoughts?"

"Having a public memorial will put the people's minds at rest and give them some kind of closure instead of fuming about not having the remains. When we return to the country—hopefully with the bodies—we can have another, proper service."

Unato nodded his head, seeming to agree with the sentiment. Apparently, all it took was for a male to repeat what the princess had been saying all along. "You make some good observations and for the sake of keeping down the chaos, I'll start arrangements right away. Princess," he turned back to Cagalli, "I'm leaving the remains to you. You said you could handle that."

The blonde nodded. "We're already starting preparations."

"Good. Now, I have things to do. Oh." He paused, sighing and glancing to the side. "Yuna says he can't wait to see you come home safely, Princess. And that you should be careful out there. Now, goodbye." They didn't even have time to say their own farewells—or Cagalli make some kind of snarky remark—before he broke the connection. Eclipse doubted they really had anything to say, but common courtesy was always preferred.

Cagalli turned back to Eclipse then, a small smile on her lips. "Sorry, Lexi, but we couldn't let you be seen. He knows you're exiled and any kind of connection would jeopardize—"

"I know, Cags, relax," the redhead said. "Despite what people think, I _do _know a thing or two about politics." Lathan covered up a laugh and Cagalli smiled. Eclipse just heard Kisaka sigh and she frowned. "Well, whatever my intelligence capacity, you didn't just call me over to watch you talk to a screen, did you?"

"The memorial was part of it, but we also wanted to let you know what's going on in Orb," she explained.

"I'm sorry, Cags, but why should I really care? I'm exiled, remember?"

She shook her head. "I hope to change that when we get back to Earth and I know you care about the country despite recent events." Eclipse hated her book-like personality, but motioned for her to continue anyway. "Since your parents' death, the country has been having riots."

"Against who?"

"Naturals vs. Coordinators," Lathan finished for her. "Apparently, Mom and Dad gained a _lot _of support after the mass driver was destroyed. So much, in fact, their fellow Naturals formed a small Blue Cosmos-like faction and have been harassing the Coordinators since their death. In their twisted minds, dying on the PLANTs meant it was the Coordinators' fault."

"They probably want to get back at the Coordinators for blaming them for the EA attack. Hah," Eclipse scoffed. "Not even Orb is above racism."

"Most of the Coordinators are fleeing to the PLANTs and to Scandinavia, but some are coming up here to help us," the blonde continued, turning around entirely so she could face Eclipse. She hadn't argued the comment so she must have seen similar signs back on Earth. The hard thing was admitting it.

"Then that's good, right? Not that they have to flee their home country, but that we're gaining some more crew members."

"Yes, it's good and bad. Good because we get more man power, but bad because we really don't have the room," Kisaka explained. "Lack of space means lack of resources. They're hijacking shuttles, but we were hoping you could lead a team onto Mendel to gather supplies. Orb's short on resources as it is so we can't be confident they'll bring enough to sustain all of us."

Eclipse really didn't appreciate the way he was tip-toeing around the order. She should have been thankful for the kind gesture, but she couldn't help being upset. Yes, she knew the area fairly well, but to go back there again and so soon?

She sighed loudly. "Can I think about it before giving you an answer?"

Everyone nodded, but Cagalli was the one to speak up. "Take all the time you need."

It was another one of Eclipse's melodramatic wanderings though the _Kusanagi._ Lately, she had been having them on the _Archangel,_ but since that ship was roughly a few yards away, she thought she would broaden her trudging area. Stepping out of the _Kusanagi_, she headed towards the port entrance, stopping at one of the doors, she reached out a hand to push the release button, but stopped. Sighing, the finger dropped to her side and she cursed loudly. If anyone around had heard her, no one said anything. Either that or they thought her too insane to collaborate with. After her fight with Dearka, she had realized something, what was there to be afraid of? What had happened, happened, and no matter how hurt Dearka was by the truth, she was _sick_ of feeling sorry about it. Sick of feeling scared of herself and sick of not being able to open a damn door.

"Despite popular belief, this thing isn't voice activated," a man said and Eclipse whipped around to see who it was. Perhaps she was a bit jumpy because her hand went instantly to her hip, but when she didn't feel a weapon there, she braced herself for hand-to-hand combat.

Athrun—a knowing smile on his lips—had his hands up. "Honestly, you're way too uptight."

"Coming from you, that's pretty serious."

He gave an amused twitch and put his hands back at his sides, looking up at the door. "Y'know," he began, moving closer to her and reaching around to push the button. "All you have to do is this."

She stiffened as she heard the door slide open, the "fresh" Mendel air slushing around her like some old sock caked in dirt. It was so thick she half expected Melanie's ghost to rush out with it, but that didn't scare her as much as she thought it would have. She took a deep breath and then was okay with it all, eager—almost—to step back inside and view her artwork one more time. Then again, that could have been the Berserker talking. She frowned, hating how easily it could slip in and out of her thoughts.

"You gonna go?" Athrun mouthed, his words not coming through loud enough for her to hear. He must have finally caught onto her turmoil, however, because he reached around and pressed the button again, shutting the door.

"You're an ass," the redhead said, meaning it to be for her devilish other half, but Athrun was the only visible being there.

"Y'know, it hasn't been until recently that I've started to believe that comment and it all comes back to what is behind this freakin' door." Grabbing onto her arm, he pulled her down a ways. "Do I get that explanation now? I mean, a punch and now I'm called an ass?" He frowned and crossed his arms over his chest. "Normally, I'm used to your pleasant antics and name calling, but now I'm just getting annoyed by it, especially if I have no idea why I'm being harassed."

"Sorry, Athun, that was meant for someone else."

"Someone else?"

"My—uh—other half." She hesitated at first, but, despite her social image, she admitted the truth. She felt a little better after the comment, perhaps finding too much stress in trying to keep such a thing secret.

Athrun sighed, but didn't seem to be judging her. "Lexi, what happened?"

Not only did he seem to come to terms with the fact that she had a demented second personality, but he had used her first name without stumbling. Only about half a day earlier had he used her code name and after he had gotten wounded, his maturity level seemed to have increased.

It sounded like some dumb RPG idea.

"Maybe getting shot in the shoulder did something good for you after all."

"Huh?"

"Nevermind," she replied and shook her head, the small smile on her lips too visible for him not to see. However, since that was clear, he was also able to see it slip into a frown. "My Berserker took over, if you haven't guessed that already."

He nodded. "Seeing what happened to you after your parents died kind of affirmed that for everyone. I just wish you hadn't hidden yourself away before skipping out to Mendel. I don't mean to sound childish," he continued, "but no one even had a chance to calm you down."

"I really didn't want to be and I think that was the reason the Berserker had such a hold on me. Namarra said it lasted nearly six days."

"Is that possible?"

Her frown deepened. "Apparently, since I just went through it."

Now he frowned. "Don't mock me, I'm trying to be serious here."

"We don't have much information on Berserkers so we can't say for sure this is a common occurrence or not."

"Isn't it about time—"

"—we found out some things? Wow, everyone in this damn alliance is a genius," she muttered, pushing forward to lean against the catwalk railing. "It's kinda hard to do anything with a war going on."

Sighing, he joined her, resting his one hand against the metal bar. "Fine, when this whole thing's over, I'll help you find out a thing or two concerning your over-energetic alter ego."

"Deal. Wait," she stopped, holding up a hand then curling four of them down into a fist. "That means neither of us get to die." She waved her finger side to side. "Too bad, really. After all of this I'd like a permanent nap instead of a waking hell."

"Funny how that all works, huh?"

"Funny? Hah!" She paused, a smirk curling up her lips when she thought of him flying down the _Kusanagi_ hallways about an hour before. "So, what were _you _doing on the _Kusanagi_? As far as I know, the _Archangel _and _Eternal_ have more than enough equipment to work on your suit."

Eclipse half expected him to blush; to turn into a mushy apple pie at the mention of his possible love interest. Instead, he smirked, one almost as perfected as the Berserker's herself. The redhead's mouth dropped in surprise.

"I have my reasons."

"My God," she gasped. "Is Athrun Zala being coy?" He laughed and she punched him lightly across the helmet. "I should be shooting you instead of using the personal touch. That seems to hold more psychiatric healing for you."

"Even if my insane father was the one who did it?"

Eclipse wasn't sure whether to take that as a joke or not, but she was determined to not let his good mood slip so easily. Placing an arm over his shoulders—and not falling for his sissy act as he cringed when she hit his injured shoulder—she pulled him in close for a side hug. "Join the club. We know plenty of insane people and are currently working on a cure." She smiled and it seemed to force another laugh out of him. "Don't worry, you'll feel better soon enough."

"How did you end up cheering _me _up?"

"To quote the words of the great Andrew Waltfeld." She cleared her throat. "It's a circle effect, kid, so go with it."

"Wow, pure genius," he said sarcastically.

"Yeah, and there wasn't a drop of coffee in his system."

They both smiled again.

* * *

Stray was napping on the couch when Phoebe's screech echoed down the hall. They were on another working satellite in the L4 cluster, probably the closest one to Mendel, but so hidden by debris it was amazing they had even found it. Based on Phoebe's hysteria, either she had had a hard time finding it as well or she was pissed about something else. Jumping to his feet, Stray figured it had more to do with Lust's rendezvous at Mendel than where a certain coordinate was in space.

"You sent us there to _die_!"

FS blinked and held up his hands, leaning back against the bar. Knowing FS's state of mind at the moment, the fact that he picked out a house with a bar seemed only appropriate. "Yes, in fact I did."

"How can you say that with a straight face—Melanie's gone and—that _demon_ is—you just—"

Stray watched her fumble over her words and frowned. She didn't look too injured physically, but seeing the crazed glimmer in her eye he could have called her the closest thing to death he had ever seen. Bloodshot, her eyes puffed out as if infected and her fingers bled where she had bitten her nails too short. Her lips were just as irritated and bounced up off her face, cuts tracing from her chin down to her neck as if in a panic she had raked her jagged nails through her skin. Across her throat were blue and black bruises. Either she had done them to herself or the fight had gotten that personal.

"I assumed you knew all along. In fact, your last radio in said you understood," FS explained. Based on his past streaks, Stray thought he would have reached out and touched her merely to upset her even more. But apparently even insanity knew when to not be—well—insane.

"But Melanie—"

"Is dead. Yes, I understand that, and based on your reaction, you haven't fully grasped that either."

"How _dare _you—"

"Oh, honestly, woman, you were expecting to defeat gods?" He rolled his eyes and Stray cringed, seeing the tension boil over before Phoebe even moved.

The chef was behind her and hugging her arms to her sides just as she took a step forward. Lifting her up, he swung her to the side, but had to put her down when her flailing almost caused him to go off balance. She screamed, a note somewhere between glass breaking and a dog whistle. Stray almost let go of her for the sound alone, but FS would probably just kill her for amusement by this point. If she started aiming her kicks back at Stray's knees instead of forward at the brunette she might have begun some kind of retaliation, but FS's mockery was too much of a distraction.

Laughing, FS leaned close, just far enough away that she couldn't bite off his nose—she tried nonetheless—but close enough she could feel the heat from his breath. Reaching up, he tried brushing a finger down the side of her face, but she snapped at each attempt. Finally, he grabbed her chin and cheeks, pushing in so far her lips puckered.

"Don't worry," he started, biting gently on Phoebe's puffy top lip.

"Revelin—" Stray started, but knew pulling her away now could result in even more injury. As if to force the point, FS dug his fingers harder into her face when she tried turning away.

Moving to her bottom lip, he nibbled that one harder and pulled it back until it slipped from his grip and snapped back. "You still have me."

He let go and she started screaming again, his laughter actually drowning out her anguish. Grunting, Stray dragged her out of the house and managed to get her halfway down the street before he threw her down onto the concrete. Unlike Mendel's limited debris, this particular satellite looked as if the bomb really did go off and that explosion caused an earthquake. The roads had cliffs and the houses had unplanned skylights along with unwanted concrete slabs in their living rooms. It was amazing the living systems and electricity still worked. Practically any resource to be found had either spoiled or outlived its usefulness. In fact, the satellite probably looked like how Phoebe felt.

Desperate and desolate.

"Gluttony!"

"Go Phoebe." He pushed her away when she tried running at him. Tumbling backwards, she tripped over a crack on the road and fell onto her side. "Get out while you can."

"That makes _no _sense."

"You don't want to be here when Lexi comes."

"Yes, I—"

"No, you _don't_, now go!" he shouted, pushing her away again. When she looked like she was going to get up once more, he pulled a pistol from his pocket. The movement startled her, but not enough to force her away. "Just forget about Lexi and go."

"_Forget_ about her? She _slaughtered_ Melanie!"

"And she could do it to you too." He pulled back the hammer. "Swallow your pride and just go."

"So—what—you think _you _can do something?" Slowly she stood, her eyes on the pistol. "C'mon, Gluttony, maybe we should _both _flee and leave Pride to his hysteria."

Stray shook his head and shot at the crack near her feet. The bullet hit the corner and ricocheted up past Phoebe's left calf.

Jumping back, she still made no movement to flee even when Stray pulled back the hammer again. "Come with me."

"I can't."

"You're so blind then! She's _not _going to hesitate."

Stray shrugged. "If I have to be assassinated, I'd rather her be the assassin."

"Masochist!"

He shot once more nearby and she finally ran, scrambling to her feet more out of necessity than actual fear. Waiting until she was out of sight, Stray really hoped she was running _away _from FS instead of making some kind of large U-turn and heading back in their direction. With the rest of SIN-ED either dead or scattered, it seemed a shame to waste another talented soul.

After a few more seconds went by and he still heard nothing, he put his arm down and clicked the safety on the gun before slipping it back into his pocket. Sighing, he headed back to the house.

FS was there fiddling with his own gun. When Stray opened the door, he had just thrown it up in the air and once the chef closed the door, the weapon went off. Wincing, Stray heard the bullet hit the wall nearby and held his breath. Staring at the hole, he slowly turned to FS. The last time the brunette had been red with anger someone had been gutted. Another time, FS and Phoebe had had some wild sex, but somehow Stray doubted he was about to be seduced.

His mouth went dry.

"The next time you stop me from disposing of loose ends, I'll kill you." Cocking his head to the side, he smiled, an awkward little grin that was as sudden and trite as his mood swing. "But I heard two gun shots. That means you did it for me, right?"

"Yes," he answered, offering up as straight of a face as he could.

FS fired into the wall on the other side. The chef breathed a curse. "So, if I was to walk outside right now, I'd see her lying dead on the ground?"

Stray hesitated that time and FS fired above his head. "Well?"

"We won't be seeing her again."

FS smiled and started twirling the weapon, the trigger revolving dangerously near his finger. "Well, isn't that the—oops." The gun went off as he played, the bullet landing in the doorframe near Stray's right hand. The brunette started laughing. "Silly thing." Stray added in his own nervous chuckle.

After all, he couldn't tell if that had really been carelessness.

* * *

"Well, would _you _go back over there?" Eclipse asked, crossing her arms across her chest. Namarra and she were taking a break while the Stealth and Decay updated the CA systems.

The Natural cringed and adjusted the frequency in her ear before answering. "I dunno. The only thing I did was get blown up with a jungle gym. Forgive me if I really don't have any traumatic nightmares."

"They're not…traumatic," Eclipse replied, her gusto fading out towards the end. It was hard to deny a simple truth.

"Hah, could've fooled me."

"Would you volunteer to go?"

"With you on Mendel?"

Eclipse nodded.

"With you _leading_ on Mendel?"

She frowned, but nodded again.

"No."

"Nam—"

"Look, I've already spent enough quality time with you and your Berserker to last me at least a month, so—if you don't mind—I'm gonna stay back here and figure out," she looked around and leaned in closer, hushing her voice as if anyone cared what they were talking about, "how we're going to get onto the guys' ship."

"Ah, I guess that's a good plan," she admitted, but still didn't like the idea of going into that colony without someone who knew how to shock her back out of her Berserker rampage. "But you'll have Chicabo on standby in case I get a little crazy?"

"Of course." She grinned, a devilish thing Eclipse actually found comforting despite what it most likely promised. "Contrary to popular belief, it was a lot of fun watching your Berserker twitch on the ground."

"Thanks."

Namarra gave a mock salute and they both laughed. It was amazing how they could both survive that entire ordeal and still have the nerve to share some giggles about it.

Coffee Addict made some kind of gurgled noise in her ear and Eclipse had to look away in order to concentrate on it. There was no sense to be made from the voice in her head, but when she looked down near the hangar entrance, Dearka was looking up at her. His arm lifted in a wave and she felt her body shifting to do the same greeting.

"I'll be right back," she said and Namarra just nodded. Pushing off, she met him down near the door and he pulled her over to a secluded spot.

"Am I beyond an apology?" he asked, offering a weak smile after he steadied himself against the corner. "I overstepped pissed and went straight into jerk slash ass territory."

She shrugged. "I didn't help."

"But I started it all." He smiled a little, probably surprised by her nonchalant attitude. She _did _care despite her detachment, but arguing with Dearka seemed more like a bad idea than and ego boost. "If I asked you how it went, would you still be too offended to answer? I mean, I saw how upset you were and—"

"Dearka, I tried, really I did," she interrupted, wishing she would have gathered everyone up in one big "story time" circle to explain than having to do it separately each time. "I just can't do anything until either those asses either contact me or—" She trailed off.

"They do something again."

Despite how many times she had to explain, it was still nice to be talking to military personnel. They always thought of the worse scenario first. "I gave Cagalli the same response so I'm sure everyone's prepared but—" She faded away again and they both grew silent for a couple seconds. "It's not," she paused, "easy being a Berserker."

"I know. I'm sorry I said that." His cheeks rose and fell in an attempt to smile then having the guilt win out in the end. "I _really _don't think it's a _good _thing you're a Berserker."

"You were upset. People say a lot of dumb things when they're emotional."

"And I prodded."

"And I egged you on. Can we please get past it now?"

"Just like that, you're gonna forgive me?"

"What, did you _want _me to hold a grudge?"

"No, it's just—" He sighed and Eclipse reached out to put a hand on his shoulder.

"You would feel better if I was pissed, right?"

"For the sake of sounding like a masochist, yes." Slipping his arms back away from the wall, he crossed them over his chest. "When I heard _your _old comrades were the reason my father was dead, I was pissed. Even when I saw you go berserk I just wanted to keep arguing."

"Anger and common sense aren't usually caught having sex together."

"And then to hear you hadn't gotten any kind of revenge, and knowing I couldn't do anything, and then seeing the funeral—"

"I know that must've been hard—"

"Should I go back?" he asked, almost too eagerly for Eclipse's tastes. "I mean, my mother—"

She held up a hand to stop him, not really sure on how she should answer. The way he presented the question made her think everyone else had told him it was a bad idea, but he was still searching for that _one _person to approve. With her going AWOL because of her parents and Athrun running off to speak to his father she was really in no position to tell him otherwise.

"I'm not going to tell you no," she started and his face began to brighten, "but think about where you'd be most useful. If you saw your mother now, could you stand the thought of leaving her again?"

His happiness didn't last long. "What if I never left? What if I kept the Buster here and called it quits?"

Despite her surprise, Eclipse felt her shoulders moving in a shrug. "That's entirely up to you. You didn't seal your allegiance or anything."

"So, if I left, you wouldn't be angry?"

"Angry, no. Disappointed, yes." He didn't seem pleased with that response, but she had to be honest. "You'd _willingly_ leave all these people, _knowing _they might end up dead?"

He looked down after that, but she could tell his father's death really had an affect on him. Sighing, she patted his shoulder. He didn't look up, but she couldn't be sure if he was embarrassed for his reasoning or just that torn between decisions.

"Look," she continued. "I'd be surprised if you _didn't _consider it, but _really _think on it." Nodding, she started to feel less uneasy about him and was going to ask if he'd go on the resource trip with her—having been another person to tame her fits—but she saw him glance up and over at the door. Miriallia stood there talking with Sai. His gaze made her hesitate then finally give up.

It was looking like she might have to face her demons alone after all.

* * *

_**A/N: **_So, another year of NaNoWriMo done and another edit of my original novel finished. Gotta love how you can see so many mistakes the further down the draft you go and then realize you made the same ones in the first couple of chapters. Ah well, that's be for another time.

Anyway, here's my newest chapter. It's really only 10k or so, but Fanfiction keeps wanting to make it 22k. Unless that was just my DocX. Well, it made me rather proud to have written that big of a chapter even if it was a technical issue. I probably could have added a bit more, especially of the dullness post the enjoyable insanity of the other chapters. So, a little Email concerning a certain banishment seemed boring enough. Well, sorta.

Namarra's connection with Waltfeld was-believe it or not-unplanned. Usually, I can't wait to have my favorite-well, other favorite-coffee addict steal the screen and yet I had practically forgotten he was there. How can someone forget such a character? Perhaps I had been away way too long thanks to NaNo. O.o

I have to wonder what Eclipse is going to meet on Mendel. I mean, after everything that's happened there-and two of her stability friends unwilling to accompany her-and what we know will happen soon, it's can't be a happy little resource trip. That's if she takes the job at all. But have you ever known her to back down so easily? Especially when it comes to besting her other half? Didn't think so. Anyway, it should add some action into this rather dull moment in the canon.

On that note, I'm still interested in hearing if anyone has any fun ideas/scenarios I can put my characters through and liven things up a bit. If you can think of anything, let me know.

I think I'm gonna wrap this up. My usual thanks to my betas,_ Death-Scimitar_, _CSSStravag_, and _Maderfole_. They keep this from turning into a teenage drama fest because I'm sure none of you want to read something so...hormonal. At least more so than it already is.

A huge thank you to all my loyal readers and those new to the story. We're getting there, people!

* * *

_**Corrections to the Narrative:**_

My only read correction would probably be how I made Athrun's self-doubt less prominent and his relationship with Cagalli a little more obvious.

* * *

_**Questions/Gripes:**_

I mostly saw a lot of comments regarding my fights (Thank you! ^.^) and despite the fresh feel to most of them, I am running out of ideas. I'm gonna need a fight setting in zero gravity on a warship. Any ideas?

* * *

Thank you to everyone and I'll see you next chapter!

_Strata_


	52. Mere Accessories

Mere Accessories

"Uh, what is it?" Eclipse asked.

"I think it died."

"It's been dead, Namarra," Cagalli grumbled.

"Can I poke it?" Lacus bent down to reach out but Kira put a hand on her shoulder.

"Better not."

"Oh, let the girl touch it," Dearka responded.

"You stop butting in." Miriallia elbowed him.

"Do you think it's a coffee maker?"

"Only you would think of that, Commander." DaCosta sighed.

"What does it do?" Murrue asked.

"I dunno, but I know what _I'd _rather be doing right now." Mwu nodded slowly with a goofy grin and everyone turned to him, disgusted. Murrue rolled her eyes. "What? _Eating_. I'm hungry!"

"I think it's pretty impressive." Everyone turned to Lathan then, giving him much the same look as they had to Mwu. "What? It's a magnetic, miniature—"

"Hey, what ye all looking at?" Murdoch flew towards them, a little too fast given his distance. Grabbing onto Mwu's shoulder, his feet swung forward. "Yer blocking the hall—"

Crunch.

"Uh, oops."

The communal "Aw" rose through the group as the mechanic picked up his feet. The device wasn't totally destroyed, but some smaller pieces broke off and floated up in the circle. One gear almost flicked Kira's nose and he made a startled noise before backing away. Lacus covered up a laugh.

"Well, that was short-lived," Dearka muttered.

"The guessing game or the mini—"

"Hey!" Athrun shouted, interrupting Cagalli as he came down the hall. "Has anyone seen my—"

"Toe jam?" Eclipse suggested.

"Uh, no. My—" He grabbed onto Kira's shoulder and pulled himself to a halt, frowning when he saw the gear near his friend's nose. "Seriously guys?" He snatched the piece then bent to pick up the rest, a couple more parts disconnecting before he gathered it into his sling. "It only ran out of the hangar ten minutes ago."

"He did it." Namarra jerked a thumb at Murdoch who put up his arms.

"Hey now, just because I have more momentum to stop than the rest of ya—"

"He was speeding," Miriallia joked and a few laughed.

"How'd you make it, Athrun?" Lathan turned to the disgruntled inventor who—despite his disappointment—seemed flattered by the interest.

"Well, I took bit of the worn down Stealth and Decay parts—"

"You scavenged our suits to make that—uh—that?" Eclipse asked, listening in. Tapping a foot, she crossed her arms across her chest and turned to Namarra. "Should we feel violated?"

"Depends. What were you going to use it for?" She pointed to the scrap metal in his sling, tapping the opposite foot from Eclipse, but standing much the same way.

Surprisingly, neither the symmetry nor the ominous gazes bothered him. "It's just a toy."

"In the shape of what, exactly?" Waltfeld asked. "It looks like a—"

"Lizard? Precisely—well, when it's done."

"Then you have a lot of work to do because it looked like a—"

"C'mon, be nice." Murrue grabbed Mwu's arm and started pulling him away.

"Snake. I was gonna say snake!" Flailing, he broke from her grip and turned around to properly follow. "God, why is everyone's mind in the—"

"Shit in the toilet. Yeah, that's where I was going. Let's go, Miriallia." Dearka started reaching for her hand, but she twisted just in time.

"_That_ you can do alone. You're a big boy now." She pushed him away, but still followed, both sharing some playful grins. Although, the next look alone proved Dearka still needed to watch his mouth.

"Seriously, what por—"

"No, let's go do that now, Commander," DaCosta broke in, finishing Namarra's statement. "I need to make sure the gauges are right in—"

"—my pants. Yeah, right there." Kira poked his finger through the hole near his pocket. "Think you can fix it, Lacus?"

"Sure. I'll get some needles and you take—"

"—it all off! Can you believe he didn't consult me first?" Murdoch complained, Cagalli nodding knowingly.

"I understand; totally feeling—"

"—that deep, really?" Lathan asked, Athrun and him talking as they headed back towards the hangar. "And all that with one hand?"

Most of the conversations were still loud enough for Namarra and Eclipse to hear, but they had drowned them out by that time. Turning to each other, they held in their laughter, their surprise taking precedence over the humor.

The redhead's mouth moved as if words were supposed to come out, but it took her a couple tries before finally a half sentence was produced. "Did that just—"

"Yeah." The Natural nodded, seeming just as stunned. "That was weird."

"_Now_ I definitely feel violated."

"Amen, sister."

"I feel like we should do something to offset that, but I'm not sure what we could do. I have to officially announce I'm doing the resource mission, but that sounds so emotionally exhausting right now. Any other ideas?"

"Let's go shoot something. But first." She held up a finger and pointed down the hall. "I need more cooling gel. I think a blister on my ass burst."

"And I feel a little itchy around my left nipple. The scab might be peeling."

"Alright, _after_ we'll go shoot something."

"Let me shit first, though. Lunch isn't sittin' well."

The duo sped off down the hall, their conversation covering up the familiar "woosh" of a door sliding open. Sai blinked, looking both ways down the hall, but saw no one.

"What the hell?"

* * *

"Lexi, I think I need a new hobby," Namarra complained, floating up near the Decay with her arms behind her head and her legs crossed. "I feel like I've been working on this suit for months."

"More like weeks, but that's mainly because Lathan's been using them like guinea pigs." She sighed and stepped out of the cockpit, wiping her hands on a rag. "Did you try Lathan's beta system yet?"

"Not yet. I figure I'll wait for the final version."

"He needs to get data—_our _data—before he can start working on it."

"Why can't he get other people to do it?"

"Because, so far, he can only develop it for us." Eclipse threw the rag at her counterpart. "The system can only work if there's a direct connection to the nervous system. AKA, the CAs."

"Yeah, yeah, I was awake, y'know."

"Then your complaining's just an added bonus to my notes," the redhead grumbled. "You can always help the others on recon. For being a guest here you don't exactly repay your hosts."

"Ouch." She flipped up into a sitting position, the momentum spinning her in a circle until she stopped herself, staring at Eclipse upside down. "I've kinda figured out how to get to the guys, so that should make up for _something_."

Eclipse wasn't about to mention that was just as selfish. Really, it wasn't worth it. For being a girl Namarra had quite the one-track mind, but no matter how much Eclipse wanted to complain about it, there was really no point. _Her _drama was quiet for now so someone had to take on the freeloader status. "What'd you have in mind?"

"I have a couple ideas, but I don't think he'd bring his whole warship. If anything he'd come on his own."

"No offense, but I doubt he trusts you _that _much. And one _Natural_ versus two Berserkers? That's suicide."

"But I don't think he'd have enough authority to drag a whole battleship across space."

"Wait, think about that a second." Eclipse tapped a finger against her cheek. "Do they _know_ you're here with the _Archangel_?"

"Are you implying we rat out the Three Ship Alliance?"

"Not at all, and I doubt Azrael would fall for such an invitation anyway, but if he is _honestly _interested in us, he might be able to make it sound plausible to his superiors. If you can offer me, Erika's research, _and _the _Archangel_'s coordinates, he might get permission to do whatever the hell he wants."

"So, we meet him in an obscure region, talk some sense into the blockheads, damage the propulsion system on the ship then hightail it back here?"

"Might work."

"Just the two of us?"

Eclipse shrugged. "I doubt we'd get volunteers."

Namarra sighed and stretched out again. "If Azrael _did_ come alone, killing him would be a nice consolation prize."

"Hell, maybe he'd be vain enough to bring the guys thinking they'd never betray him."

Namarra laughed at that, trying to sound confident, but not even she could truthfully say they'd go with her or with Azrael. It was a scary notion and depressing as well. If they attacked Eclipse and killed her, would she come back to Mendel? Hell, would she fight them to protect her fellow Berserker? Or would she end up fighting her to protect them?

"Damn it," she breathed.

"It's gonna be sketchy either way. We need to be prepared."

"I know."

"And _you_ need to make a decision on where your loyalties lie. As much as I enjoy an unfair fight, I'd like you to give me _some _kind of warning."

Namarra frowned and turned away to do some more work on her suit. Eclipse probably saw through her ruse, but she didn't have an answer yet.

Either that or she was afraid the Berserker would kill her because of her _real_ answer.

* * *

"Lathan, what's this?" Eclipse asked, pointing to her Stealth and seeing large scraps of metal along with wires floating beside the machine. She should have expected the clutter, but there was more than usual and with so many people out to find their rag-tagged alliance, she would have thought Lathan would be less adventurous. "Seriously, spring cleaning isn't until next week."

"I've made some massive progress with the new cockpit system! Well, for the Stealth at least. Nam hasn't clocked in enough time yet," he added, his ass shaking outside the machine much like it had been the first time she had seen him in a mobile suit. "I'm rigging it up right now. The CA should be asking for syncing permission at this point."

Frowning, she waited for the computer voice, but heard nothing. Lathan looked back at her after a minute or two.

"Anything?"

"Bro, this suit has had a mind of its own since you gave me the damn system. Most likely _you _have to ask for _its_ permission."

"How convenient," he grumbled, turning his head back to the Stealth. "Coffee Addict—"

"No," the machine replied, the voice coming directly from the cockpit instead of her earpiece.

"C'mon!"

"No," it repeated and Lathan continued with the argument. Eclipse rolled her eyes and left the hangar. They could be at that for hours and she didn't feel like being the peanut gallery.

"Miss Lexi!"

"Lexi, yo!"

Eclipse looked up to see Lacus and Commander Waltfeld wandering down the hallway, the commander having to stop his momentum before he passed the intersection. With everything that had been going on recently, she hadn't had much time to sit down and talk with him properly. Seeing his smile, she decided she should change that, but—with her upcoming chat with Azrael—she thought against it. Knowing Waltfeld he would use his crafty intellect to talk her out of it simply because the idea was insane. Technically, the plan was a bit on the crazy side, but she couldn't afford to let Namarra down so late in the game.

She met them halfway. "Man, for having a ship of your own you sure spend a lot of time off it."

"And until recently you've been cooped up on the _Archangel_ so don't be pointing fingers," Waltfeld accused, looking behind her to see the door to the _Regean_. "Stealth finally done?"

"For the most part." Eclipse shrugged. "My brother likes to use it as a lab rat."

Lacus smiled. "Must be nice to have a sibling aboard."

Eclipse cocked an eyebrow. "_Clearly_ you're an only child." For a moment she looked offended and Eclipse had the sudden fear she was either about to be slapped or verbally abused. Thankfully, Waltfeld stepped in before Lacus decided to go primal.

"At any rate, come over to the _Eternal_. We're having a party," he announced, jerking his head back to the _Kusanagi_ hangar and outside hatch.

"What's the occasion?" Lacus asked and Eclipse started getting curious. Clearly it was spontaneous if the princess hadn't even known about it.

He shrugged. "I dunno, just decided we should have one. Let's just say we're celebrating boredom."

The two girls sighed, but smiled nonetheless. Leave it to the commander to do something on the fly. It seemed like his proposal was just as thrown together. Too bad he never got around to asking Aisha though.

"Can I invite Kira and Athrun?" Lacus asked and Waltfeld must have seen Eclipse's obvious cringe at Kira's name because he shook his head.

"Girls only."

"So then why are _you_ throwing it?" the redhead asked, crossing her arms across her chest.

"I dunno, I'm just winging it at the moment." His shoulders went up in another shrug, as if his mannerisms shouldn't need any kind of explanation by that point in time. And perhaps he was right.

She was going to argue the subject further when an Orb officer called to them from the other end of the hall. "Commander Waltfeld, Colonel Kisaka asks that you meet him on the bridge. He just received news from the approaching transports and would like to speak to you concerning the _Eternal_'s supplies."

"Alrighty then," he responded and waved the girls off. "Feel free to get started without me."

Eclipse sighed as he left, wondering where the hell he came up with these kinds of things. Was he really so bored that he needed to sit around in his office planning girly sleepovers? She turned to Lacus who seemed just as confused, if not a little more amused.

"Is he serious?"

"I'm afraid so," the girl replied and smiled. "Who should we invite then?"

Eclipse groaned. "Since it's just thrown together, any females we run into that we can tolerate, send them to the _Eternal_."

"Yes ma'am!" Lacus saluted, a playful twitch at the side of her mouth.

Eclipse couldn't help but laugh. "Who knew _you'd_ join the military?"

"Yes, a bit odd, isn't it? But I think I'm more of a stand-in speaker than a soldier."

"What would give you that idea? You want me to give you mobile suit training or something?"

She shook her head. "No, nothing like that. I just feel out of sorts, I guess. Still feel a little left out. Kind of sad that the only other people I know—besides you and a scarce few—are Kira and Athrun, huh?"

"It takes a while to get used to the rest of the crew." Lacus gave a small smile, but it wasn't as bright and real as her typical grin. Finally, Waltfeld's hasty party planning made more sense and she hid a smile of her own. When did he suddenly become the foster father to so many orphans? "I know some girls we can invite. Cagalli, for one. I'm sure you've met her."

"Kira's sister?"

The blunt statement threw her off at first, the fact always seeming to slip her mind. She still wasn't even sure how all of that worked—not to mention they had no DNA proof—but if Kira was announcing it, they might have figured _something_ out. She still cringed at the idea of her having _some _kind of blood ties to him. Bringing it up with Cagalli always seemed like a bad idea too. Despite appearances, she was still torn up about her father. Hell, Eclipse was still touchy on the parent front and she hadn't even been close to them.

"Yeah, that's the one."

"Huh," was her only response, an unusual phrase for the person Eclipse was sure had the right words for any occasion. Her face held that light smile, but after spending so much time with her before the redhead skipped out to Orb, she had begun to get used to those facial expressions. It was a ruse. She was really upset for some reason.

If Waltfeld had become the foster father, she had become the step-sister.

"Something wrong?"

"Yes—well—kind of." She looked away, embarrassed. "She and I didn't hit it off too well and Kira talks to her all the time so it's just awkward."

"Not too well?"

"We don't have a lot in common."

_Do Kira and Athrun count?_ she thought, but decided she should keep it a bit more subtle than that. "You're both girls." She frowned and Eclipse blinked. Out of all the expressions she remembered, that one was rare. Somehow that wasn't a comforting thought. "Alright, alright, sarcasm aside, you're both female leaders of some kind. _And _still in your teens. You should be bonding over shoes, dresses, and warship supply details."

"Yes—maybe—but she knows the nitty-gritty of war a lot better than I do despite our similar backgrounds."

Eclipse paused. _Wow,_ was all she could think and it wasn't until Lacus had said her name that she tuned back in. "Sorry, I was trying to remember if you had ever said 'nitty-gritty' before."

Her frown deepened. "Miss Lexi."

"Yes, yes, I know. Cagalli's—what's a good word—different. To be honest, she's a spoiled brat sometimes, but her heart's in the right place. She's just sheltered. Somehow I feel like you know more about being a leader than she does."

"Really?"

Now the Pink Princess seemed surprised and Eclipse couldn't help but laughing. It was nice to see her let her guard down every once and a while, but the redhead couldn't help think that was too much of an ego boost. "You two just don't know each other yet. Trust me, you can learn from one another. Cagalli can learn manners and you can learn to not be so uptight."

"You think I'm uptight?" And there goes the ego; crashing this time.

"C'mon." She sighed, pulling her towards the exit. "You can never stop learning."

"I agree," she grumbled, pulling her hand away so she could walk on her own. "Maybe it's about time we taught you tact, Miss Lexi."

It was Eclipse's turn to be surprised.

* * *

The party wasn't much, just a little get-together with some of the girls from the Alliance. Lacus was right when she said her and Cagalli didn't get along. They sat at different ends of the room the entire time. Eclipse really didn't get it. After a while, she literally shoved them together so they could talk and that worked surprisingly well. They had even been chatting as they left, laughing about something to do with Athrun and Kira.

Eclipse was amazed at how angry she was when she left, a petty emotion involving an overactive imagination and her complete involvement in setting those two up to be friends. _If I didn't want them to like each other I shouldn't have forced it_, she thought with a scowl. _Stop being so idiotic._

She left the _Regean_ and headed to the main hatch, ready to meet her team at the Mendel entrance. The bad mood, however, didn't seem to have as much to do with the friendship as it did about Cagalli's giggling concerning the attention of a certain pilot.

Growling, she slapped the side of her face. _Honestly._

DaCosta had looked up just before her fit of masochistic embarrassment and cocked an eyebrow. The redhead saw his quizzical look and blushed. That was rewarded with another slap to the cheek.

"Should I ask?" he said as soon as she was near.

She shook her head and started stocking the equipment he had laid out for her. Supply mission or no, they all had to go in armed. After all, the last time someone went onto that satellite there were two fist fights, an exploding grenade, and some electrical malfunctions.

"I'm just being stupid."

"I'll say. Slapping yourself isn't exactly smart."

She thought of her—dare she call it—jealousy and frowned again. "Tell me, were you always so grouchy when you were my age? It's kind of exhausting."

DaCosta blinked. "Uh, I wanna say yes and that you take it to the extreme sometimes, but I think I'll just skip all that and ask, what made you decide to do this thing after all?" He gave a toothy grin and Eclipse couldn't help her amusement over his honesty.

"I guess I just didn't want to let anyone down," she admitted and grabbed two canisters of tear gas. "I mean, I _do_ know my way around."

"No one would have blamed you otherwise."

"Meh, I'll be okay. If I lead, we won't be there as long, right?"

Smiling, the older man reached over and ruffled her hair, causing a not so unnoticeable scowl to cross her lips. "Don't worry, Lexi. You act older than you realize sometimes." She was about to retort when he held up a finger. "_Sometimes_."

"Well, thank you. I think. You got the inventory list? _Eternal_ and _Archangel_'s too?" she asked, shifting her pilot suit once she had readjusted the holster at her waist. She had to borrow one of the Orb suits and thanks to their new-found alliance, her old ZAFT uniform was getting revamped towards some kind of communal wear. She wasn't looking forward to the finished product, not because Lacus jumped up to be honorary domestic crew member, but because the redhead's sense of fashion _was _her ZAFT uniforms. She was a bit nervous.

"I said, _yes_ I have all the lists," DaCosta repeated, waving a hand in front of her face then grabbing the clipboard to do the same. "Man, when did I become the secretary _again_?"

"Oh, stop whining." She punched him in the shoulder after fixing the material around her fingers.

He rubbed the area before handing off the clipboard to one of his teammates going along. "Honestly, though, I go from being bossed around by the commander to being bossed around by you, my inferior. No offense," he added quickly, but she was already affected. "What's up with this picture?"

"You enjoy being submissive, DaCosta," she spat. "Get over it."

The officer cocked an eyebrow, stopping his brief ammo check. "Seriously? Out of all that you come up with an innuendo?" Shaking his head, he loaded his pistol. "Teenagers."

"Miss Rymyr," another soldier started before she could respond. He was an officer, named Clyde, around the same age as DaCosta. He was frowning when he cut in, probably hearing most of their conversation. Why _he _was offended the redhead really didn't know, but her obligation was to lead the team around the satellite, not monitor their mood swings.

"Yes, what is it?"

"Everyone's dressed and ready to go on your command."

"Got it, thank you." Eclipse turned back to DaCosta to resume the argument, but the "secretary" cleared his throat and glanced over her shoulder. He did an eye flick and she followed his attention, turning to see Clyde still standing behind her. Cocking an eyebrow, she started to ask a question, but changed it to, "Dismissed," instead. The soldier saluted then left without another word. DaCosta laughed.

"What?" she asked, throwing her arms out to the side.

"How do you like giving orders for a change? It seems some of the men are enjoying giving you a hard time."

"I noticed," she grumbled. "Care to take it off my hands?"

He winked and chuckled again. "I like being submissive, remember? C'mon, let's go."

* * *

It seemed like a typical resource mission. Since she had actually never been on a mission quite like this one, there was no guarantee everything was going to go as planned. Eclipse had a team of fifteen, meaning five groups of three to scavenge about a mile radius of supermarkets and shopping malls. Staring up at one of those monstrosities, she was overjoyed there were no other females on her team, and only her Berserker half really enjoyed the prospect of walking around giggling girls with bags two times their weight. Why she was attracted to such prospects Eclipse really didn't want to know.

"Team Four checking in," one of those males called over the radio. She recognized the voice as Sai, but knew better than to be informal. Funny how suddenly the thought of being a stiff soldier felt so distasteful.

"Acknowledged. Any luck?"

"Almost done here. We might be heading back to the rendezvous point earlier than expected."

"Head back then wait for further instruction. I might be sending you out again for more depending on how many other teams are slacking."

"Roger that."

"Another done early?" DaCosta asked, walking towards her and wiping off his hands. Eclipse nodded and he pointed up to her head. "You know better than any of us the life system is fully functional. There's no need for the helmet."

"I'm fine," she responded, frowning at his insistent arguing. She just didn't want to admit her fear of opening herself to the air. With her luck Melanie's spirit would seep in, or her other half would get overly frisky.

"How's your team doing?" she asked.

"We're almost done too." He pointed behind him. "Did I hear something about Team Two straggling?" Eclipse shrugged and nodded. "Go whip them into shape. That's the only thing I'd really enjoy about being in command."

The redhead sighed, but really had nothing to argue about. Taking one last look at Team One, she started walking off, calling in to Team Three and Five on the way. She was about halfway to the site when another group caught her eye. They might have gone unnoticed if it wasn't for the red and green ZAFT uniforms glaring against the cement buildings. Typically, they were good at stealth missions so she had no idea how they had made themselves so vulnerable. She quickly hid herself in a roadside alcove and looked back in time to see some of the soldiers bounding over the rubble. Five in all.

A small team.

She heard one more soldier long before he managed to round the building behind her and was in the prime position to being invisible if she just stayed in his blind spot. Taking a small step each time he did, she memorized his movements. This soldier was a redcoat and walked with such confidence Eclipse knew he had some kind of respect—or at least felt like he did. He was probably the leader of the small posse, so if she grabbed him and—. She stopped, frustrated her other half was giving her demented ideas. If she managed to get away without being seen and get the other teams away, ZAFT would never even know they were here.

_Or we could kill them._ Cursing, she shook her head and kept watching.

The officer was taking his sweet time and if he didn't hurry up, he was going to lose his team and she still needed to beat them to her own party. Reaching to her belt, she felt the tear gas canisters and debated. If he was going to be sluggish, she could make a distraction. Looking down at herself she frowned. Wearing the Orb uniform wasn't going to help matters. Stripping down to her undergarments might have been a good distraction, but the redcoat turning and pointing his weapon her way kind of made that idea obsolete.

_Shit._

"State your purpose here." That voice was unmistakable.

Eclipse was really getting sick of surprises. If her other half had been tied to her ability to make her heart skip thanks to too much coffee and friends too eager to watch her jump, she would be having tea with her Berserker buddy far more often than she was now. And that was saying something given the amount of times she had seen her other half within the past day or two.

Yzak looked just as startled, his firearm hesitating before finally dropping to his side. Perhaps he didn't believe she could be standing there, borrowing an Orb pilot suit and with her helmet still on despite the life support system.

"Orb? What's _Orb_ doing here?"

She couldn't tell if he was talking to himself or to her, but either way his interest was a bit unsettling. If he went back to tell ZAFT, the Three Ship Alliance could be ambushed at any moment and her home country might be in for another massacre. And if his team was in charge of finding the renegade _Eternal_ then her party should be looking for ammunition, not resources.

Her hands went to her helmet and he brought up the gun again.

"Stop. You're not exactly neutral anymore so don't give me a reason to shoot."

She started unclipping the binding near her neck and he fired a warning shot near her feet.

"Don't make me shoot a defenseless female."

"Oh stop sounding so damned important," she muttered, glad to have the helmet off and to be talking to him clearly. "I'm glad you can tell the different between a girl's and a guy's ass, but you're not going to shoot me."

"Holy shit!" he shouted and used his free hand to take off his helmet. He was fumbling around with the clips near his neck—which would have been easier if he had just holstered his gun—his cursing reminding her of some bad children's toy with no off switch. "What the _hell_—"

"I think that's my question and how about you—"

"How are you still _alive_?" he hissed, knowing enough to hush his voice so none of his other teammates could hear him through the radio. Hopefully, no one got suspicious after his initial shock. "I mean, after your most recent assignment—wait, you weren't the one who stole the Freedom, right?"

"You serious?"

"What? I assumed you were close with Lacus after the time we rescued her from the Legged Ship and she was the one seen on the tape."

Eclipse laughed, more amused about him thinking she had gained any kind of close connection with Lacus back then. If anything, it wasn't until the redhead was rescued from her PLANT assignment that they had any kind of meaningful relationship. "No, I didn't take the Freedom."

"You were in Orb then?" He used his gun to indicate her outfit and only after he had waved it the full length of her body did he put it away. At least he was capable enough to be surprised and still be trusted not to be a cause of friendly fire. She nodded. "So that _was _the Stealth! And you made it out before it blew, huh? Well, obviously you're standing here but how? Wait, you didn't take the Legged—"

"How about you let me explain _something_ before jumping to all these conclusions?" She shifted her helmet to under her armpit and leaned back against the wall. "Yes, I was in Orb."

"And the Legged Ship?"

"Not on it." Technically, it wasn't a lie, so she had no reason to feel terrible, but Yzak was still sprouting his elite reds and she felt an obligation to keep the Alliance a secret. Funny how she was willing to fib to Yzak yet bargain with the _Archangel_'s coordinates in their exchange with Azrael.

"Oh good, I'd hate to see you side with that ship—no offense. There's a girl the commander took under his wing—I have _no _idea why she's even around—and I think she's from that ship. She's definitely not a Coordinator, at least. A redhead, like you. Has an attitude problem, like you. But, _unlike _you, she's completely useless." Clearing his throat—and probably not missing the annoyed look on Eclipse's face—he got back on topic. "That ship _is _the cause of a lot of shit, y'know."

She sighed. "I'm aware."

"I mean, after Nicol, then—Oh! Did you hear about Dearka's dad?"

She nodded, wondering whether Yzak had been bottling up all this frustration. He was a ranter, yes, but there probably wasn't anyone he could speak so freely to. Being the last redcoat on a team originally with five, the only choices for him were either greencoats, new redcoats—if they had all been replaced—or Commander Le Creuset. And the thought of anyone in Yzak's rank speaking to a commanding officer like that made her cringe.

"Terrible, right?" He hung his head and Eclipse saw him clench his fists at his side, the one making his helmet shake with the pressure. She had never asked about the relationship between her two old teammates, but no doubt Yzak at least felt some kind of remorse for the death of Dearka's father. "I couldn't believe it when I heard and on a PLANT nonetheless! Who in their right mind would—" He stopped, taking a breath. Eclipse was glad he had decided to put the gun away despite her past feelings on his restraint. "Did you know the other two people there with him we probably the targets? The Orb Representatives?"

She gulped, her knees growing weak at the mention of her parents. "Yzak—"

"It's tentative, but people have been complaining about how they've handled the situation in Orb after the mass driver was destroyed."

Taking a breath, she steadied herself. No, she hadn't heard any of those complaints, but no doubt there was someone out there unhappy. People were rarely pleased when their country was destroyed and they think they have a better idea about what needs to be done. "And you? What do you think?"

He shrugged. "When it comes to politics people are always split and like to let others know they disagree on the matter."

"Really? Playing the ambiguous card? Nice." Pushing off the wall, she took some steps towards him, feeling herself getting frustrated. Before he seemed willing to spew his feelings, but suddenly he was being tight-lipped? Clearly, he hadn't made the connection yet—and he had already decided it was her parents' fault—so why not keep going? Her hands started to shake the more she thought about it. "At least you're honest."

"The point is, it's _their_ fault—"

"Their fault, his fault, her fault—it's _always_ someone's damn fault, Yzak!" She threw her arms down to her sides and paced around in a circle, her helmet now clenched in her right hand. "When can we stop trying to twist the knife and just make some _fuckin_' progress?"

"Geez, who put fleas in your underwear?"

"_What_?"

"Why you so PMS?"

"Wow, seriously? You just named my parents guilty victims and then proceed to complain about my menstrual cycle?"

"Well I—wait. Your what were—I said—Huh?" His scar either started glowing or his face had begun its rapid descent to bleach detergent. Seeing as he had the tendency to yap then regret it, she figured he was starting to feel bad. His face went through the typical digression: startled, utter surprise, questioning narrow of the eyes, the loud "click" in the brain when the gears started working again, wide-eyed astonishment, then the cursing. "Are you shittin' me? Seriously, they—Oh, God, am I _really _that daft?"

Eclipse sighed and shook her head, feeling her frustration quickly evaporating into hysteria. Yzak started _another_ swearing fit, but she didn't notice, hugging her hand to her mouth as not to make more of a ruckus than they already had. All out laughter seemed like overkill, but she couldn't help it. Not even Yzak heard what was going on until even a deaf person could understand she was making some kind of noise.

"Oh shit, now I made you cry."

She gave one last squeak of laughter before waving her hand in front of her. "Don't flatter yourself. When have I ever openly cried?"

"I dunno. I haven't seen you in a while."

"Oh Yzak, your predictability is so refreshing."

He didn't look as amused and even "Hmpfed" after crossing his arms over his chest, seeming a bit uncomfortable with the helmet dangling off to the side. "So glad I could be helpful."

"Seriously? You're offended? Wow."

"You think I _enjoy_ being oblivious?"

"So you admit it?"

"Ugh!" Now he started making frustrated circles of his own. It was a miracle no one had heard them. Based on their stomping alone Eclipse could swear a hippo was learning to tap dance.

"Damn it, just say it," she laughed.

"Say what?"

"Apologize."

Jerking to a halt, he started spinning the helmet between his fingers. A nervous gesture and Eclipse found herself enjoying his uneasiness. "But you know I didn't mean to—"

"It means so much more if you actually _say_ it. Call it," she snapped her fingers, the gloved material muffling the gears turning in her mind, "personal growth."

"You're enjoying this, aren't you?"

"Let's just say I could use something like this."

"Well, that's a bit sadistic."

"You're stalling."

"Ugh! I'm sorry, alright? I'm sorry."

"Like you mean it."

"You sound like my mother," he grumbled but took a breath nonetheless and avoided her eyes. Relaxing, he slipped his helmet into one hand then fumbled the other at his side as if he was putting it into a pocket. But there was nothing there. It moved to his hips, crossed behind his back and then joined his other arm in a fold at his chest. Finally, they both ended up at his sides. "I'm sorry, okay? I mean it. I'm sorry your parents were killed—gruesomely. I'm sorry your country's in the pits and—I'm sorry all this shit happens to you just because—well—because. You don't deserve it and no one gives you any kind of credit for just being—well—you."

_Wow._

She felt it before she saw his reaction, the blurring at the bottom of her eyes, bubbling up then falling down her cheeks. Her breath stopped and her face grew warm, the unfamiliarity of it all making her somewhat embarrassed. It was such a silly response to his simple apology, but just the way he said the words and how they were so honestly falling from his mouth—instead of some forced mantra a scientist had written up for him to make her feel better—relaxed her; made her drop her guard. Never in the past year or so she had known Yzak did she ever think he would say such a thing. She didn't even have time to wipe the streaks away before he looked up at her.

"Most of the time you don't deserve—" He stopped and swore, taking a step forward then back, probably unsure of what to do. He cursed again. "Did I say something stupid again?"

"Team Three all set." Eclipse jumped when she heard Clyde's voice through the radio. "Any further orders, Miss Rymyr?" Looking down at the device in her hand, she remembered _what_ she was doing on that colony in the first place. Using on forearm to wipe her cheeks, she brought the radio up to her mouth.

"Roger that. Head to the rendezvous point. I'll contact the—uh—" She paused, looking up at Yzak and his glaring ZAFT uniform. Even if it _was _Yzak, spewing the Three Ship Alliance's names—although, he probably already knew—seemed unprofessional. "I'll let the Mothership know we're just about done."

"Mothership? What, were you abducted?" She waved a frustrated—or embarrassed—hand to silence him.

"Uh, Team Three acknowledges. We'll be on standby until the green people get here." There was laughter—a loud crackling kind of noise—until the line went silent again.

"Geez, should I be getting scared? Light from heaven coming down to probe me?"

"C'mon, I was taken off guard."

"Yeah, you go from crying to calling your Mothership. I would ask if you're bipolar, but I already know _that_ answer."

"Sir!" Both Yzak and Eclipse turned toward the voice, the redcoat stepping in front of Eclipse—to block her retreat back to the alcove—just as another ZAFT officer came into view. "Sir, thank goodness, I thought we had lost you."

"Lost me? We have radios." He tapped his helmet and the other soldier frowned. Eclipse had to cover up a laugh.

"One that works if you have it on your head, sir. We've been trying to contact you for some time."

"I was investigating a lead." He gave a side glance at Eclipse. "Anything to report?"

"Just signs of scavengers, sir. Nothing more."

Eclipse sighed, happy to hear her team was resourceful enough to avoid the scouting party.

"But, sir, there's supposed to be another port—"

"That was my lead," he cut in. "I found the port, but the whole thing's caved in. Practically unusable."

Eclipse's jaw dropped. Had he just _lied _to a fellow military officer? He could get in so much _shit _if someone found out. What the _hell _had gotten into him? She almost started openly arguing with him, but had to save the lecture for later when the two started walking away. Yzak offered a little flick of his wrist as a farewell, but nothing more was said.

_And there he goes_, she thought, stepping out. _I'll have to make a little mess with the Stealth around the port to save his pompous—_ She stopped then swore. "Shit! I forgot to tell him about Dearka."

* * *

Eclipse helped store all the resources once they had returned, feeling more accomplished after the mission than she had thought she was going to. Melanie didn't haunt her after all and other than the ZAFT party it was a rather uneventful excursion. She knew she'd get teased relentlessly for the Mothership comment, but she could handle a little hazing.

Her decision to cause a little ruckus around the port entrance had been agreed upon by the others. Lathan hadn't wanted to give up the Stealth, but she had authority since it _was _her suit—not to mention Addict shut him out of the cockpit and would only let her inside. She had left a small path in the rubble so people could still come in and get resources—not to mention the mess was fabricated in a way it was easy to move if bigger items needed to be carried in—but it looked impassable like Yzak had reported.

The redhead met Namarra on the _Archangel _once she was done. They had decided to talk to Erika about what they should do or what they should expect when they meet with Azrael and those three pilots. Namarra said she had asked Erika to do some more research about her brothers, but given the short amount of time—even with the Natural's Earth Forces identification information—they weren't as confident as they probably should have been. They really didn't want to go in blind _again_, but sometimes there was just no choice. Timing was against them at this point.

Erika was busy when they walked in. She had told them to come in, but since she was still talking to her son it felt more like invading. Eclipse had almost given in and left to wait outside when the transmission ended.

"Sorry about that," she said, setting the headset inside a drawer. "Just wishing him goodnight."

"How's he doing?" the redhead asked, remembering a little bit about his health condition.

Erika smiled then slid over to her computer. "Still in the hospital, unfortunately. He went in there last night for the flu."

"Is he doing better?"

"Yes, much. I think his genes are officially connecting properly. They don't think he'll ever live a completely healthy life though."

Eclipse nodded and left it at that. Erika's son had had his genes altered to be a Coordinator at birth. The only problem was his body rejected the procedure and he has had a very poor immune system because of it. He almost didn't make it after he was born, but thanks to Eclipse's parents' funds, he managed to survive and had been slowly getting better for the past four years. She used to wonder if her parents would ever be that generous to her. Well, now she'd never know.

"Anything on those EA pilots we asked you to look up?" Namarra inquired, stepping in front.

Erika nodded. "Only a little, but it might be of _some_ use. I managed to pinpoint and analyze the drug they're being issued." She waved for them to sit as she brought up a graph on the screen. "It's called Gamma Glipheptin, aka G-squared for the sake of not having to say that name anymore."

The girls smiled and she pointed at the monitor. "This graph is a breakdown of what's in it, but since none of us are doctors, I'll give you the quick version. It turns your brain to squash while putting your physical body on par with Special Forces Coordinators."

"So, it heightens the nervous system without relying on the brain?" Erika shrugged and nodded, a version of "close enough." Eclipse frowned. "How?"

"It relies on the muscles' memories and reflexes rather than the brain's. That's why their memories are practically non-existent. That is unless their bodies remember you and that involves physical touch."

"Well, that explains why they haven't remembered me yet. Will they _ever_ recognize me again?" Namarra asked. Eclipse noticed how feeble she sounded and inwardly cringed, knowing her pride probably didn't appreciate the desperation in her voice.

"If you see them face-to-face, not just on a monitor, you _might _have a chance. You'd have to time it perfectly before their next dosage as well. Unfortunately, there's no way in telling how far into the drug stages they are."

"But as soon as they're administered the dosage again, would they know who she was? Or would she have to wait for it to go through their system again?" Eclipse asked, trying to rethink the plan in her head. If Namarra got there perfectly at the end of the dosage and the plan went south, would she still be able to stick around and make some kind of imprint? If that was the case, Eclipse could stall Azrael for a day or two. Whether or not she'd regret it afterwards—and what other scars she'd gain—was still under debate, but if there was a chance Namarra could finally get some closure, it could keep.

Erika thought about it before answering, her finger scratching up and down on the desktop. "Possibly," she admitted slowly. "Everything depends on how deep the connection is between you and them." She pointed at Namarra who—based on the way she perked in her seat—was starting to feel confident about her plan.

"And can the drug be duplicated? I mean, in some way that we can slowly weed them away from it?"

She shook her head. "Unfortunately, the withdrawal symptoms would be too great for them to withstand and since their brains have already been affected, I can't guarantee they can ever be off the drug. But," Erika continued, tapping a finger against the desktop, "based on this data I might be able to come up with some kind of substitute."

"Really?"

Eclipse frowned, not liking how excited Namarra was getting. There were too many variables and for Erika to get her hopes up like this was just cruel.

"I'm sure that I could—"

"But we don't even know if the Alliance would shelter them," the redhead broke in. "We agreed on secrecy so they have no idea."

"We can hide them in Mendel until they come to some kind of agreement," Namarra said. "I'll try and snag some doses while I'm aboard and Erika can start working on the substitute."

"Nam, you don't even know how to administer it. And how do you expect to keep an eye on _three _soldiers on a satellite as big as Mendel? Ones who _don't remember_ _you_, to boot?"

"I'll handle it."

"Nam—"

"I _said_ I'll handle it." She glanced sideways at Eclipse, the cold look in her eyes betraying her confidence before. Clearly, the Natural had her doubts, but the hope Erika had been giving her was enough to make her go through with the infiltration. "You make it sound like I haven't thought this through."

"I just want you to know what _might _happen."

"Do you think I don't know? Do you think I _enjoy_ the possibility of seeing them like that? Of seeing _him _again?"

Eclipse sighed and Erika frowned. The redhead doubted the older woman knew much about what they were talking about, but Namarra's passion was enough to make anyone fold.

"Fine," Eclipse responded. "I understand."

"Good. Now, Erika, we're gonna need a little more leverage. Do you mind if we get a copy of your SEED and Berserker comparative research?"

She seemed surprised. "What does my paper have to do with anything?"

"We won't be giving it away, don't worry," Eclipse cut in, uncomfortable with how Namarra's eagerness was starting to make Erika nervous. "We just need it as a tease."

"Then why not offer the PLANTs research instead?" she suggested and the girls looked at each other. That hadn't even crossed their minds.

"_That_ would grab his attention," Namarra muttered and Eclipse nodded.

"We'll take one copy of that, please."

* * *

"Come in," Eclipse called, finishing up a sentence in her journal as she heard the door slid open behind her. The outside light from the hallway caused her some brief disorientation over a word, but she added the period just as her visitor spoke.

"I have a question. When did we stop talking to each other?" Athrun asked, the redhead hearing him shift his sling uncomfortably across his shoulder. It had been almost a week since the injury, but she knew it was healing well. She and Athrun had the tendency to be in the infirmary at the same time. His was only a graze, but being a pilot—and the ships being under no immediate danger—they _really _wanted to make sure he got back _most_ of his movement. That meant the sling and lots of rehab.

"We just saw each other at breakfast," she said, swiveling in her chair so she could see him. It was a rare sight to see Athrun on the _Regean_.

"Yes, but you never told me you were going to talk to the leader of Blue Cosmos."

"Who told you that?"

"I kinda guessed you were up to _something_ then I confronted Mrs. Simmons about it when I saw you and Namarra leave her room."

She frowned. "You're an amazing detective, Athrun Zala. Bravo."

"Amazing, probably, but I'm mostly worried."

"About what?"

"You're kidding, right?" Sighing, the door closed behind him after he walked over and sat down on her bed. "When did you and Namarra suddenly become this amazing duo?"

"Jealous?" she smirked, but when Athrun didn't seem as amused she leaned forward and rested her elbows on her knees. "We meant what we said on the _Archangel_ bridge. We have many things we have to take care of."

"The last time you two did something on your own it went south."

"Your plan didn't turn out so hot either, if I recall."

"True, but I don't plan on doing anything like that again." His face went dark, a common reaction whenever he brought up his father escapade and Eclipse found herself matching his expression. He hadn't told her everything about the event, but there was enough painted there that she didn't have to pry. "You're starting another round."

"The last thing was my problem. This one's Nam's. I'm the only one who can help her."

"Because you're a Berserker?"

She sighed and scratched her knee, more as a nervous twitch than anything. "Yes." Given his past, she had expected him to keep arguing, but instead he let it go. Maybe he was finally accepting the fact that he couldn't keep her on a leash anymore; he wasn't a commanding officer.

Somehow, she could tell that was starting to affect him as well.

"I'm really here to talk to you about Kira and Cagalli."

"Okay. Shoot."

"If those two are really siblings, then who are their real parents? The Atthas? Or the Yamatos?"

"If it was the Atthas, then Kira would be a world leader. The Orb Council doesn't outright admit they don't allow women among them, but they _are _all males and have made some snide remarks about Cagalli's possible succession, even when her father was alive. If they _did _have a male to choose from and with Kira's military record—"

"Cagalli would be left with chopped liver," Athrun muttered.

"But he knows nothing of running a country."

"And anyone could argue Cagalli's too young to have that responsibility. Even to be a Council leader in the PLANTs you have to be at least thirty."

Eclipse nodded, remembering a bit of her schooling. "Orb's run by a council mostly too. So—if they didn't want to pick one over the other—Kira and Cagalli'd probably end up as figureheads with no real power other than what to say on the next television talk show. The council would take over everything, forgetting Lord Uzumi's influence completely."

"That's what I was thinking. And with the way the country's going now, even if they _did _go back as war heroes, they probably wouldn't get anything more than a medal and a handshake."

She nodded again and crossed her arms and legs. Wagging her foot thoughtfully, she continued. "And that's even if the Atthas are their parents. If the Yamatos are the real parents—"

"Then Cagalli loses everything." He took a deep breath and slowly let it out. "She loses everything again."

Sighing, she brought a finger to her lips and started nibbling on the nail. If her parents had been alive they might have eased Cagalli's entrance back into Orb—and even muted her possible adoption—but now they had no one else on the inside; no one to help her regain her title if word was leaked out about her sibling.

"Our only option is to put a cork on it."

"If it's true."

"Athrun, remember who you're talking about. Lord Uzumi doesn't do things on a whim."

"Maybe he _wanted _her out of that position. Didn't want her ruling Orb, council or no."

"Then why not just tell her she was—or wasn't—adopted in the first place?"

"Builds character?"

Eclipse shook her head, no matter how amusing the remark. "Who all knows?"

"Only the four of us, I think."

"And Lacus."

"Kira told her?"

She shrugged. "I doubt it was Cags. Oh, and Kisaka knows too."

"He won't spill."

"Probably not."

The both slipped into silence. Eclipse had never known Athrun to be so involved in politics, but perhaps his sudden attraction to the Orb Princess had gotten him more interested in what was going on. The redhead should have caught onto the predicament a long time ago, but even she had an excuse. A part of her felt bad, but politics had always been up to the "other" people. She just got rid of the competition.

"If Cagalli wants to take her father's place on the council, she's gonna need some kind of pitch, so to speak," Athrun said.

"You mean like a deal they can't refuse?"

He nodded. "Something only she has access to that they'll need. Just to get her back on the council though," he added. "_Keeping_ the seat will be up to her."

"You forget though, _we _have to survive this first."

"We already made that pact, remember? Unless you plan on skipping out."

"Nah, you'd miss me too much." He laughed and she found herself smiling. Even if he was keeping his affections on her cousin it was nice to know she could still talk to him. For a while there—when she hadn't seen him for a couple of days—she had been getting worried. It was comforting to see she was concerned for nothing.

But, now there were _two _projects they had to work on once the war was over, getting information about the Berserker and putting Cagalli back on the council. Seeing as she was a prime promoter of her father's ideals, they should make her top priority. If they didn't want the world to fall back into its same bloody routine, that is.

"Oh, I finished that lizard I was making. Wanna see it?"

"Sure," she replied with a shrug, standing when he did. She was actually a bit scared to see the final product, but since they were friends—"Oh! I saw Yzak on Mendel."

"What?"

"I know, right! I couldn't believe it either."

They left the room, Eclipse forgetting all about the rest of her journal entry.

* * *

"Alright, you ready for this?"

"Depends," Eclipse began, shifting uncomfortably in a corner despite the Decay's extended cockpit. Apparently, people weren't as easy to transport as supplies. "You're not going to do a video chat where I'm gagged, are you?"

Namarra shrugged. "He might need proof."

"I could always scream or something like you're pouring boiling water onto me. Technically, I have the healing scars to make the story plausible."

"Boiling water in my cockpit?"

"Turn on the oxygen and use a blow torch? I dunno, it's _your _torture."

"Maybe he'll take my word for it."

"Just be _sure _to mention the research."

"Yeah, yeah," Namarra grumbled, pulling out her repaired cell phone. It was actually nice being around so many handy Coordinators. She dialed Orga's number like she had before. Knowing Azrael, he had kept the phone.

"Ah, Chicabo," a sleezy voice slithered through the receiver. Eclipse shivered. At least her main psycho had a voice worth swooning over. This one screamed pedophile. "I honestly didn't think I would hear from you again. You were quite cold before."

"Sorry to hurt your pride," she muttered, keeping up her pissed façade. It really wasn't that hard. "I've decided to reconsider your offer."

"About the other one?"

"Yes."

"And _why _would you even think the offer was still on the table?"

"Oh, c'mon. Two Berserkers for three drugged rejects? It's still on the table."

He paused for a moment and Eclipse had the slimy vision of a tongue licking lips. She didn't know what the man really looked like, but she knew he was doing something creepy.

"I don't believe you'll give me the other one."

Namarra laughed. "I didn't think you would, so I'll add something more. I'll send you a file." Eclipse started setting up the PLANTs' research for transfer as she talked. "I swiped it from one of the researchers at Orb who's buddy-buddy with a PLANT scientist; someone who personally worked on the other Berserker."

"What's the catch?"

Namarra smirked. "There's a kamikaze program attached. Wrong password, it corrupts itself and the system it's in. Pretty powerful too. Might end up shutting down your entire warship."

"Tricky." That time the girls could hear him smile.

"But I won't give you the right password until I know the guys are free. _They _have to tell me themselves."

"Interesting, Chicabo, _very _interesting. I'll get back to you soon."

"You have one hour."

"I don't know about _that_ soon."

"She won't stay sedated forever."

"Ah." And the line went dead.

"Everything's set for the transfer," Eclipse said, shifting back out of the way. "You think he'll bite? Or should we have offered the _Archangel's _coordinates as well?"

"I have the feeling he might already know where that ship is anyway. He didn't ask me where I was this time." She put the phone within arm's reach. "How's the Stealth?"

"Addict's still on standby." Eclipse looked out the camera to her left. The machine was covered in a cloaking material. It wasn't as good as the Mirage Colloid, but she couldn't afford to waste all of that for the extended amount of time. She didn't know how long they would be talking to the guys so she couldn't risk the Colloid running out. The machine's beacon was disengaged, but if someone looked into space _too_ closely, her suit would stand out. The material was good, just not as deceiving as her Colloid. And if someone _did _notice her suit, Coffee Addict would engage the Colloid and change coordinates.

Maybe it was nice having a smart suit after all.

"Good. Hopefully, we won't need it."

"Hah!" Eclipse laughed. "Now _that's _wishful thinking."

* * *

It didn't take long for Azrael to come back with a reply. The girls were starting to get a bit restless in the cramped cockpit—Eclipse couldn't feel her legs about ten minutes in—but his answer came swiftly a half hour after the initial interaction. He said one word, "Okay," then transferred the rendezvous point once they sent the research file. Eclipse and Namarra were a bit wary of going where _he _wanted them to, but they had gotten a lucky break simply by him agreeing to meet.

"What if he doesn't bring the guys?" Eclipse asked, shifting in her cramped little corner as Namarra helped zip-tie her hands and feet. "I'd hate to see this turn into some ambush and here I am hogtied."

She shrugged. "We really won't know until we get there."

"You have a lot of faith in this guy, don't you?"

"I have faith in him keeping his side of the deal. Other than that, he can go to Hell for all I care."

"A reliable devil. Somehow that doesn't have a very comforting ring to it."

Namarra shrugged again and spun back into the pilot seat, clipping her seatbelt and adjusting the controls. "Might wanna let Addict know the plan."

"Already on it," Eclipse said, reaching up to her earpiece and muttering the coordinates to her machine. She told the Stealth to follow, but not too closely, probably fearing the cloaking material wouldn't hold well at higher speeds. "Done," the redhead announced, the Decay jerking back to life and start moving.

Namarra couldn't help but feel nervous about the encounter. Eclipse was probably hiding her own feelings, and despite no immediate attachment to her brothers, the redhead was displaying a strange amount of loyalty. It was nothing to complain about, but she kept wondering how much more she could ask of her.

Azrael.

The leader of Blue Cosmos.

If Eclipse could take him out, no matter how much strain that might put on the initial plan, they would be a step closer to ending this monstrosity of a war. And Namarra might not even have to worry about trying to bust her brothers out of the military. If Azrael was dead, she could just waltz out the door and no one would probably say otherwise.

"If you get a shot, take it," the Natural said, liking how confident she sounded, but knowing she was far from it at that point. "Just have some kind of escape plan before you do. I'd hate to use your distraction and then find out you were either trapped or killed."

"So, don't be stupid. Got it. I think I can handle that much." Leaning forward, Eclipse put a bound hand on her shoulder and Namarra flinched, betraying that certainty she had just show. "You do the same. I know you're pretty close with them, but it's still three against one."

"Against one Berserker."

"Yes, but relying on that kind of power might make you regret a couple of things. I doubt anything short of all _three _of them coming out alive would make this mission a success."

"You think I'd kill them if I went berserk?" Namarra was offended, she couldn't help it. Eclipse may have attacked her when she snapped, but their relationship wasn't the same as hers was with her brothers; not even close. Despite all the rage, she _knew _she'd never attack them.

Well, sure enough to get upset.

"I think you can do anything in that frame of mind. Trust me," Eclipse added, sitting back and adjusting her shoulders to the small corner. "If I had been snapped that long on the _Kusanagi_ or any other ship, we'd be going to Azrael for shelter, not for this bushwagged of a mission."

"Bushwagged?"

The redhead shrugged. "Lathan said it once. It was the only word I could think of."

Namarra laughed and rolled her eyes. The redhead was just trying to look out for her, she knew, but even Eclipse had to have noticed how different their Berserkers were.

Yes.

Different.

Slowly, her confidence faded, her other half laughing at the thought. She'd never attack them.

Right?

Taking another look at her cameras, she searched for the Stealth. Somehow she felt safer knowing Eclipse had her suit too, and one that had a mind of its own to boot. Joking aside, she loved the CA system.

"I hope you know what you guys are doing. If I end up scrap metal I'm gonna suck your brain out through that earpiece of yours."

Despite it being an ass.

* * *

Surprisingly enough, the Decay beat Azrael to the rendezvous spot, but as soon as a large, black and grey battle ship popped up on the radar their early bird arrival was beginning to look more and more like an ambush.

"Lexi—"

"I know, I know. Addict—"

Azrael's voice broke through onto the transmission, no image coming up on the screen, but his words were enough to stop Eclipse's orders. "Greetings, Chicabo. Sorry for the grand entrance, but this was really the only way we could meet on such a short notice. I do hope you don't mind me bringing the rest of my friends."

Both girls narrowed their eyes as the ship's guns pointed in their direction. It may not have been so intimidating if it didn't look exactly like the _Archangel_ and—knowing the firepower of that warship—they figured their dust particles would be floating away in space after one direct hit. The Decay brought up the classification and specs while they had the stare down, its words not much of a comfort.

"Second _Archangel_-class battleship, the _Dominion._ Weaponry, two 225cm dual high-energy beam cannons, two 110cm linear cannons, two positron blaster cannons, sixteen 75mm automatic multi-barrel CIWS, 24 count large missile launcher, and sixteen surface-to-air missile launchers along with anti-beam depth charge launchers. AKA, we're fucked."

"I think I got that by the first cannon," Namarra muttered, her eyes glancing back towards Eclipse, but she saw nothing more than her knees. The redhead was sitting too far back and even if she couldn't see Azrael, that didn't mean he couldn't see her. Any sign of camaraderie might batch the mission.

"Both of you come out of that suit and propel your way over here. Namarra, if that other Berserker does anything reckless, we'll shoot."

_And kill us both,_ Namarra thought, but knew Eclipse wasn't about to do anything that stupid. It was a good thing they were in this together because despite his obsession with their other halves, she had the suspicion the captain of that ship really would fire at them merely to piss off the leader of Blue Cosmos. Funny, too, how she knew that without even meeting the person, but she knew Azrael and that was enough.

"Better do as he says," Eclipse muttered once the communication cut out. "Unless you're getting scared."

"Hah!" Namarra scoffed, unbuckling herself and making some quick adjustments to the CA system. "We're too far into this now."

"You're fucked," Chicabo said and both girls groaned.

"We know!"

* * *

Eight people met them in the hangar as they were pulled inside, six with weapons, one female—in a captain's uniform—and Azrael. Eclipse didn't even have to verify it with Namarra to know who the guy in the blue suit was. "Welcome aboard—"

"State your names," the female captain interrupted, never glancing his way even though she could probably feel his glare. She was another young officer and seeing her hold her cap down near her waist with perfect posture, Eclipse couldn't help thinking she was very good at what she did. She reminded her of Murrue in some ways, but even Murrue was lax when it came to military procedure. Then again, that could have been because of their current situation, but regardless, this captain seemed to the books, primped, polished, and probably scary as Hell in most situations.

She took off both of their helmets and the guards flinched. Jumpy anything was not good when attached to a weapon. "Namarra Legund, member of the experimental team under Azrael. And this is Lunar Eclipse, formerly of the Le Creuset Team."

Eclipse really wasn't sure why Namarra had introduced her as such, but she held her tongue. After all, being bound didn't exactly give her rights to flap her jaws and if it kept them away from the flying bullets, she was all for a little white lying.

The captain looked surprised when Namarra mentioned the Le Creuset team, but she had played her startle well, Eclipse noting her restraint. Sure, Le Creuset was a well-known ZAFT soldier, but there was something more personal in how she took the news. Surprise, anger, then indifference. Hiding something, maybe?

"Captain Natarle Badgiruel. Welcome to the _Dominion_."

"Now, come this way," Azrael interjected, holding out his hand and stepping in front of the captain. From that gesture—not to mention the unprofessional interruption before—there seemed to be some kind of power struggle. "Captain, please return to the bridge. There's really nothing more you can do here." Eclipse couldn't precisely pinpoint the head butting, but she planned on making a note of it. With everything that was going on in the Earth Forces, she could imagine there being some kind of tension, but she never knew it had gotten so far as to mount a Blue Cosmos leader onto a warship. Was he babysitting the captain here? But the leader _himself_?

The captain nodded and took three of the soldiers with her, never hesitating in spite of the dismissal. Perhaps she just didn't want to have anything to do with the matter, but Eclipse didn't have time to observe since Namarra was pulling her after Azrael.

"I just wanna see—"

"I know, I know, they're down another hall. I'll send one of these three with you," he motioned to the guards following, "and you can talk to them while I have a little chat with this one." He didn't have to say her name to know Eclipse was the object of that interrogation.

He directed them to a side room near the hangar, Namarra taking off as soon as Eclipse was settled. They had ended up in some kind of medical storage room, the cabinets on the wall displaying different vials and prescription bottles with assorted crates in each corner, out of the way yet easily accessible if the cabinets needed to be filled.

"Oh, those restraints aren't needed. If you wouldn't mind." Azrael held his hand out to one soldier and he nodded, snipping off the zip-ties around her wrists and then her feet. Massaging the wounds, Eclipse stared at the man. Azrael was not what she had expected. Based on Namarra's descriptions, she was prepared to witness some kind of monster. Instead, this man looked to be a little older than the _Archangel_ captain with blonde hair short and curled down near his eyes. If anything, he looked feminine, but definitely normal.

She stood in one of the corners, the weak magnets embedded in her shoes allowing her some steady footing. Leaning back, she crossed her ankles. "You should tell your little munchkin to go easy on the sedatives next time."

"I'm sorry if she was rough on you. She was never really taught restraint—or even tact for that matter—so her tactics might seem a bit extreme sometimes. Then again I had always thought the other Berserker was going to be male so if the dosages were strong, I can take that blame," Azrael began, one hand moving up to stroke his chin as the other tapped thoughtfully against his side. "At first I had thought Namarra had lied, but maybe she still has some allegiance after all."  
Eclipse kept her commentary to herself, but couldn't help the smirk on her lips. _No allegiance to you, I'm afraid. Just your other fighting machines._

"I can't help wondering, though, what we could have done if you _were_ male." He came closer, stopping himself an arm's length away. Reaching out, he pushed some hair behind her ear, only hesitating long enough to gauge whether she was going to retaliate. At least that was the smart thing to do. Eclipse had no idea what kinds of thoughts surged through that mind, but somehow she doubted many involved suicide. He seemed too into himself to be the cause of his own death.

The redhead definitely didn't enjoy the attention, but jumping him then sounded stupid even to the Berserker. Namarra needed more time and she could suffer his blind confidence for a bit longer.

"Hm," he continued, "a bit more reserved than the other one. Perhaps she lied to me after all?"

"Reservation doesn't dictate whether or not I'm a Berserker."

"Maybe not." He shrugged, both hands stretching out to the sides as if he was some animated puppet. "But anger is a key ingredient to your, shall we say, genetic recipe."

"So, you think I'm a fake?"

"I have no reason to believe otherwise."

"You're too cocky if you think I'm willing to play your game in order to prove it to you."

Azrael laughed. "Honey, you've already been a part of this game. The only question is, are you going to play nice?" He touched her again, this time to brush some stray bangs from her forehead. It was only a short movement, but Eclipse tensed nonetheless. How could such a simple touch feel so intrusive?

"It's not nice to tease."

"I agree, so what d'ya say we stop this flirting?"

"Or what?"

"Remember, you're Namarra's bargaining chip. I'd hate to see her lose her precious brothers merely because her fellow warmonger was uncooperative."

"You forget," Eclipse continued, "she has the password for that PLANT research."

"Which is probably nothing." He laughed again. "I'm not stupid and Namarra isn't that smart."

"What if I let you in on a little secret? Part of it was compiled by Erika Simmons." She needed to turn the power back in her favor, or at least regain some ground. However, her white lie didn't seem to work.

He flinched, but—other than that—didn't look too interested. "A smart girl, maybe, but her research methods aren't as—what's a good word—successful as mine." He waved his arms out to the side. "Her focus is mainly on the SEEDs—a positive force, you could say. I'm only interested in you."

"So, you admit there's a difference?"

"Let me ask you something." Folding his arms across his stomach, he leaned forward, looking up at Eclipse instead of looming down at her. If it was anyone else, she would have said he was trying to put them on equal terms, but when his fingers twitched near his sides, she figured he was just restraining himself. "Have you ever met a SEED?"

She shrugged. "I wouldn't know what to look for."

"Hm, I suppose you wouldn't," he mused, thankfully, straightening back up. "From what I gather, they're not as obvious to spot as Berserkers even though there are probably hundreds alive right now."

"_Hundreds_?"

He shrugged again, Eclipse starting to think it was more from indifference than any kind of ignorance. "At least that's what I'm led to believe. Erika's research might say otherwise, but from what I understand, SEEDs are more of a state of mind while Berserkers are more of a state of being. But," he began, leaning forward once more, "based on that expression I think you knew that already."

"I know genes don't make a difference so that was really the only other option."

"And for Berserkers, the genes are everything. It's quite fascinating really." He straightened again and paced to her right. "One, genetic mutation and—well, I'm sure you can guess the rest."

"How did the mutation come about though? Did I eat a radioactive mushroom when I was little or something?"

Azrael opened his mouth, but shut it a moment later, a small smirk now resting there. "Curious are we?"

Eclipse frowned. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"I take it something's come up recently. Flirt with the devil a little too much, did we?" She recalled his conversation with Namarra. Of course he knew what had happened.

"You're not going to tell me anything more until I offer to stay, are you? Not a fan of taking people by force? Or do you just take pleasure in thinking they came along willingly?" She saw the guards near the door twitch, making her a bit more nervous than she had hoped. Azrael had been baiting her and despite her accusation, she was considering his offer. If she stayed, Namarra and her brothers could leave and she might get to understand her other half well enough to keep people alive.

"Oh come now, you didn't think this was a mere social visit did you? You want information and I want—well—to help you out."

"People _are _going to notice I'm gone."

"Oh sure, your disappearance will be a little unsettling, but what do you think you can accomplish by returning to them? Do you think that somehow youcan be the _one _person to end this warpath?"

"I'm not here to end anything, merely help a friend."

"Friends now, huh?" He smirked and she kept her face neutral as she silently threaded some vulgarities together. She _was _playing his game after all. "Regardless, taking those three pilots won't change _anything_?"

Eclipse didn't respond. The thought may have crossed her mind, but she had agreed to this for Namarra's sake, not for some heroic medal.

"Currently, you are more of an accessory to this war than a necessity, so I know you won't succeed anyway." He did that shrugging thing again and the redhead had to take a deep breath to calm down. "For example, those three boys I have. Do you honestly think they are the _only_ ones able to pilot those machines? If anything, their performances have been poor at best and I have a whole warehouse full of soldiers like them." He laughed. "They're gonna die. In fact, I'm _sure_ they will."

Eclipse tensed, but didn't make a move at him. This kind of person was a leader? Perhaps she had just been spoiled lately with Waltfeld, Murrue, Lacus and Lord Uzumi. Commander Le Creuset had just made her nervous, but she had never really come to understand why she felt uneasy. Then there was this man. Vaguely, he reminded her of someone, but didn't have time to dwell on it.

"It's a pity they'll take those beautiful machines with them, but at least they'll go down with plenty of others."

"Watch it."

"What, that upsets you? Or are you just trying to be protective of your friend? After all, I've practically been blackmailing her with those pilots and it's finally paid off. I now have both Berserkers. The only thing left to do is make you a necessity where," he chuckled, "obviously ZAFT failed."

Her other half was close now, she could tell and after her escapade on Mendel she was surprised it hadn't boiled over yet. Perhaps her Berserker was curious; interested in this man's instability. She doubted it was following the plan to just stall Azrael so it must have been because the two of them were so much alike. Always above humility.

"Wow, your restraint _is _impressive. Tell me, you're what, fifteen? Sixteen?"

"Why does that matter?"

"Did you know the oldest recorded Berserker lived to be eighteen? Back in the day that age may have been impressive, but now you're barely an adult. And did you know how that Berserker died?"

Eclipse narrowed her eyes, but still kept composure. The only thing betraying her was the anxious tapping from her fingers against her side.

"It went insane and killed half its village," he continued, seemingly oblivious to her nervousness. "When it was finally caught, the villagers poured lava down its throat then cut off what was left of the head, threw it into the volcano and left the torso for the dogs. They were afraid no other way would work."

"You're crazy."

"Crazy? Darling, it's all been researched. The Berserker effects grow worse with age. Judging by your expression, I'd guess you haven't even read _any _of the work done on you?"

Frowning, she hesitated. _Another_ person was bringing up her ignorance and the only person she could really blame was herself. Erika had had the research from her guinea pig days back in the PLANTs, but she hadn't even asked to look at it. Was that just laziness or was she actually afraid of reading what was in there? Erika had never pressed the matter—not to mention mostly everyone seemed wary to bring up anything Berserker-related after her Mendel escapade—so was all this just bad luck? Azrael seemed willing to share his information, but was it really worth being a lab rat again? After all, she doubted his methods were within the range of humane and even though she didn't remember much from the PLANTs, Erika had hinted at some unethical experiments. Did she really want to go through that again?

"Well, you're no older than sixteen, so with what time you have left, shouldn't you _want _to know more? Or do you savor the fact that you're going to kill everyone?" Pausing, his face relaxed then arched into another grin. "I know this half of you might."

For once, the Berserker didn't.

* * *

Clotho was the first one to see her. Not necessarily to recognize her, but to notice her in the doorway. Namarra almost started walking over to him first when Shani fell backwards on his bed to ignore her and Orga stood. She was so relieved to see them alive—and still trying to think of some greeting—she didn't even register Orga's growing impatience. It wasn't until the door slid shut behind her did she understand how much danger she could potentially be in. The guard had opted to wait outside and Orga looked stronger than she had remembered. He was walking closer, a saunter so cocky she couldn't believe this was the same person she used to refer to as a big brother. Had he _really_ been the first one to calm her down after her episodes?

"What, they sending us whores now?"

Namarra gulped, more out of surprise than actual fear. He had _never_ said such a thing to her, but—then again—he probably didn't even remember he was more of a gentleman than that.

"No," she replied simply.

"A challenger then?" Clotho asked, waving his handheld game up in the air. "These two suck."

"No, I'm—" She paused, choosing her words carefully. Saying the wrong thing could mean their instant disproval and that was hard to gain back. Say something right and she might get five minutes of calm conversation.

"You're nothing?" Shani asked, the remark sounding more like a statement. She was surprised he had even heard the conversation.

"I'm your new teammate," she finished.

Orga slammed a hand near her head, tracing his opposite fingers down her cheek. "I preferred the whore."

Instinct took place of survival and she pushed him back, actually making him stumble over to Shani who hadn't even bothered to try and steady his teammate. Namarra could hear the music stop on Clotho's game as he pressed "Pause" and Shani's finger lowered the volume from his music player. All three looked interested at that point.

"Give me some respect, bitches. There has to be something said about _me _being the only female."

"Just because you're the only one with a vagina doesn't mean you can boss us around," Shani spat, but she saw the slim hope of a smirk on his lips. He was impressed, a rare sight even when he wasn't so…different.

"Why are you here then?" Orga straightened and crossed his arms across his chest. "I don't remember getting orders about a new recruit."

"Brand new orders. Something came up."

"Well, that's vague," Clotho muttered, pressing the "Pause" button on his game to get it going again. "Whatever."

Shani turned his music back up, but Orga still didn't seem convinced. Striding back in her direction he stopped inches away and glared down at her smaller form. "Tell me the _real_ reason you're here."

"Orga, it's me, Namarra."

"Your name means shit to me."

"My nickname then, Chicabo." Her CA asked for orders, but she ignored it. "Clotho gave it to me thanks to his RPG obsession."

"Now you're just wasting my time." He leaned in closer, but she held her ground. "Our only purpose is to kill so why the _fuck_ would they send us a female?"

"What, females can't be sadistic? When did you become so sexist, Orga? I kicked your ass back at the—"

"And now you're rambling."

_Damn it_, she thought, still not leaning away from his advances, but he definitely didn't look like any form of friendly. "You're just not listening—"

"So, now everything's _my _fault?"

"Orga, if you'd just—Damn it, get back!" She reached out to push him again, but he grabbed both hands and plastered them to the wall beside her. She could have gotten out of the hold—large amount of struggling involved—but her intentions weren't to start a brawl.

And, Berserker or no, she'd get slaughtered.

"I _really_ don't know why you're getting so defensive. You're here to kill, I'm here to kill—_what's_ the problem?"

The side of his mouth twitched, not like he was going to smile, but like he recognized something. His fingers shifted like reeds in the wind, something in his body rippling from his head to his feet. She remembered what Erika had said about muscle memory and smirked. "You recognize me."

"What?"

"You _know_ me—remember me."

"Uh-oh, here comes the love confession," Clotho joked, pausing his game again. Shani turned down the volume with a sigh, probably feeling he had to see what was going on more out of necessity than curiosity.

She pressed further. "We were teammates—no _siblings_, remember? My brother was killed—_you _saw it."

"Wait," Clotho began, his hands setting his game down into his lap and then finally on the bed near his pillow. His eyes narrowed in thought, but Namarra couldn't really see, Orga's body blocking her view. "Kai?" he continued and Namarra felt the familiar static across her skin. Her breath shortened and her stomach knotted, but she was determined to stay in control.

"Y-yes. That w-was his—" She stopped, Shani jumping up from his bed to push Orga aside. Putting two hands on her shoulders, he pulled her into a hug. She started to shake, but she had more control than usual. The joy of them recognizing her was enough to steady any hysteria. Slowly, she returned the hug and felt her face relax into relief, still debating whether or not to hold back her tears or just give in and sob. She had gotten there at the perfect time—when the medication was wearing off. She couldn't believe her luck. And with just one guard outside the door, all they had to do was kill him, grab Eclipse—probably kill Azrael too—then head back to Mendel.

For once, her plan was going well.

"Wait, you said Namarra was your name?" Clotho asked, scratching his head while the name sunk in. "Holy shit, Chicabo—what the hell—"

"You shouldn't be here," Orga hissed, pushing Shani aside and grabbing her arm. "If Azrael finds out—"

"Orga, I came here on my own. He was the one to let me back—"

"_No!_" he spat again, his grip tightening, but she didn't care at the moment. There was nothing that could go wrong now. They had recognized her; they were a team again. But if that was the case, why did he look so panicked? "Not you too—you have to go."

"Wait," Shani said, holding his arm out. "Maybe it's for the best."

"Yeah," Clotho agreed. "She was never given the same meds as us. She'd be so much safer here. Who knows who might be prodding—"

"She has to get _away_ from us," Orga finished. "And away from _him_."

"No," Namarra squeaked, her voice still affected by the hysteria running around in her head. "I want you to come _with _me. I know people who can help you."

"We'd never get there in time," Shani replied, his face showing he was finally understanding what his teammate was getting at. His body started to tremble, reminding her of shivering, but it was quickly getting worse. Her mouth went dry as she watched, Shani lifting his hands to his head to take the earbuds from his ears. "There isn't enough time b-between—"

"Recognition and s-stability," Clotho finished, sitting back down on the bed and frantically shuffling his game up further onto his bed. "Shit we're a-addicted—"

"Go!" Orga ordered, throwing her towards the door. "B-before they get here."

"I don't understand—"

"Get out!" Orga screamed.

Namarra fell backwards after that screech alone, never hearing such a sound come from him. He was scared—no, terrified. But of what? Her back hit the door, but it didn't open, the Natural refusing to press the release button. She was _so _close.

"What's—" Clotho's yell made her stop. She glanced over at him on his bed, feeling herself panic again, but not because of her brother's name. Clotho was lying on his side, his arms strapped across his stomach and his fingernails digging trenches into the elbows. They grinded against his skin, as if he was digging for something. His feet twitched, his ankles moving back and forth along to a sporadic rhythm.

"Clotho?" she whispered, watching the moisture on his forehead drench his bangs. She had remembered Erika mentioning withdrawal symptoms, but could they really be that bad? No, this _had _to be something else. But what?

She just didn't know.

"God, can't y-you take a hi-hint?" Orga asked, but he had stumbled to the side against the wall, fists shaking.

"Move it!" Namarra didn't have time to follow Shani's voice but the sheer desperation there convinced her he was in much the same state.

"No, I—" Reaching out, she felt herself fall backwards instead, the door behind her opening from the outside. The gravity lessened as soon as she broke the threshold, her body slipping between the two doctors standing there. She was sure at least one had reached out to grab her, but they soon disappeared, Namarra seeing the last bit of Orga's and Shani's uniforms before the door shut.

Then locked.

"No!"

Turning, she pushed off the wall and started pounding on the door, her brothers' painful screams louder than her own. She was so close—they were right there. How could she lose them so suddenly? And just after getting them back.

"No, no, no, no, no!" she screamed, feeling her hands bruise from the abuse, but even after she let her other half take over—pray it could save her brothers—nothing changed.

Not even a Berserker could break down a steel door.

* * *

**_A/N: _**So, this is about three weeks overdue, but thanks to that lovely thing in life called the Flu Bug I've been out for the past week and was just being lazy on the other two. Yeah, weeks overdue, but life happens, I guess. I was excited to put this chapter out at least until I kept coming up with little details to add in here and there. For example, the Athrun insert was the last thing I put in and that was literally _after_ I had sent the draft out to the Betas. Hm, it's quickly become one of my favorite sections in this chapter, but it didn't officially exist until I thought, "Oh yeah," on the Athrun front.

And this is a comment for all you fellow Gundam writers out there. Did anyone else realize how positively annoying the simple "space helmet" is to write about? There's no other word for "helmet" and just putting in that it's taken on, then off, flipped around in the hands, etc. gets downright repetitive. Ugh...

Yzak coming back into the mix was rather exciting. I'm sure she told Dearka about meeting his old friend, but I couldn't help but find it hilarious to see she had forgotten to mention Dearka to him. Out of all the things, Lexi… (sigh)

Let's see, what else? Other than the typical family drama going on in my life, things are looking rather up for my writing. I've had some good sprees lately that have produced an interesting array of pieces. I've even gotten back into short story writing and I haven't done that since I graduated a year ago!

As always, special thanks to my Betas, _CSSStravag, Death-Scimitar,_ and _Maderfole_ for being awesome and awe inspiring. Glad I can jump to them when I'm in a pinch.

Huge thank you to all my readers and reviewers and a HUGE apology for this past chapter. I wasn't as diligent in doing review replies as I have been in the past. On that note, I hope to catch a bunch of them in my _Comments/Gripes_ section, but I know it's not the same. Sorry!

Also, I was happy to see some suggestions on a fight scene. I'll be getting to that in the next chapter, so if there are any more out there, please let me know! I haven't made a decision yet.

* * *

**_Corrections to the Narrative:_**

Not many changes to the canon in this chapter. I may have added a few twists of my own to flush out some characters (Erika's son, for instance) but it didn't do anything to the main timeline. Even Yzak's Mendel scouting was in between some downtime.

* * *

**_Questions/Gripes:_**

_Darkangelsonic: _Always nice to hear from you! And, yes, Stray is still alive. :P

_OrangeP47: _Political anything is a weak area for me. I try, really I do, but my brain just can't grasp those kinds of facts, I think. I'll work on it—and I added in a little something here too—so maybe I'll have a better feel for it in the near future. One can never stop learning! And I feel for you on the bad sunburn. I really am a redhead and we burn _a lot_. So, definitely get it. :P

_Atlantislux: _ You always give such deep and insightful reviews! Then when you mention how much I torture my characters and how you get to read this chapter and hear about even more torture… Yeah, I feel like a bad author-mother.

_Asmus: _You make an excellent point about someone wanting her to embrace her side. That started the gears turning when I read it and like the prospect. I have a few characters who do think like that, but they all seem to be bad guys. I have to do some more brain storming, but thanks for getting the rusty wheels to turn! And Stray's psyche might be getting some more airtime coming up, don't worry!

_FlawlessCowboy2552: _ I have a feeling Lexi's blocked out the fact that Kira might be her cousin merely because her fragile brain can't handle that kind of abuse. :P We'll—hopefully—be seeing a little more of that as the story progresses. Although, the whole epiphany thing with Kira being the "Ultimate Coordinator" is coming up soon as well. Maybe her suffering won't last much longer.

_Maderfole: _Y'know, you honestly got my mind spinning for some kind of harem side story. Like some rivalry frat houses with Waltfeld being the "heartthrob" of one and Mwu being the "heartthrob" of the other. Cat fights anyone? Hm, might have to explore that…

* * *

Thanks again for all the support and I'll see you next chapter!

_Strata_


	53. Optical Delusions

Optical Delusions

_"Namarra, I'd say don't do anything desperate or stupid but—well—I know how much they mean to you."_

_ "So, you know why I need to go back there?"_

_ "Having Lexi will be a big help, but you're still poking at a hornet's nest."_

_ "It's the last chance I have."_

_ "What will you do if it won't work?"_

_ "I can't think like that."_

_ "But you _need _to. What will you do?"_

_ "I _won't _think I'll fail."_

_ "Just know you can come back here. I'm not sure if anyone else has said it yet, but you can _always _come back. Remember that."_

"You're still here?" Namarra would have rather listened to her past conversation with Mu than hear such words, but she had begun expecting the worse. Lifting her forehead from her knees was more effort than she had anticipated. After her run-in with her brothers, Namarra found a lot of things hard to do. Even if it was only to curl up into a ball outside their room.

Orga scoffed after his statement, heading back down the hall without another word. Clotho followed close behind, Namarra not even seeing him acknowledge her. When Shani walked by she reached for his jacket, catching his sleeve. He did a slow look down, his one eye narrowing before he ripped from her grip.

Her stubbornness finally caved in after that.

"Miss Legund, to your feet," one of the two doctors ordered, hoisting her up under the armpit. "Mr. Azrael wants to see you in the medical ward."

"Why?" she spat, but didn't expect a reply. Making one last effort to look defiant, she pulled her arm from his grasp before finally giving in. Somehow, she doubted her forceful gesture hurt the doctor's feelings as much as Shani's had hurt hers.

* * *

Eclipse had agreed to it. Why? She really had no idea other than her selfish need and that just seemed too cruel to give _any_ credit to. Her stupid pride that wanted to prove she might know more about her other half than the others thought.

Well, wishful thinking at least.

She followed silently behind her cocky captor, frowning as his shoulders tottered back and forth during his sauntering. He was in charge and he wanted her to know it. Given the circumstances, she shouldn't have been surprised she lost the power struggle. If strength was the contest, the two Berserkers would have done their damage and fled by then. Instead, intelligence was on the line and Eclipse was the very basic form of ignorant.

"Is she here yet?" Azrael asked, stopping the redhead and the three guards in front of a door labeled, "Infirmary."

"Yes, sir," the doctor replied, side-glancing at Eclipse. She just stared.

"Good, and is everything set?"

"I beg your pardon, sir, but should we really be doing this _now_? I thought this ship was following a lead on _your _orders and that probably means a battle sometime soon. Back at the lab—"

"My good sir, does it look like we're heading back to the lab any time soon?"

"Well, no but—"

"So I suggest you keep your opinions to yourself and just follow my instructions. I'd hate to keep my lovely guest waiting." Azrael held a hand to indicate Eclipse who resisted the urge to roll her eyes. She doubted it would have helped the situation if she had, no matter how much better it made her feel otherwise. The one thing that caught her attention, however, was the direction of the ship. The physician was wise enough to not say too much, but if she and Namarra had left a blazing trail back to Mendel, she would never hear the end of it.

And that was if everyone survived.

_Shit._

The doctor showed a bit of restraint and stepped aside. Eclipse doubted the motion was out of respect, but at least his survival instincts were still active. Based on his misconduct, however, Eclipse started getting anxious. She had agreed to see a demonstration—whatever that meant—but maybe she had overstepped her own moral boundaries.

Azrael opened the door and motioned for her to go in first. "How kind," she muttered then felt her skin ripple when she saw the medical beds and various equipment. The sign outside should have been a clear indication of what was behind the door, but it was one thing to read the word and another thing to see it. If there was a time for her phobia to act up, it definitely wasn't then. Gulping, she stepped aside to let Azrael in first.

"Come, this way," he said, gesturing to a connecting room. He almost touched her elbow to pull her after him, but her survival instincts were still alive as well. Jerking away, she hesitated long enough for him to get the point. He smirked then entered.

Five more beds lined the walls, all of them bunk beds but one. Eclipse cursed silently when she saw Namarra lying there with an IV in her arm and restraints across her limbs. Sensor pads were stuck to her temples and chest, the blips on the screens making Eclipse's heart match the beat. Of _course _this was the kind of demonstration she had signed up for. Her instincts might have been sharp, but her IQ had definitely dropped if she thought this was going to be a mere rat in a maze demonstration. Then again, maybe a lab rat was involved after all.

"You look surprised."

"Just pissed about my stupidity."

"You underestimated me?"

"Please, your ego is already suffocating." Offering a small laugh, he motioned her closer to the bed, but she held up a hand to refuse, maintaining her distance near the door. "I may not be able to predict your insanity, but I know first hand what happens when a Berserker's strapped to a bed."

"My dear, you make me sound like a pervert, but no matter." Waving off the comment, he nodded at the male doctor across the bed. Eclipse hadn't meant it to sound sexual, but—admittedly—thought the comment suited the man. Although, watching the doctor tapping the shot vial she felt the entire room had gone immoral. Three guards had come in behind them and they were just as interested in the display as the man plunging the needle into Namarra's IV. When had war shifted from the simplicity of jamming a knife into someone's heart to messing with someone's brain?

"Do you remember what drug you were taking on Januarias 4?"

Eclipse wasn't listening at first, too wrapped up in trying to find some escape route. The echo hit her just in time to see Namarra's body twitch for the first time. The redhead twitched too.

"Well, that's a yes." He folded his arms over his chest and stared at Namarra. "I knew Vindur well and when he came to me for help, it was just too juicy of an offer to refuse despite the circumstances." He shrugged. "I mean, the director of Blue Cosmos speaking with a Coordinator of all people? Not exactly good advertising."

"So you had a part in that? He must've made some pretty good cash then."

"Yup, but despite Vindur's interest, the bastard stopped the treatment prematurely." Turning his head, Eclipse felt his eyes on her. Knowing it was in her best interest to participate, she turned to match his look. "Do you remember the effects that drug had on your system?" She shook her head and his shoulders moved in a half shrug, half stretch. The nonchalant attitude was really getting annoying. "I suppose you wouldn't."

The doctor stepped back from Namarra and pulled his sleeve back to stare at his watch.

"It was made to directly give power to your Berserker half. Vindur wasn't seeing signs that it was working so he stopped the dosage. In reality, the drug was working just fine, your episodes—we'll call them—just weren't appearing as frequently as we had anticipated."

Namarra's twitching had shifted to hyperventilating, her rapid breathing making the heart monitor near her bed beep a warning.

And another warning.

And another.

"Instead of making episodes appear more often, however, the drug increased the length and 'power' you could say. I just didn't realize it until too late."

Eclipse started biting the inside of her cheek nervously. Any ground she had gained she was drastically losing. What _was _it about Azrael that affected her?

"Power?" she asked.

"Do you know _how _your Berserker takes over?"

Namarra's eyes snapped open, the force of them almost making a noise in and of themselves. If the heart monitor hadn't been making itself hoarse the redhead was sure there would have been a smack. Namarra started struggling then, trying to force herself through the restraints, but only managing some severe bruising and frightened soldiers with automatics. Probably not a good thing. Eclipse turned back to the bed and crossed her arms, tapping her fingers against her elbows.

"Of course you don't," Azrael continued. "I'm sure you've realized it's attached to the emotion sensors in your brain and the first one it always links to is anger, the rawest emotion besides lust and—probably the real reason it's so attractive—it doesn't always make sense. So, each time you get angry, the Berserker stirs and, depending on _how _angry you are or whether or not it _wants _to, it takes over. It shuts down everything in your brain that you consider—well—you and makes its own waves. We just haven't come up with a machine to measure them so, in all medical certainty, you appear brain dead. Now this drug—" He sighed and motioned to Namarra as she started screaming, a sound not unlike the screech in Eclipse's own head. Hers, however, had more to do with his painful monologue. Azrael, no doubt, had to have been drunk with confidence to pull off this stunt.

The doctor grabbed a towel and rolled it up like a rope. Leaning over Namarra, he shoved the material between her teeth and held down the ends on either side of her head. The Natural would have been alright with the gag if she hadn't started tossing her head back and forth, the coarse material splitting the corners of her mouth. Saying something quietly, the doctor managed to stop her head from shaking, but the rest of her body was another matter. Eclipse bit her bottom lip.

"Thank you," Azrael muttered and held up a finger to continue. "Now, that drug gave the Berserker more control which is probably why when your other half takes over, you're practically out of the picture."

"So, what about Namarra?" Eclipse asked, now tapping her foot to keep herself steady. If she thought it would work, she would have tried to do breathing exercises, but her anger management involved punching things, not good 'ole oxygen.

"Then you _have _noticed you're different. Truthfully, this is the first time Namarra's been administered the drug and this is a more advanced version than yours."

"_What_?"

"My, my, you look surprised. She's never been old enough for it to matter. It only makes a difference when a Berserker turns fifteen—has something to do with your genetic make-up—so all you've been witnessing up until now is a raw and unhitched form of anger. Nothing as advanced as you have. Alright, maybe that was a little inaccurate," he added, stroking his chin. "She's been showing signs of another conscious, but this should help it fully develop."

"_Fifteen_?"

"Yes, she's just shy, but since she's so emotionally unstable at the moment—I guess me making her 'brothers' war machines _might _have something to do with that—I figured it was worth a try."

It all left in a breath; her nervousness, Namarra's agony, Azrael's games—all of it. Nothing was left, just her guilt and insignificance wrapped around self-pity. How could she have been so oblivious? "Wait, you did that to them on _purpose_?"

"What? I was killing two birds with one stone, making the EA happy and advancing my Berserker research. Oh, and the funny thing is, if I had had _direct _contact with you to begin with, she probably might be living a semi-normal life right now."

"Watch it," Eclipse growled, but Namarra's muffled screams drowned her out.

"Then again, semi-normal would be pushing it. After all, when the drug separated your subconscious—well, sort of—it saved your life. Past Berserkers couldn't separate their lusting halves and went insane because of it. Hm," he looked at his nails, "maybe you'll live past seventeen after all."

It was all Eclipse that time; she couldn't blame her devilish alter ego. Reaching towards Azrael, she covered the good distance between them and grabbed his sleeve up near his shoulder. Pulling him towards her, she hooked her free arm around his neck in the same motion. The guards aimed their firearms a second too late, Eclipse already having put Azrael between her and the bullets.

The Blue Cosmos leader held his hands up and shook his head at the soldiers. Really, they could have overtaken her easily, seeing as she had yet to find a proper weapon, but Azrael's command seemed to trump their common sense.

Pulling them both backwards, she searched for something—_anything_ with a point. She tightened her grip around her captor's neck as her hand blindly opened the drawers and scowered through them. The best thing she could find was a pen. At first she thought it had a thicker case with a hidden blade—she had seen one once on a ZAFT ship—but it was just a cheap writing utensil. She uncapped it anyway and adjusted her hold. Putting her palm flat against his temple, just over his ear, she pulled his head to the side, exposing his neck. The guards' eyes flickered with amusement as she held the point near the stretched skin.

The room grew very still, the only thing moving was Namarra writhing on the bed, but even she had started losing energy. Everything was a mind battle now.

"Honestly, my dear, what do you think you can do here? If you remember, you're on _my _ship."

She smirked. "If _you _recall, this ship already has a captain." Before he could retort, she pulled the pen to the side and pressed the button on her earpiece. "Coffee Addict, go around to the bridge and aim a rifle at the captain's seat. Fire _only _on my command."

"Copy that."

"And open a transmission."

There was a pause. "Opened."

"My dear Captain, unlike your Blue Cosmos counterpart, you're not stupid so please pick up the line before I'm forced to shoot."

There was a second of hesitation before Captain Badgiruel could be heard on the other end. Azrael was starting to get nervous; she could feel his breath quicken.

"Who is this?"

"Lunar Eclipse down in your sick bay."

"What—"

"Now, I'm gonna make this simple. Send some guards down to retract your dogs here, cuff Mama Bitch, and I'll take Miss Legund out of here peacefully. If not—well, you have a good imagination, right Captain?"

"What makes you think I care about the Blue Cosmos flunkie?"

Eclipse saw some movement to her right, but the guards flinched at the same time. They had guns, the doctor was unarmed and the only thing on the other side of the room besides medical sensors.

And one of those machines had just flat lined.

"Because you love your job, Captain, and he is part of that whether you like it or not."

She sighed and Eclipse smiled. "So, I'm just supposed to let you walk out of here?"

"If you—"

"You're right, that sounds a little boring, doesn't it?"

Eclipse heard the words out loud rather than through the same radio transmission, but she knew the captain had heard as well. Sometimes having _two _CAs was really a problem. Gulping—or was that really Azrael?—she turned toward the bed. Namarra was sitting upright with one hand over the doctor's mouth and the other on the back of his head. He looked unconscious, but a closer inspection would show the Natural had snapped his neck.

She pushed him off, his fingers sliding away from the restraints. Had he released her thinking she would _help _them?

_Shit_.

"I _said_, who is this?" the captain hissed, but Eclipse had already cut off her end.

"Just an unhappy customer," Namarra replied before undoing the rest of the restraints and taking out the IVs. The other machines screamed their displeasure, but one in particular had caught the redhead's attention. The very first machine to flat line had been the one monitoring her brainwaves.

_Oh, fuck._

Eclipse stared back at her comrade and figured staying put was her best option, mainly because she knew what the hell was going on. The guards didn't move because they were probably too busy shitting their pants and Azrael was stuck, but no matter how fascinated everyone seemed to be with watching the Natural tear off all the sensors, Azrael's experiment had worked.

Namarra officially had her own alter ego.

"Addict, cause a ruckus, but don't destroy the bridge," Eclipse managed to command just before Namarra attacked the three guards. She pushed the gun down on one, its bullets clipping the shins of another before she thrust two fingers into the third guard's eyes. He started shooting and hit the already injured soldier before the pain forced him to black out. The last standing guard had frozen just after he shot his comrade in the legs. Some manner of pleading spilled out, but the Berserker was too far to care. Smirking, she grabbed one of his upraised hands and positioned a finger between her thumb and the side of her pointer.

Snap.

"Movement on the bridge. Fired some close shots and a few went pale, but most are running for the controls, not the toilet."

Snap.

"What are your orders?"

Snap.

Eclipse gulped and felt herself grow calm, a soldier trait she had come to appreciate in the past year. With the Berserker, her collectiveness still felt like a rage, so it was a comfort as well. An acknowledgment that she was still herself. For now.

She had loosened her grip, but Azrael didn't seem to be attempting an escape. "Retreat, we lost our peaceful exit," she responded before Namarra broke the guard's neck. If anything, it was a mercy blow. "Go to the rendezvous."

"Roger."

Namarra turned toward them next, her pupiless eyes crossing when a blood bubble floated near her face. Reaching up, she poked it with her finger and giggled—the Berserker _giggled_—when it flubbered away.

"Beautiful," Azrael breathed and she turned to him next. Cocking her head to the side, her face grew serious.

"And what to do with you?"

"He knows a _lot _about us," Eclipse said, surprised by her rational thinking. Her justifying Azrael's life? Really?

"That's true, but take him with us?"

"Oh, please do," Azrael whined.

Namarra's face twisted into disgust before she looked at Eclipse. _Damn, _was all she could think. Matching her comrade's eyes was different this time, the two-toned feeling much more ominous now that she knew what she was really up against.

"So, leaving him here would cause him more grief?"

"We're running out of time," Eclipse pressed.

"Then make a decision, I'll handle any new company outside."

"No, wait—" Azrael began, but Eclipse had renewed her hold, pulling his head back and to the side. Staring at his neck, she hesitated. His hands had started flailing by that time, and if she kept pausing, he would get away. Frowning, she grasped the pen and stuck it into his ear. It wasn't angled down the canal—for a fatal blow—but stuck in the cartilage just inside, the side of his head looking like a pen holder. He floundered for a bit before the shock and pain finally made him pass out.

"Nice," Namarra commented, poking her head back inside and motioning her to follow. "I was hoping you wouldn't kill him."

"He _does _know a lot," Eclipse agreed. "But we can't bring him without pulling the whole EA after us. The Three Ship Alliance can't handle that."

"Oh." Namarra blinked, punching in a lock code from the outside. It must have been a standard sequence in the Earth Forces since it worked. "I just wanted to give him a slower death later."

* * *

Mainly because of the ruckus on the bridge, their escape was rather boring. They had to make it to the Decay, that was obvious, but would the suit be under guard by that time? Namarra didn't mind. She had already commanded Chicabo to pull a weapon on anyone who came near, so she doubted much would be going at their disadvantage in the hangar.

She smirked.

Turning down the final hall, Namarra nodded to Eclipse to open the door. The Berserker had grabbed one of the guard's handguns—since they had spent most of the magazines in their automatics—and had Eclipse do the same, but she didn't plan on using it, especially now that they had reached the hangar without incident.

The Decay was the first thing they saw, the mobile suit standing in the hangar with both rifles aimed at the pilots near the other door. Shani, Orga and Clotho were leaning against the catwalk, but the Decay didn't have a rifle on them. Seeing as it had specifically positioned itself in front of their suits, there was no way they could get in to pilot anyway.

"So, you finally showed. Enjoy holding us hostage, bitch?'

"Since you asked," Namarra began, sauntering up to the man. "It _is _kinda fun."

"Fine then," he spat and knocked Clotho's game out of his hand to get his attention. Always the one otherwise occupied.

"Ah, ah, ah." The Berserker wagged her finger back and forth then pointed at her suit.

They didn't care.

Namarra sighed and saw Shani move first, but he went at Eclipse. She didn't see where his punch ultimately landed, Orga's own attack a bit more distracting than her comrade's immediate welfare. The Berserker leaned back out of the way, but didn't have much room. Her head hit the wall and she spun to her right, just out of Orga's reach. Using both hands, she pushed hard off the wall and hit her shoulder against Orga's jaw, shoving them both against the catwalk railing again. Orga's gut hit the pipe first, buckling him over and if it wasn't for Namarra's follow through, he may have kept going. She couldn't get a very good hold on him, however, mainly because no matter what, he was still stronger.

Sparing a moment, she glanced over at Eclipse and still saw her struggling with Shani. Clotho didn't seem to be around, but there was an arm around her throat a second later. Leave Clotho to do the sneak attack.

"Damn it! I would apologize but—" She stopped, punching her elbow backwards into his ribs then using the distraction to push his forearm up to her mouth. She bit down.

"Enough!"

Orga had her in a hold when the captain entered the hangar, but he only tightened it after the order, probably upset about the command.

"I said stop!" she yelled, Namarra turning back towards Eclipse when she heard a punch hit hard. The redhead clutched her stomach and leaned against the wall to catch her breath. Clotho stood nearby, but he just glared, holding his injured arm. She was surprised—and thankful—no one had gotten shot.

"Let them go."

The universal, "What?" coursed between the three pilots and Orga opened his mouth to argue, but the captain merely said the same thing.

"Let them go. Director Azrael is out of commission right now so you listen to me."

"But why let them leave? Clearly they—"

"Enough, soldier." Clotho bit his tongue, but still didn't look pleased. "They were never my prisoners and this is a battleship, not a science lab. I will not promote such savagery and—if you haven't noticed—there's a mobile suit armed and ready to fire _in my hangar_."

"You don't promote savagery?" Orga repeated as he released Namarra. "But yet you keep us aboard. How do you explain that?"

"If you want to leave, leave. I have other, more reliable pilots." The captain crossed her arms over her chest, making Namarra smirk. Despite human anatomy, she had balls.

The Berserker almost paused to wait for their reply—and perhaps her other half would have—but given their state of mind, she already knew it. Instead, she walked over to Eclipse and pulled her from the wall just in time to hear Orga answer, "No," for the lot of them. The girls headed towards the Decay then, the Berserker showing an uncommon sense of compassion by taking one last look back before she shut the cockpit.

* * *

At first it was hard to tell the difference. Eclipse had seen Namarra snapped before, but never this calm. Perhaps that was what irked the redhead the most. She seemed in control. A creepy kind of serenity that made the redhead squirm and it was never a movement her comrade missed. The side glances made her freeze then feel uncomfortable all over again. It was an endless loop but at least Eclipse was going to have her own space again soon.

Now she knew how Namarra had felt like on Mendel.

"Stealth just reached the rendezvous point. I can board there then we can hightail it back to the ships."

"Sounds peachy," the Berserker responded and Eclipse frowned. For being berserk, Namarra didn't seem willing to harm her. That was probably a good thing, but it was still strange. Knowing her own Berserker to take the beneficial way around, shouldn't Namarra's be just as selfish? Why didn't the Berserker just want to stay there and help her brothers? After all, provoke Eclipse a little more and they might have been able to pick off the crew and take the boys by force.

"We lost our element of surprise," Namarra chimed in, making the scrunched redhead have to readjust her helmet just to make eye contact. "Destruction's more fun when they don't see it coming—well, most destruction. Torture's fun too."

_And whose fault is that?_ she thought, but was more offended by her second remark. Normally, she was alright with such confessions, but since _she _was the one at the mercy of a psychopath, a frown seemed justified. Besides, FS was the only psychopath she really knew and he wouldn't harm her unless prompted.

Namarra was another matter entirely.

"Oh, stop pretending like you don't agree. And what isyour _real _reasoning for keeping that barbarian Azrael alive? Sure, he'll probably be strangely turned on by your attack, but still alive nonetheless. Here I thought he was getting under your skin."

"That really was my answer, we might be able to use him later. There aren't many people who know _that _much about us. And, don't forget, he's the only one willing and pressing to keep your brothers ticking. He's kinda important, you could say."

"Damn annoying though and I can't help but feel you're gonna regret leaving him alive."

Eclipse laughed wryly then gave a sigh when the Decay announced the Stealth was in sight. It was more of a thankful breath than anything, finding the conversation far too friendly for any Berserker. She knew their other halves were different, but to call Namarra kind was stretching the truth past the breaking point. So why the cordial appearance? To develop trust?

She debated bringing it up before she boarded the Stealth, but ultimately decided against it, figuring she'd just converse with Namarra about it once she was a little more like herself. Closing the cockpit, she took off auto control and checked to see if there was any damage. Addict had specified that nothing was particularly wrong—just a depleted supply of the Colloid—but she needed more time to figure other things out as well.

Shocking Namarra back to her original self being one thing.

It would have been the most obvious thing to do, but using the Scylla might have done the job cleanly enough. Finding a way to power it up without the Berserker catching wind would be difficult, but anything else either involved blowing up the suit or shorting it out completely and with a battleship coming any day, they needed that suit battle-ready.

"—detected," Coffee Addict said, Eclipse really only hearing the tail end of the report, but seeing the blinking red beacon on the Decay's silhouette made enough sense.

"Uh, Nam, we have a problem. Addict's saying you have a tracker on the Decay."

"Oh, I know. Chicabo told me about that hours ago."

"Wait—what?" If Eclipse hadn't been shocked, she would have been impressed. That explained the pleasantness at least. If Coffee Addict had mentioned the tracker at any time before the rendezvous, at least the Berserker could say she was being tolerable.

"Sure, makes sense. I mean, why else would that captain _really _let us go? Honor code, my ass," she muttered and Eclipse felt herself growing angry, not only at herself, but also at her comrade for being so damned nonchalant. "And besides—"

"Fuck 'besides,' Nam. You're leading that ship _right _to the Alliance!"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, such a _tragedy_."

Eclipse pounded a fist against her cockpit. The Stealth muttered some kind of complaint, but she ignored it. "You have _got _to be—"

"Geez, relax. If you recall, they were already heading in that direction and have a little more faith in your new best friends, would you?" The Berserker sighed and Eclipse felt her face grow warmer. The last thing she wanted to do was attack the Decay, but Namarra had crossed the line from being a dick to being one with a homicidal agenda. She _did_ remember the Blue Cosmos' doctor saying something about following a course on Azrael's orders so maybe the tracker was nothing more than confirmation. Either way, she wasn't pleased.

_That's what I get for trusting a Berserker, _she thought and growled. "Damn you, bitch."

"Come, come, no need for names. And just think, when the _Archangel_ faces off against its clone, we'll be able to capture the guys and just shuffle them into Mendel."

"_What_?"

Namarra shrugged. Even though the redhead couldn't see the motion, she could hear it in her voice. "Think about it. There's a really short time lapse between doses, right? So, the closer they are to Mendel—where we're gonna shackle them up—the more likely we can save them."

"You had the _Dominion_ follow us just so you could be closer to Mendel? You put our _comrades_ in danger just so—"

"You said we were on the same team with this plan, _Eclipse._" She had made the effort to accent her code name. Now she was just getting pissed.

"I agreed to save them, yes, but not get everyone else killed!"

"So says the person who was going to offer coordinates instead of information. Hypocrite."

"Namarra—"

"Fine, attack me—_whatever_." The Decay stopped and turned towards the Stealth, holding out its arms. "The time you're wasting right now could have been used to radio ahead. Have you ever thought that _maybe _you underestimate our new allies, and that _maybe _this little demonstration is what they need? Think about it," the Berserker continued, "would you rather have the Three Ship Alliance—TSA; cute, huh?—make some stand against an _entire army_ or just one ship? They have to come out of their hole eventually—"

"And having an entire fleet waiting for them is suicide, I get it," Eclipse said, pulling down her keyboard so she could type a message to the _Eternal_. "I know what you're trying to say, but even for a Berserker you're making too much sense."

"Well then, do explain."

"You've never cared about the Three Ship Alliance—TSA—whatever—before."

"I care about my brothers and Erika said she could help."

"So? She might die in this onslaught and then you've no one to blame but yourself."

The Berserker laughed as her suit attempted to mimic her behavior. Its stiff joints did nothing more than angle in awkward movements, but the point was clear. And Namarra was probably just pulling back and forth on the levers crazily anyway.

"Oh, my darling Lexi. I think you'll do most of the blaming for the both of us. After all, there are plenty of scientists willing to take a weekly allowance, but there are only _three _ships with your dear family and friends." Turning, the Decay started making its way towards Mendel once more, Namarra still giggling. "Tell me, who drew the shorter stick now?"

Cursing, Eclipse's finger pressed down on the keyboard, sending the message to the _Eternal_. With any luck, they'd be able to get the ships ready in time. The _Dominion _wasn't trailing too closely—actually, the Stealth hadn't even picked up the signal until it noticed the tracker—so they should have enough time to prepare.

She just didn't know how many ships to prepare _for_.

* * *

"What the _hell_ is this, Lexi?" Commander Waltfeld slammed the paper down on the armrest. "You're telling us an EA ship is _trailing _you? What kind of rookie mistake is this?"

"Aboard I was given the impression they were already headed in your direction. The tracker was probably more of a confirmation for the captain. There was such a power struggle on that ship I really shouldn't have been as surprised as I was." She took a drink of her water bottle, leaning back in the seat. "This should be a relief, Commander. Now you get a leg up on the enemy."

"Sure, that was before two ZAFT _Nazca _-class ships joined the other one at the opposite port. We kept an eye on them after your initial report—Elsman and Zala have eagerly taken that post—but we've been biting our fingernails since. Now you're telling us you're bringing the _other _army right to our doorstep?"

Eclipse could just imagine the amount of anxiety in the crew. They were probably at half watch and the ones working were jumpy while the ones off were barely sleeping. The escapees from Orb had only just arrived and were settling in, not to mention half of them didn't even have proper weaponry. Add to that the ZAFT reinforcements and the girls' little escapade gone theatric.

And she hadn't even mentioned Namarra's new "talent."

"I'm confident ZAFT won't interfere if a conflict arises with the EA," Eclipse said.

"Even if it's Commander Le Creuset?"

"You were able to confirm that then?"

The older man sighed, but shook his head slowly. "Elsman agreed that your old comrade wouldn't have been transferred off the team, but we've been getting reports of Le Creuset in the PLANTs. Either someone's lying to us or your teammate's under new command."

Eclipse thought about that for a moment and finally ended up shaking her head. "Does it really matter who it is?"

"Unfortunately, yes. He doesn't wear that white uniform for nothing."

"And you're just as much of a military genius."

"Please, Aisha was the only one able to flatter me." He held up a finger and winked despite the painful memory. "You're a close second, but I'm not as capable as I used to be. Nope." Pointing at the screen, his face went serious. She shut her mouth. "I'm not looking to be cheered up, just stating the simple truth and my point is," he continued, glancing to the side and pressing a button on his armrest, "we can't count ZAFT out yet."

"I'm sorry, Commander, have I interrupted something?" Eclipse heard Murrue's voice, but didn't see her until Waltfeld adjusted the communication line. The _Archangel_ captain looked startled when they finally had the three-way transmission. "Lexi, it's great to see you, don't get me wrong, but I was under the impression you were doing some personal business."

"It ended a bit prematurely."

"And, based on her report, an Earth Forces battleship is headed this way," Waltfeld finished.

"Yes, we got the report and have started immediate preparations. Nothing too flashy, I'm afraid, since there isn't enough time to set a trap."

"And with ZAFT sniffing around we're gonna have to keep on the low down," Mu added, putting a hand on Murrue's chair and coming to a halt. "Sounds like it's gonna be an old-fashioned gun fight."

"I'm positive ZAFT will keep clear," Eclipse repeated. "If an advantage develops they'll probably take initiative, but they might only deploy two or three mobile suits to scout."

"With three _Nazca_-class ships they mean business, though, even if they'll only deploy for recon," Waltfeld added, nodding off to the side to one of his crew members. "We might have to split up our forces to watch our rear just in case."

"Is the _Eternal_ able to move?" Murrue asked and the commander sighed.

"As of ten minutes ago, no. If anything we're ZAFT's target, so maybe it's best we stay in the harbor to watch our tail anyway."

"Seems to be the best option," Mu agreed and the others nodded.

"Very well, I'll check on the _Kusanagi_ and fill them in. Lexi, how long until you're at port?" Murrue asked.

"About forty minutes. The EA battleship is roughly an hour behind us. The Stealth managed to get some specs on the ship so I'll send it your way. If I can help it, you won't be surprised."

"Roger that." Murrue smiled and reached over to stop the transmission, but Mu cut in.

"Lexi, is Namarra still with you?"

Just the way he put it made her hesitate. The girls had agreed to share their plan with the main captains and pilots, but since no one really had the right to stop them, they had all heard the plan and not much more. Even Cagalli had remained silent, surprising Eclipse at first until her and Athrun shared a look, practically declaring they had talked about it. Kira had added himself to the list of "Agree and don't argue" after he glanced at Mu. The adults looked to be the most worried, but that was to be expected. Hearing the concern in Mu's voice, however, was interesting. Eclipse knew he and Namarra had formed some kind of bond—much like between her and Waltfeld—but she had never expected it to be anything more than acquaintances. Perhaps she had underestimated Namarra's tie to the Three Ship Alliance after all.

"Yes, she's fine and heading back with me."

"Good," he said, but sounded more skeptical than assured. Despite that, he nodded to Murrue who finally ended their end of the transmission.

"How you holding up?" Waltfeld asked, apparently not as startled as the redhead had been. "I'd suggest grabbing a bite once you get in, but you youngins have a tendency to fast before a battle. Not sure if that's a good thing."

"In a mobile suit, it's a very good thing," Eclipse responded, wanting to add in that he should already know how hazardous vomit in a helmet could be, but held back. He didn't seem amused by her response and she frowned, crossing her arms across her chest after she put the water bottle back in the cubby. Staring at the screen, his normal, contemplative face was flipping into a frown. If she didn't know him any better, she would have said he looked nervous. "I've never known you to get upset."

"I _am _human, Lexi. Besides, I was just thinking and you happen to be where my focus point usually is."

"I would say keep thinking that hard and you'll get wrinkles but…." She trailed off and heard others laugh on the bridge. One voice was unmistakably Lacus and the other was probably DaCosta.

"Hey now, it's a sign of wisdom." They all shared a laugh after that—even Waltfeld's seemed genuine—but Eclipse cut hers short, hearing Namarra's cackle added into the mix. Frowning, she said goodbye before confronting her other problem.

Namarra's transmission opened soon after. She was leaning back in her seat, legs crossed and her hands behind her head. One eye was closed as the other pupiless one stared at her. She smirked.

"Aw, how cute. Daddy checkin' in?"

"Just giving my report."

"Ah." She closed the eye and took a deep breath. "I'm glad I don't have Daddy-Dearest glancing over _my _shoulder."

"You and Mu seemed to be getting along well. He even asked if you were coming back. That sounds a little Daddy-ish to me."

She shrugged. "He's one of the few who doesn't treat me like a kid."

"Apparently, you are."

"Kinda sucks knowing you've been taking orders from a near-fifteen-year-old, doesn't it?"

Eclipse felt like saying something sassy—complaining about how they've just been helping each other and not necessarily taking orders—but common sense took over and she clamped her lips shut. There was no point in taunting the Berserker any further. In fact, she had to start coming up with a way to bring Namarra back. Sighing, she turned off the video transfer, but kept on the communication just in case. She had forty minutes to come up with something, but a part of her wondered if she should wait. Amazingly, it wasn't her Berserker half who suggested the idea and even more surprising was how quickly she decided. Knowing Namarra to be so emotional when it came to her brothers, she couldn't trust her in the coming battle. So, that meant the only option was a little teamwork with the Berserker if she didn't change back on her own by then.

_Hah, more wishful thinking._

* * *

They arrived at Mendel forty minutes later as Eclipse had predicted. Lacus had asked her to come to the _Eternal_ and even offered to the Berserker, but Namarra headed to the _Archangel_ instead. The redhead almost followed—not liking the idea of her going rampant in the ship—but both Namarra and Lacus had insisted she would be fine. After watching the Berserker's hold wane throughout the forty minutes—for once positive thinking worked—the redhead figured nothing could go too wrong.

Lacus met her just outside the hangar, her traditional pink and white garments morphing into a black skirt-like kimono. An interesting change of pace that matched her well. "Thank you for coming, Miss Lexi."

Eclipse shrugged, not really sure what the big deal was. It might have made more sense if Waltfeld had asked to see her, but Lacus?

"We want you to talk to him." Cagalli opened the hangar door behind them and joined in. Apparently, this was planned because Eclipse was the only one startled.

"Him? Talk to whom?"

"Kira," Lacus explained, putting on a half smile as if to soften the blow.

"Everyone's nervous that you and Namarra aren't as—well—" Cagalli paused, her eyes shifting uncomfortably. Lacus smiled to give her a confidence boost, but it didn't make Eclipse feel any better. "They're worried you're not that faithful to us."

"And talking to Kira will help? How?"

"Please, don't get offended, Miss Lexi," Lacus continued. "But everyone knows you and Kira don't get along and there are so many people who count on him. With everything about to happen—"

"I should make peace with him," Eclipse finished and the girls nodded.

Ever the budding diplomats.

Sighing, she scratched her head. Seemingly, it was a small problem. Two pilots who didn't exactly see eye to eye weren't uncommon, but when one of those pilots had the tendency to have her own agenda and the other was the equivalent to the perfect hero, there was bound to be some repercussions. No doubt she had some pull with Orb and the _Eternal_, but even if she had spent some time working on the Stealth in the _Archangel_ hangar, her past exploits spoke for themselves.

Neurotic.

"Should I _really _be worrying about my reputation this much?"

"It's not _all _about your reputation," Lacus began. "Kira's expressed his own skepticism, especially after you left for that EA ship."

"You just need to calm his nerves so you're not all butting heads in the fight." Cagalli draped an arm over her shoulders. "You've fought with Athrun and Dearka so you know them well. And we all know how easy it is to trust Mu on the battlefield." Eclipse and Lacus nodded. He was probably the most versatile pilot they knew. "Kira's the one you have bad history with," she continued.

"But we seem to have this mutual understanding that even if we don't talk to each other, it doesn't mean we can't trust each other in a fight." Shaking her head, Cagalli stepped back to cross her arms and Lacus folded her hands. "What?"

"Miss Lexi, it's a simple request."

"Lacus, I have other things I need to prepare for."

"Lexi." It was Cagalli that time, turning the redhead around and pushing her through the now open hangar doorway. "You need to do this for yourself too."

"What, you my therapists now?" she asked, but the two merely waved as the door shut between them.

Kira was in the _Eternal _hangar, as expected, near his suit. Eclipse stared over at him, wondering if she should take her chances and bail or just get it over with. There was a part of her that felt her "therapists" were just biased because they had a relationship with the guy, but what they had said made a lot of sense. After all, Eclipse couldn't say she didn't expect the confrontation, just dreaded it. With so much action coming up, loyalties—and just the comfort of knowing a person could trust a comrade—were anything but luxuries. Staring at Kira, however, made her wonder. Giving her shoulders a shake, she swallowed her pride and walked over to him.

The Freedom pilot looked up as she neared, the contemplative look on his face convincing her he was thinking the same thing or at least wondering if he should trust her or not. "Lexi." He nodded, a hand twitching at his side as if he was considering a handshake. The movement fell short.

She didn't argue. "Kira, I'm thinking we have some things to discuss."

"To put it vaguely, I guess we do."

"You can trust me to have your back."

"You're good in a fight, yes."

"Thanks, I think, but I was just told by some reliable sources that you have a lot of doubts about me."

"Can you blame me?"

She shrugged, surprisingly not offended at his honesty. "No, I can't."

"What you've been doing lately doesn't exactly classify you as devoted."

"It all depends on who you're asking."

"What's that mean?"

She shook her head, not meaning to upset the man, but her tone probably made the response worse than intended. "I'm devoted, Kira, don't worry."

"Is that why you left for that EA battleship?"

"I already explained my reasoning for accompanying Namarra. Could you look me in the eye and not tell me you wouldn't do the same thing?"

"Then are you going to ask me if I would go easy on those three pilots?"

She shook her head again. "I could never ask that of you—any of you—not anymore. I believe I've come to a personal conclusion on that and while I don't like the situation, I'd have no right to ask anyone to put themselves in danger like that."

"So, you're gonna protect them yourself?"

"Honestly? I don't have the power to. But," she continued, holding up a finger, "I can't guarantee my comrade's actions."

"Then perhaps I should be talking to her."

"I think she's starting to understand it's hopeless, just hasn't given it time to sink in. She's…struggling and—to be honest—it's a sad day when a person accepts the fact that a family member is going to die and there's nothing that can be done to change it."

"Then I _should_ be concerned if she's really that uncertain." He made it a statement, but she didn't blame him. "I can't be upset with her wanting to protect someone, but she's making it pretty damn hard."

"As I'm sure Athrun felt about you, don't you think?" She had anticipated a startled response, but instead he gave a weak smile and began hanging his head. "I've caused so—"

"Stop." She held up a hand, but he didn't seem to notice.

"—much suffering. I feel I need—"

"I said stop."

"—to apologize—" Frustrated, she actually reached out and put a hand across his mouth. She was done being understanding. Kira blinked, but seemed to get what she was getting at.

"I guess we've come to accept matters differently. That's fine. Just _please_ stop thinking you're the _only _one in the world—on this ship—in this _hangar_ that has something to feel ashamed of."

"I don't believe that at all."

"Then just remember everyone in this war has been given choices and acted accordingly. You may blame yourself for a death but you didn't put that person there in the first place."

"Is this supposed to make me feel better?"

She shrugged.

"Then tell me this, do you believe in what you just said?"

Shrugging again, she crossed her arms across her chest. "Not really, but I'm trying to. After all, I'm talking to you, aren't I?" She decided not to mention that his girlfriend and potential twin sister talked her into the confrontation.

Kira smiled. "I guess you are."

"If I can start my road to recovery by making some kind of peace with you, then you can start the same way. Agreed?"

Now he shrugged. "Is there really any reason to say no?"

"I guess not," she admitted and then they shook hands, an awkward movement Eclipse found rather unnerving, but at least Kira hadn't looked on her with pity that time. Perhaps he wouldn't slip as deep into self-loathing as she had anticipated. For Lacus's and Cagalli's sake she didn't want that for the young pilot, but—all the same—she didn't plan on babysitting him. Knowing the feeling was most likely mutual—that time she could confidently say it was a good possibility—they nodded and parted, Eclipse heading immediately to the Stealth while he wandered off to the Freedom.

* * *

Namarra stood in the _Archangel_ hallway. At first she wasn't sure why she had gone there—let alone how she had gotten there from the Decay—but it hit her the second she felt the familiarity of the Earth Forces. Usually, it wasn't a comforting experience, but the mere fact that these soldiers and walls used to be in the same army as her family helped her relax. Only the second she looked up and saw Mu did the deep sense of "home" really sink in. She was so startled, she started to cry.

Or was it the other way around?

The man noticed her just as she started, blinking once or twice before her emotion finally registered. By that time, Namarra's vision was too blurred to even see Mu moving in her direction, but she made no motion to either step aside or wipe away her tears. She hadn't bent over, collapsed—anything her young self might have typically done despite her war-hardened personality. Instead, she stood in shock, not even registering Mu's close proximity until he touched her shoulder.

"Namarra?" He made it question which was vaguely insulting. Either he had meant it to be cruel—unlikely—or he had guessed way more about the situation than she had previously shared. "Namarra!" He shook her shoulders then, making her wonder what kind of look was plastered there. Since her view hadn't moved from the same spot on the wall at the end of the hallway, she doubted it was pleasant.

"Uh—s-sorry," she mumbled and blinked, her hands finally coming up to wipe her eyes.

"Oh, don't say that," he replied, the girl hearing the difference in his voice as his head swiveled. Probably to see if anyone had joined them but everyone was most likely too busy with preparations to notice them. Even Mu had his pilot suit on, ready to board the Strike. "C'mon, let's get you cleaned up."

She nodded; what else could she do? The Berserker must have gotten her through the immediate shock and as far as the _Archangel _because that made more sense than her feet moving on their own. After all, she didn't even think she could step without Mu's grip on her arm.

Damn, she was really messed up.

"They decided to stay."

"I know," he replied, but there was really no way he could have gotten that kind of information. He had anticipated it just like everyone else probably had. Was she the only one who had been hopeful? Who had been delusional?

"They were given the choice and they stayed."

"I know." He walked away for a second to grab something out of the side bathroom. At first Namarra didn't even know where they had ended up, but once the desk and side bedroom came into focus she had a pretty good idea. The only person to have such a grandeur room was the captain and the desk in front of her had probably seen its fair share of pivotal decisions. Of course Mu and Murrue had intensified their relationship; it only made sense. She should have felt nervous, or the least bit uncomfortable, but she was even numb to common courtesy.

"Here." He had come back with a washcloth and started to reach towards her face as if he was going to wipe the stains off himself, but stopped, smiling lightly as he held it out in front of her instead. "Clean up."

Yes, one of the few who treated her like an adult.

Taking it, she started dabbing her eyes, but didn't get too far, fresh tears falling once her shock began to chip away. The cloth stopped around her nose, the familiar scent not helping her stubborn resolve. Mu swore, but other than that didn't seem too keen on comforting her. Probably more concerned about other accusations despite the fact that they were already in deeper shit than sexual harassment claims.

"They didn't even remember me."

"I know," he breathed, leaning against the desk and rubbing a hand across the back of his neck.

"They're coming here, but no matter what—"

"I know."

"—there's still no way I can save them. No matter what my other—" She paused briefly, the words getting stuck in her throat. What her Berserker half had suggested sounded so appealing when they were coming back from the _Dominion_, but now it just sounded silly. There was no way she could talk the guys into staying at the satellite. By the time they registered who she was, they'd be writhing in pain from the withdrawal symptoms. "They're gonna die, aren't they?"

"I kno—" Mu stopped, cringing a little at his rehearsed response. She looked at him then, the feeling of utter horror and panic beginning to paint itself across her face. She knew he saw it because he pushed away from the desk and bent down in front of her, hands on her shoulders. "Namarra, no matter what, you _can't _predict the future. Don't give up on them."

"H-how can you say that after all this? Even you thought it was a stupid idea."

"Hey, don't lump me with the other idiots out there who have no faith," he remarked. "Namarra, everyone here is holding on to some glimmer of hope. I'm sure most of the soldiers just want this war to end, Lexi probably wants a normal life again, and even my hope is to protect Murrue and get out of this alive."

"So, I wasn't being naïve or foolish?"

"You are just being a good sister." Giving a soft smile, he ruffled her hair, moving her hand to wipe the washcloth across her face. So, in the end he had treated her like a child after all, but right then Namarra really didn't care. Despite how much he had cheered her up, however, she still felt so helpless.

"All hands, level one battle stations! I repeat, all hands, level one battle stations!"

And it seemed that feeling would only worsen.

* * *

Eclipse was already in her suit when the alarm sounded, having stayed there since her conversation with Kira. Staring at the screen, she bounced her foot impatiently near the controls, her bottom leg resting off to her left. She was sitting sideways, the knobs and levers jabbing into her back, but the pain was a bit welcoming. A masochist? Her?

Namarra was late. That was all she could think about. Quite sad, really, because her fellow Berserker could take care of herself well enough, but berserk meant things were handled _too _well. "C'mon, Nam," she muttered, now tapping her elbow. The Decay was still docked on the _Archangel, _but even though it was a mere ship away, the fact that she hadn't heard anything was making her nervous. Perhaps she was hoping for the blood-curdling scream to bring her running, but somehow wishing for the Berserker to start torturing someone so she could intervene seemed counter productive.

The announcement sounded through the _Eternal_'s hangar once more, not making her nerves any less electric. She should have been more panicked about the _Dominion_'s approach than Namarra's untimely disappearance, but the battle seemed easy compared to knowing a Berserker was walking around the _Archangel._

"Lexi, I need you to launch," Waltfeld said, his voice on the verge of yelling. He had made such a command after the first announcement, but she had asked for a delay. He didn't seem as understanding this time.

"The Stealth hasn't detected the Decay yet."

"And sitting in the _Eternal _is helping? The Freedom and Justice have launched and the enemy has already pulled the pin out of the grenade. I need you _out_."

"I don't want to be in position then hear Nam's wreaking havoc in port."

"Look, Lexi, I can't tell you what to do, but I'm going to _strongly_—and _sternly_—suggest you get out of here. Be a little more trustful, would ya?"

Frowning, she swiveled in her seat. Now she was having trust issues? Grand. "Addict—"

"No, still on the _Archangel_."

She sighed. "Got it." Starting her machine, she walked it toward the launching platform and snapped on her helmet.

"Stealth, you're clear for launch," the communications soldier announced. "Waiting on you."

"Roger that. Stealth taking off."

Eclipse had been ordered to stay near the port and prevent anyone from both attacking their base as well as to keep the _Eternal _out of _too _much danger. The ship had most of its weaponry armed, but it couldn't do much from the harbor without bringing the whole thing down on top of it. It was enough, however, to keep it out of immediate danger. While Eclipse didn't pay a whole lot of attention to the _Dominion_ forces onthe ship, she remembered enough to give a detailed report later on. Twelve Strike Daggers were docked along with the three machines. With their alliance consisting of a mere three ships, that meant about four Daggers per ship. Bad odds. The Three Ship Alliance may have had nine suits at their disposal, but three pilots were rookies and Namarra's brothers could probably keep at least half of those remaining six occupied. So, that meant Eclipse would probably have to handle the bulk of the Daggers.

Originally, Namarra was added to make a tag team, but after everything that had been going wrong, a part of the redhead wished she would just huddle up under the covers in her bed.

_Hah, unlikely_, she thought and positioned herself in front of the harbor. _Be a little more trusting, huh Commander? _She gave an uneasy laugh and brought up the _Dominion_ onto the screen. It really did look just like the _Archangel_ which wasn't a good thing when he came to power. Hopefully, giving the official specs on the battleship to the _Archangel_ meant they had enough of a warning to prepare some kind of battle plan.

Or at least wing it.

"Decay leaving the _Archangel_," Coffee Addict announced and brought the suit up onto the screen next to the _Dominion. _It looked normal, but then again, mobile suits weren't exactly known for facial expressions.

"Nam, you know the plan?" She tried to bring up a visual transmission, but the Natural declined.

"Yes, I heard."

_Well, she sounds normal._

"I'll cover port side."

"Roger that."

The _Kusanagi _launched as soon as the _Archangel _and _Dominion_ were within firing range of each other. The Strike and Buster were already flanking the _Archangel _while the Freedom and Justice attempted to catch up.

"You're _really _gonna stay here? According to the plan?"

"Yes."

"Nam—"

"God, just drop it! Yes, Lexi, I'll follow the plan. Do I like it? No, it sucks shit, but there's nothing more I can do without possibly getting people killed. There, happy?"

"Surprisingly, no, but I'll leave it at that."

"Fine."

She should have been content with her confession, but it really seemed sadder than anything. To have to give up on family like that was disturbing. Sure, she would never consider herself a real family person either, but the concept was gloomy; a form of hopelessness that made her cringe. A part of her thought she should keep trying to save Namarra's brothers. After all, Azrael had put it pretty plain on the _Dominion_. Yes, he was a bit crazy and sadistic, but there was still truth in his words. Those three guys were caught up in something that wasn't their fault. She owed them their lives at least, right?

Still thinking of family, she contacted the _Regean_.

"Yo."

"Lathan, stay safe."

"You too, sis." And they broke it off. A simple exchange, really, but needed nonetheless. She had similar conversations with Athrun, Dearka, and even Mu before focusing back onto the coming battle.

_Here we go._

No one got too far. Given the amount of firepower heading in their direction—not to mention the Strike Daggers and three suits aboard who had yet to launch—it should have been an all-out gun fight like Mu had mentioned earlier. Instead, a voice came over the radio. Eclipse—and no doubt Namarra as well—had recognized her immediately.

"This is the Earth Alliance Forces' Mobile Assault Ship _Dominion_. _Archangel_, do you read me?"

Even though the Natural had made the note earlier, Eclipse started thinking the same thing, the _Dominion_ captain had balls, especially knowing the power struggle happening between the Earth Forces and Blue Cosmos. She doubted Azrael would have been the one to suggest a diplomatic approach, so the captain had acted on her own. That took guts. Then again, there was no indication Azrael was even vertical yet so that may have been her only chance to break standard procedure.

"The military has classified you as a renegade ship. We, therefore, demand your immediate surrender. Your ship will be destroyed if you fail to comply."

"She's stating the obvious," Namarra muttered and Eclipse merely nodded, hearing Captain Badgiruel greet Murrue by her name. The redhead remembered feeling that the _Dominion_ captain was hiding something, but to be personal with the _Archangel _crew? Or was it all pure reputation?

"I regret having to meet you again under these circumstances," Captain Badgiruel continued.

"So do I."

"I heard about what happened at Alaska. Nevertheless, I strongly urge you to surrender so you can discuss the matter with the authorities. I don't have much influence, but I'll do everything I can to help you. You're well aware of this ship's capabilities."

Murrue seemed to think it over. Eclipse didn't have a visual on the conversation, but she didn't need to see what was going on in order to understand it. Based on her hesitation, they really did know each other personally. The redhead doubted the _Archangel_ captain was considering surrendering, so there was really no other explanation. Surprisingly, she hadn't expected that. Perhaps a little selfish of her, but she thought the two Berserkers were the only ones fighting comrades. Now it seemed like everyone was beginning to face friends and family.

War was truly a nasty business.

"Natarle," Murrue began, "thank you for the concern, but we cannot do as you ask. This isn't only about what happened at Alaska. We have serious doubts about the Earth Forces in their entirety. No surrender. No return to the military."

"But Captain Ramius!"

Azrael laughed, making Eclipse's skin crawl. Well, he was conscious after all. Too bad he couldn't have stayed down because his laugh was not something she had ever wanted to hear again so soon. "That exchange was simply fascinating. Oh, Captain, you should be embarrassed. There would be no conflicts in this world if everything could be solved through discussion. Misunderstandings create enemies and when you have enemies, you shoot them."

"Director Azrael!" the captain hissed.

"Damn, maybe you _should _have killed him," Namarra cursed and Eclipse heard her hit the console.

"Apparently, a pen to the ear doesn't even equal a loss in comprehension."

"Pity."

"Calamity, Forbidden and Raider, launch!" Azrael shouted, cutting out Captain Badgiruel completely. "Today we destroy the indestructible _Archangel_." And the transmission ended, leaving everyone on the other end deaf for that moment of complete silence; the "breath before the plunge" as Lathan would say.

Taking her brother's cliché to heart, Eclipse took a deep breath. Orga, Shani and Clotho launched, a mere three colorful dots followed closely by the swarm of Strike Daggers. At first she thought Namarra was going to make some kind of kamikaze sprint towards her brothers, but she remained still.

So, she had given up.

Four Daggers sped towards the port. At first it looked as if Eclipse's initial assessment would—unfortunately—turn out to be correct since the troops were spreading out evenly, but two Daggers broke off at the last second and sped towards the _Kusanagi_. Only one of the Astrays had gotten a chance to launch and given their place on the battlefield, it made sense. Surrounding the Orb ship were many metapolymer tethering strings, the left over skeleton from the colonies in the area. At any other time they might have looked harmless, but if the suits were to launch just as they were passing near one of those wires, the sheer velocity mixed with a direct angle could cut the Astray in half. They were lucky to have gotten the one suit out undamaged, but launching the others right then would mean dumb luck and poor aim had done half of the work for the enemy.

"The _Kusanagi_ needs to move," Namarra remarked, bringing up her buckler to dodge and block one Strike Dagger's assault.

"I'm sure they're on it," Eclipse responded, ducking down and away from her opponent's own shooting. "We'll keep an eye out though."

"Hah, yeah, because we have three eyes."

Swinging out two beam sabers, Eclipse put one in each hand and started her counter. The Strike Dagger proved to be a better pilot than its immediate onslaught predicted, however. Typically, some stray bullets and pitiful charges meant a rookie pilot, but he must have been holding back. She sliced across at his hips, but the machine hit its boosters at the perfect moment and rocketed upwards. The suit's feet swung behind it as it rose, looking off balance, but really the pilot was doing a fairly good job at avoiding her attacks. Given the Earth Alliance had had the machines for quite some time now, it was expected the pilots would be getting better. While it proved to be more of an enjoyable challenge, with the _Kusanagi_ about to be under some severe fire, she really couldn't afford to be dancing with some bimbo.

Pulling the other blade behind the first, she stabbed it up, trying to catch the suit's feet as they dangled just out of reach. It poked halfway through the foot, but did nothing more, probably not even alerting the sensors in the suit. Cursing, she flew backwards away from its own beam saber.

"Since when were these guys good?" Namarra asked, her teeth gritted against each other as she threw her attacker's blade out wide. She gave a well-placed attack across the cockpit, but it didn't cut deep enough, the Dagger's pilot quick on the controls. The Decay leaned in for a charge just as Eclipse had to dodge another thrust from the Dagger in front of her.

It started shooting once the redhead was out of close range, the beams missing her suit by a large amount. At first she thought it was poor aim—despite the previous remarks on how well the pilots had improved—but the assault had been meant for the harbor itself. Eclipse knew she had been edging closer and closer to the port, but hadn't expected the Dagger to be so daring. The small caliber really didn't do much to the satellite.

Just pissed off Eclipse.

Cursing, she charged at the Dagger, slicing up at the beam rifle and cutting it in half before bringing her right arm around to cut across the cockpit. The machine attempted to dodge the strike, but the tip still punctured the metal, searing a gash. Sparking, the controls contorted from the heat then froze immediately after being exposed to space's cold nothingness, but not before some flailing wires had cut holes in the pilot's suit. She heard him scream, but it was more of a wet gurgle, the lack of oxygen outside contorting the wounds—not to mention freezing his veins in a rather slow manner—and forcing his body to go through a series of conniptions the redhead didn't even want to comprehend. Spinning the machine, she damaged the propel system and kicked it away. After sheathing her beam sabers, she pulled out her rifle and fired through the open gash. A mercy blow. She could have left him to writhe—and she was considering it—but with odds against them, her sadistic side would have to be appeased another time. Turning away from the explosion, she glanced over at Namarra.

The Decay was in some kind of hand-to-hand grappling match, neither machine having the mobility nor the dexterity to be attempting the moves the pilots wanted them to. Namarra had torn off the Strike Dagger's head, but the pilot was a stubborn little thing, latching its legs around the Decay's waist and holding Namarra's arms out to the side. If anything, it looked like a good position to self-destruct, but the Dagger pilot seemed more the "never give up" kind than the one with a death wish.

"Don't you dare," the Natural growled, Eclipse knowing she had meant her. "Just give me one second." It was a surprising second, Namarra opening her cockpit a crack and poked her arm out to aim at the Dagger's with her handgun. The redhead could only figure the hatch had been damaged much like her own opponent's and when the Dagger stopped struggling after she fired, she was proven right. Kicking the suit away, Eclipse glimpsed a leaking, red liquid before Namarra did much the same thing as she did and fired, nicking the battery.

"Slimy bastards," the Natural muttered as it exploded.

"That was ballsy. Opening your cockpit mid-battle?"

"Meh, we're out of range from any immediate friendly fire."

Eclipse frowned, but didn't argue. There was really no point.

"Stealth, Decay head to the _Kusanagi_ now!" Waltfeld yelled over the radio. Both girls brought up a visual at once and cursed. "They're trapped with four Strike Daggers heading in their direction."

"But our post—" Eclipse began.

"The _Eternal_ will be fine. We'll manage."

"The _Archangel_—" Namarra added, but the commander cut her off too.

"Is holding its own. Go protect the _Kusanagi_."

"Roger that."

Trapped was an understatement. The metapolymer tethering strings were completely wrapped around the ship, making it a present for the drooling mobile suits urging themselves in that direction. Even Shani had seemed interested, his fight with the Justice coming to a standstill. The Forbidden kicked the red suit away.

"Shit," the girls said simultaneously, and sped towards the ship. They added a couple more colorful words for good measure, but it really did no good, especially after the Strike Daggers started attacking the most exposed area of the ship.

The _Regean._

"Nam—"

"Yeah, I got this one," the Natural announced, directing the Decay over towards the Strike Dagger ready to slice the _Regean_'s hangar down the middle. She fired off two shots, one going wide, but the other clipping its right shoulder. The hit propelled it away from the transport for a moment, not allowing it the direct attack it was anticipating. It caught itself well, however, readjusting its angle just in time to catch the Decay's beam saber through the cockpit.

Eclipse sped towards the other Dagger as Namarra encountered her enemy. The _Regean _was putting up a decent fight, but with its limited weaponry and the _Kusanagi_ still tangled up, there wasn't much Lathan could do on his own. Too bad he wasn't getting more than brownie points for effort.

The soldier saw the Stealth coming and did the most drastic thing the redhead could think of. She had anticipated him to return her fire, but instead the Dagger flew towards Lathan's feeble attack and wrapped its body around the weapon. Its fingers bent into the metal and its knees buckled around the side of the transport like a bear hug gone suicidal. Lathan had stopped his shooting—most likely not wanting to cause an explosion—but, given the circumstance, his odds were the same either way.

"Charging Scylla," Coffee Addict announced before Eclipse could even give the command and she was already aiming the weapon when her suit declared, "System go." Hoping to short the Earth Alliance machine out completely without setting off the battery, she fired.

But the Dagger self-destructed before the sparks even left her hand.

"Lathan!"

* * *

**_A/N: _**Hey guys, definitely been too long this time, but I have been planning a trip. Yup, I'm heading to Germany! Just thought I'd throw that out there. A bit of a vacation and I've been working a lot so this chapter was moving a bit slow. Sorry! It's done now, though, so please enjoy!

I have a feeling some of you are going to be shocked about Nam's age because more than a couple have expressed they have thought Nam to be about 18. Nope, younger. Hopefully, I didn't give any of you literary whiplash, but I've had that planned for a long time so I tried to tone her down. If anything she's rash like a younger teen, but since she's been dealing with military stuff for a while she might seem like she's acting older. Oh well, I'm not gonna explain every little hint about her being younger, but if you really want to see my reasoning or whatnot, just let me know.

I've come to realize that when I made it a goal to explain some of the holes in the Anime, I unofficially announced my OCs the main reason a lot of things go south. Did anyone else notice that? I noticed it the most in this chapter, because they make so many rash decisions to get some kind of information on their other halves and it always seems to backfire in some way. Given, the _Dominion_ was already headed towards L4, but still they kinda lead them there. Ah, girls…

It got a little slow in the middle of the chapter, but there were some relationships/conversations I needed to get out before the main battles started firing up. I know there's another lull in the timeline before Boaz, but the first real battle that the girls are fighting with the main SEED cast basically _needs _some loyalties talk.

I also thought it was interesting that the series never really showed anyone panicked, especially Waltfeld or the other ship captains. It was like everyone was always calm and in control. I tried to hint at a little worrying on the adult end just because that seems to make a little more sense to me.

And I leave you all on a cliff hangar. Cruel, I know, but this series did that to all of us constantly, so I thought I'd add to the, "What's gonna happen next?" atmosphere. :)

I know this is a little off topic, but I'm kinda curious to know if anyone checked out my "newest" story. It was really a skewed rewrite, but I wonder if any of you read it? (_Masquerade in Chains_)

As always, shout out to my betas: _Death-Scimitar, CSSStravag _and_ Maderfole. _I had a quick timeline on this one so applause is recommended!

And thank you to everyone who is still around reading this! Thanks!

* * *

**_Corrections to the Narrative:_**

Alright, so I gave in to peer pressure and changed Mwu's spelling to Mu. Other than that, the canon's pretty intact as of this moment. The Three Ship Alliance had a warning instead of being blindsided, but I didn't really like how the series made them look so flustered and surprised about the _Dominion _showing up. So, this served my purpose a little better.

* * *

**_Questions/Gripes:_**

Yeah a little bit of a lag chapter last time, but thank you all for the comments. I plan on getting a few more runs with this story as soon as I come back from Germany—or maybe even while I'm there—so I hope to cut down on the long chapter breaks. I write more in the summer/when it's sunny so that should be very soon! Thank you all for sticking with me though.

* * *

See you next chapter!

_Strata_


	54. Taking it One Grey Hair at a Time

Taking It One Grey Hair at a Time

Namarra had expected Eclipse to freeze, be stunned and practically helpless when she saw the Regean explode, but that really wasn't the case. The Natural watched her hesitate for a moment, but before long she was heading towards the nearest Strike Dagger. Her movements were fluid as she took her beam saber and cut the Dagger from crotch to chin. It was as if the Dagger had no battle experience at all given how easily she destroyed it.

Namarra had the itching feeling she had some inside help.

Athrun had said something, however, his voice coming through their communication line. "Lexi," he began, the Justice releasing his backpack at Shani and forcing the Forbidden away. "There's only one Astray trying to get the Kusanagi loose. Can you help?"

"Roger that. Nam." Apparently, she had known it was only one transmission line. "Can I trust you to back up Athrun?" There was no visual on her redheaded comrade, but even though Namarra expected her to be tiptoeing with her other half, her voice made no confirmation.

"Yes," the Natural replied. She was going to make an offensive remark, but—despite her age—was still old enough to know when not to be offensive.

"Good. Athrun, she's all yours." The Stealth flew to the nearest tethering string and used her own beam sabers to begin cutting out the Kusanagi. Maybe she wasn't berserk after all because she doubted the Berserker would agree to such a mundane task. Then again, maybe there were stages to the Berserker and she was just in the first one? Saving that thought for later, she waited for the Justice pilot to give her an order of some kind, but Shani had returned to attacking the red suit.

It was more of a side glance than anything; intuition rather than mindless perception. Both Clotho and Orga had managed to corner Kira. The Freedom pilot was actually taken off guard, the off-balance of his suit a sure indication. She knew the Dominion was going to fire sledgehammers and launched a counter before the missiles could hit Kira. Striking one, the debris took out two more, but before she could get in another shot, the Freedom amazingly came alive. It targeted and fired at the rest of the missiles before rocketing up and away.

Damn, she thought, but didn't have a lot of time to gawk before the Dominion targeted her next. The Igellstellungs fired at her suit, forcing Namarra to bring up her buckler and protect the cockpit. Swearing, she decided to go with the attack and pushed her machine towards the Dominion. Despite her recklessness, the buckler was not made for such abuse and split just before she reached the ship. Perfect timing. No doubt the captain was already calling back an ally—since the weaponry couldn't turn at an angle to attack her—so she didn't have much time.

Not like she needed it.

Grasping her right hand to the Igellstellung, she dug her fingertips into the metal. "Chicabo, fire flamethrower."

"Charging and firing," her suit replied and Namarra smirked when the flames melted away at the ship's exterior.

At least until a Dagger tackled her off.

It was a scary experience at first, especially when she remembered how a similar attack had meant the Regean being turned to space debris, but the Dagger pilot seemed more frightened than her. For good reason though, seeing as Namarra's reflexes were far better than she had thought. Her flamethrower was still firing, its flames melting through the cockpit. She didn't hear any screams, just sobbing and then nothing. Once the silence hit, she pushed the machine away, the metal freezing back into a tangled mess. Looking at her right hand, her mouth twitched in a smirk. Her reflexes had moved the Decay's hand from flailing out to the side to near her stomach, killing the machine before the pilot even had the chance to consider suicide. Had gaining a second personality heightened her own abilities? And the speed at which the Decay moved was still not as quick as her own reflexes, but considerably better than what her Earth Forces mechanics had done before. Lathan deserved—

Shit.

Lathan.

Turning towards the Regean wreckage she almost made her way back there, but stopped, the Raider rising into view. Clotho had noticed her first. It was a good thing, actually. Not only did it pull some of the heat from the Justice and Freedom, but Kira was attempting to attack the Dominion. Given, Orga was blocking him as much as possible, but at least the Archangel was getting some assistance. Whether she liked to admit it or not, the Dominion captain was proving to be the stronger military genius.

"What's this?" Clotho asked, shooting towards the Decay. "A small Level One?"

Usually, his game references annoyed her, but she was past any kind of rage-related emotion with those three.

Namarra kept her distance as he fired at her, pulling out her beam saber to deflect the deadlier shots as he shortened the distance. Bringing it back across her body, she slashed near his cockpit when he got within arm's length. She didn't expect to make any kind of contact, but she did anticipate his counterattack. Since he really didn't have any hand-to-hand weaponry, Clotho released a string of shots that he pulled across her cockpit like a saber, but the Natural slapped it wide and did an upward slash towards his head. She was sure she had caught him off guard, but that wasn't the case, the Raider moved backwards as the attack came and dodged the blade entirely. Typically, Clotho wasn't good at close combat, but he had definitely learned a thing or two if he had seen that coming.

Deciding to get more distance, the Raider backed up even further and aimed his energy cannon, the glowing hole in his mouth forcing Namarra to retreat down and away once he fired in her direction. She used the evasion to her benefit, however, thrusting forward and arching up under the attack. Clotho must have anticipated the attack again, releasing his mace and swinging it in her general direction. Dodging it easily enough, Namarra lost her advantage and retreated a safe distance away, only to see the mace speeding towards her again.

"Let's play a little dodgeball," Clotho laughed as he swung the weapon while the Decay continued its dance.

Namarra cursed after a while, the mace gaining a lot of momentum and the Decay's reaction time not as quick. It was close, but not up to as good of standards as she needed her mobile suit to be, especially in such a dangerous situation. If that ball hit her with that kind of force, she wouldn't survive and even though her reflexes saw through the attack the whole time—well—she wasn't personally doing the dodging.

It was really only a matter of time, but Clotho managed to hit and sever the Decay's left foot when she couldn't pull the suit away in time. Cursing, she stabbed her beam saber into the weapon as it lost momentum, hoping to damage it enough to make it useless, but the attack did nothing more than distract her while Clotho charged. The Raider rammed into the Decay, rattling the young Natural inside. Namarra heard Clotho spew some sort of video game jargon and it wasn't until she felt the heat from the beam rifle did she realize how close to death she had come.

The barrel was parallel to the Decay's side, firing shots randomly as Clotho tried to dislodge his suit. At first she didn't think the rifle could do any amount of damage in that position, but it was close enough to the Decay's side Namarra could have sworn she felt the energy. Given, it might have been the beginning stage of panic, but it was enough to force her into a counterattack. Slipping her right arm down to keep Clotho's at bay, she fired her CIWS, barely managing a few scrapes on the Raider's armor before her sensors began beeping. Looking at her screen, she noticed the Forbidden. While she couldn't hear Shani inside, there was enough visual to figure out the sound effects.

Their drug cycle was coming to an end.

Clotho cursed and before he could improve his attacking angle, they were forced to break apart, the two suits pushing back against each other to avoid one of Shani's shots.

"Kusanagi is free. I'm coming to support," Eclipse announced over the open transmission, but it really didn't register for Namarra. Between the Raider bombarding her with his M417 machine gun and her trying to fix the Decay's OS while doing some little dodging maneuvers, there wasn't much more she could fit on her plate. Based on the Raider's bad aim, however, Clotho was either speaking with his teammates or trying to control his withdrawal symptoms. He really didn't have much time to wait as the Kusanagi fired both its Gottfrieds at the Dominion. The Earth Forces ship signaled retreat and Clotho went to join Orga without so much as a farewell.

Taking deep breaths, Namarra watched the three suits argue before they finally fled back to their ship. She frowned after that, realizing she had had the chance to make some kind of connection with Clotho as his cycle ended. Perhaps Mu's words had kept her subconscious from bringing up the issue, but it was still an opportunity lost.

Then again, perhaps she finally believed they were officially gone.

"Legund, come back to port," Waltfeld ordered.

"Lathan?" she asked as she turned towards Mendel. "Lexi?"

"You can check on them here, but we need as many hands as we can get. LaFlaga and Elsman went into the colony. Something about Le Creuset being there."

"What? By themselves?"

Waltfeld sounded grim. "That's why we're falling back too. How's your suit?"

"Needs a new buckler, foot and armor touch-up along with a battery charge. Should handle everything else after a good cool down."

"Head to the Kusanagi then. The Archangel has enough to worry about right now."

"Roger that." She cursed after the conversation ended. She had no idea what had happened to Lathan and now Mu was gone.

"Shit."

* * *

It wasn't easy, even for Namarra.

Lathan and Erika were on two separate beds, their heads nearly touching at the top end. An IV pump was mounted into the wall where three bags of fluid hung. The machine had to force the liquid down into their veins since there was no luxury called gravity to let it take care of itself. One of the fluids was for Erika and the other two were for Lathan.

Eclipse stood to Namarra's left, one arm across her stomach while the other was bent at the elbow, her teeth chattering away at her already short fingernails. The Natural could still hear Eclipse's shriek when she had seen the Regean hit. It was so dramatic Namarra was certain the Berserker was going to appear, but—as far as she could tell—it had remained dormant. Either Eclipse had had enough willpower to keep it contained, or the Berserker had shown an unusual amount of sympathy.

"Mrs. Simmons suffered a minor concussion and has nearly ten percent of her body burned. The steroids are helping her heal well, but we're keeping her sedated for now in case there's another wave of attacks. Panic is definitely the enemy at this point in the game."

Eclipse nodded and Namarra did the same after another second. Ten percent wasn't a really high number, but if any of that got infected she could go down quickly. The doctor mentioned the possibility of infection while Namarra turned back to Lathan. Bringing her own fingers up to her teeth, Namarra began biting at her nails as well. Her brothers had escaped unscathed once again, but how long would that last? Athrun had almost killed Shani and she just watched. She held back against Clotho, but if she did that again someone else could get seriously hurt.

"You have to make a choice and stick with it. No divided loyalties," Mu had said and perhaps it was because of that man that she had decided to stay with the Three Ship Alliance.

She just wished it wasn't so damn hard.

"Your brother's stable at the moment and we are just beginning to assess his internal damage. The right side of his body is severely burned and we can't be completely sure on motor functions until he's awake."

"And his eyes?" Eclipse asked and Namarra glanced up at his face. A breathing tube dribbled out the side of his mouth, the machine making a sort of sucking noise as it pushed a gust of oxygen into his lungs. Around his eyes and forehead wrapped a bloody bandage, the white material so thick across his face it was amazing the blood soaked through at all. She gulped and turned back to Eclipse.

The doctor sighed a shook his head. "The shards from his glasses cut into his eyes the moment of the explosion. If Mrs. Simmons hadn't anticipated the kamikaze and gone back for him, he'd be dead."

"But his sight?"

"I don't think you need my analysis to know that answer."

"Please," Eclipse said. "I want to hear it."

"When he wakes up, he'll be blind, yes."

Namarra turned away before she could see the pain on Eclipse's face, but she couldn't block out the doctor's report.

"We don't have the equipment to fix his eyes here, but there is some research being done on the PLANTs for this kind of treatment. When he gets better, we can start looking into your options."

Namarra felt it was best not to bring up the fact that they were still smack dab in the middle of a war, especially since it was the "white elephant" sitting in the corner of the room.

Damn, now she was speaking clichés.

"And you don't think his brain was damaged?" Eclipse had stepped forward by that time, her hand hovering over Lathan's bandaged one. At first it looked like she was going to hold it, but stopped, a finger merely brushing the material.

"No. I'm not sure if he closed his eyes at the perfect moment or if the blast wasn't as forceful as we thought, but no shards punctured his brain. We have CT scans if you want proof."

Eclipse held up her free hand and shook her head.

"What positive proof I can give you," the doctor continued as the door opened behind Namarra. Cagalli came in and put a hand over her mouth before a loud gasp could escape. Eclipse didn't seem to notice her yet. "He'll wake up and recover. He may be unconscious, but he hasn't slipped into a coma. With this kind of trauma, that's definitely a good sign."

"So, he'll be able to work still? I mean, that's all he really enjoys." Turning, Eclipse finally noticed Cagalli and though the blonde had put a comforting hand on her shoulder, she gave nothing back.

"In all honesty, that's up to him. Physically, he can do much the same things, just far less hands-on kind of projects. His mind is fine."

"Ah, thank you, doctor." Nodding, he turned away from the group to look at his other patients. The enemy may have fled, but enough damage had been done. Namarra could hear him curse as he walked by. She tensed.

"Lexi, I really don't want to mention this right now, but we need you on the bridge. We've opened a com line to the Eternal and Kusanagi."

Eclipse nodded and showed an amount of courage Namarra had found sadly impressive. She smiled. Albeit, it was a solemn grin, but it showed strength and when Cagalli shared a similar look, Namarra became speechless. These two knew what was at stake and had already made up their minds on what needed to be done. Unlike her, they had a direction and purpose. Even though Namarra had admitted her decision to both Mu and Eclipse, a part of her still felt that if the boys had called her name, she'd go running back.

"If anything happens, I assure you we'll be contacted."

"Thanks, Cags."

How was it that these two had seen less war in their lives compared to her younger age but they understood? She had watched her own brother get killed yet she still wasn't able to face the possibility of her other brothers dying. Was that immaturity? Or just that small sense of hope Mu had told her to hold on to?

"Namarra, you coming?" Eclipse asked and the Natural was actually startled as she turned. Calming down, she managed to mirror the redhead's blank face and shook her head.

"They really only want to talk to you and you can fill me in later. I'll keep an eye out here then see what I can do to help with the Regean."

The redhead nodded and the two left the room, leaving Namarra to juggle her personal struggles. Glancing at Lathan, however, made her realize she didn't want that to happen to anyone else.

* * *

Eclipse had expected a lot of stares as she entered the bridge, but one of the good things about being involved with military personnel was how they rarely gave the sympathetic look. There could be a moment one person would be in a similar situation and he or she wouldn't want the rest of the crew pitying them, so they all stared at their screens instead.

Kudos for cold understanding.

"Mr. Argyle, has there been any movement from the Dominion?" Eclipse heard Murrue ask from one of the screens near Kisaka's chair. Following Cagalli, the redhead put her hand on the back of his seat in order to get in view. If any of the Archangel or Eternal crew was surprised to see her they hid it well. Again, the understanding was appreciated.

"Negative," the young soldier responded. "It's still for now."

Murrue nodded and turned back to the screen. Eclipse did a quick look around before she began talking. Lacus was there as well as Waltfeld, but Kira and Mu were still missing. She hadn't heard an update on whether or not they had returned, but based on observation alone, she could confidently say they were still back in the colony. Athrun stood near Waltfeld and Lacus, making the normal group look a bit thin as compared to the other meetings. Seeing as both Lathan and Erika were in sickbay—and Dearka rarely present—it made sense, but not exactly comfortable. Glancing back at the door, she sighed. Perhaps she should have brought Namarra along.

"The Archangel repairs are coming along smoothly," Murrue began, briefly explaining the process and the remaining time, but Eclipse was barely listening. Her suit wasn't badly damaged and was currently sitting quietly in the Kusanagi hangar. There were more pressing needs than fixing an undamaged suit and since she doubted the Colloid would even help in the next battle, she didn't bring up her need again. Based on numbers, the Three Ship Alliance had chopped down a pretty good sum of Strike Daggers, but Namarra's brothers were still afloat as well as the ship itself. With Kira, Mu and Dearka missing, she was worried. Their army was looking a bit ragged and then there was still ZAFT hovering around near their asses so they might have to break up into squads again. But, then again, the Eternal might be up and running—

"Lexi?" Cagalli asked, the redhead stopping mid-movement. She hadn't even realized she had been rubbing her forehead and based on the quizzical looks, she hoped she hadn't been muttering to herself either. Recently, Lathan's talking out loud had become more hereditary than habit. Sometimes she wondered if her parents had been just as chatty with themselves.

"Sorry, what was the question again?"

Murrue frowned and gave her a motherly look. It was rather interesting to see all the older ship members shift into some kind of parental figures as the rag-tag group kept up its crusade. Seeing as most of the soldiers aboard the Archangel were barely under twenty, the responsibility fell onto them by accident, but none of them seemed to be upset about the role. "First of all, you're going straight to your quarters to rest after this meeting." She held up a finger as she gave the order, but Eclipse shook her head.

"I haven't been able to access the site yet myself, but the Stealth did a quick damage report before I boarded the Kusanagi. Most of the living quarters were destroyed with the Regean. Currently, I don't even have a bed to sleep in and I doubt there's much time to do anything other than patch up the hole let alone check for personal belongings."

"No, you do have a bed," Cagalli cut in. "You and Namarra are bunking with me. That room is way too large for just one person." She smiled as she proclaimed the news, but the redhead couldn't help her flinch. Given Cagalli's tolerance with Namarra—and the Natural's returned feelings—it was going to be quite the tense arrangement.

Despite that, however, Eclipse nodded. "For now that'll do. Thanks, Cags."

"Good," Murrue finished then went on to ask what she had originally begun. "Now, I was wondering if you had any other news on the Regean? Something positive might be nice."

"Really, there's not much to say." She shrugged. "The main propel and attachment systems aboard the transport were destroyed as well as most of the hangar, and—like previously mentioned—living quarters were scorched when the fire just licked up any bit of oxygen it could sink into. Lathan's quarters were probably the least affected which bodes well for his computer equipment, but the transport is nothing but dead weight now. I actually suggest we either dislodge it and let it join the debris belt or weld it up best we can and pray the enemy doesn't aim for that area specifically."

"Nothing can be saved?" Lacus asked, looking rather distressed about the news.

"Many spare parts for the Stealth, Decay, and even the Orb machines had been stored in the hangar, but the blast had either destroyed them or blown them to the moon by this time. If Murdoch wants to check out the damage personally to see if he can find anything useful, by all means go for it. I just don't want him to get his hopes up."

"I'll send him on that right away and see if there are any other hands I can spare." Murrue nodded as she thought.

"I'll go and assess some of the damage myself if you'd like," Athrun offered and Waltfeld rattled off a couple more mechanics he could spare.

"The Eternal's doing well so I think we can help out the Kusanagi a little bit," he added.

"That would be greatly appreciated," Kisaka responded and the two nodded at each other.

Murrue didn't look pleased at first—probably thinking about Athrun's health—but really had no other choice than to agree. "Fine, but an hour, tops, for the two of you," she pointed to Eclipse and Athrun specifically, "you're our main defense at the moment. You have to rest."

"In about an hour I can spare a few more," Waltfeld confirmed, letting his clipboard float from his hand. "My men are already working in shifts and most are too restless to relax anyway." Lacus added a confirmation and everyone else agreed.

"We have to discuss what to do if Elsman, Yamato and LaFlaga don't come back in time," Kisaka said, apparently the only one willing to bring up such a sensitive issue. Then again, with the kind of situation they were in it would just be careless not to mention it.

Murrue sighed. "Yes, yes we should."

"If all goes well, the Eternal can head out with the rest of the ships," Lacus said.

"And the Kusanagi'll be ready too," Cagalli confirmed.

"Good, then we should—" Murrue began, but Eclipse cut in.

"What news is there on the ZAFT ships? Have they made any motion to attack?"

All the captains immediately turned to their radar techs who announced there had been no movement. A universal sigh passed through the bridge on each ship, but despite the good news, Eclipse still felt nervous.

"I doubt they'll be stationary for long."

"I agree," Athrun added and the two old ZAFT pilots shared a nod. "They won't be able to camp out there for long."

"There's three Nazcas," Waltfeld confirmed. "If they make a move, the Eternal will head them off. They are looking for us, after all. Why not make a grand appearance?"

"The Archangel is probably the most ideal ship to face the Dominion," Eclipse added. "And even though we took out a fair sum of their Strike Daggers, I'm still worried about the three machines."

"I can hold my own for a little while."

"Namarra and I will help," the redhead added to Athrun's response. "That leaves the M-1s and the M-1 prototypes with the remaining Strike Daggers and ZAFT GINNs."

"Scary odds," Kisaka admitted.

Cagalli cut in before anyone could get too nervous. "But that's worse-case scenario. There's still a good chance Kira and the others will come back."

"But worse-case is still a strong possibility. No matter how much we wish they were here, we can't rely on them coming to our rescue," Athrun explained. Cagalli's face twisted from surprise to a soft form of offense, but it slipped away quickly. No one could really blame her for her optimistic thinking, but even though she had a natural knack at war tactics, it took experienced soldiers to really understand the necessity of preparing for the worst. Eclipse felt bad for her at first, but then stopped. Hoping for a positive outcome wasn't a weakness, per se, and in this circumstance—with everyone so panicked—it was probably more of a welcomed point of view.

"Then I drop back to help the Astrays," Eclipse responded, getting back onto topic. "Namarra knows the EA machines better than all of us, just doesn't have the proper suit to match their upgrades. She'd be more of a help to Athrun than I would if we had to split our forces."

"But remember her relationship to them," Waltfeld added and the other captains nodded. "I'd rather have Lexi back up Zala and pull Legund back to help the M-1s if needed."

"Agreed," the others replied and Eclipse shrugged. As long as the Astrays had backup she didn't mind fighting beside Athrun again.

"The ships are formidable too," Murrue added. "We can't rule them out just yet."

"Lexi, have Legund be on alert then just in case we need to pull her back for support," Waltfeld finished, ending the debate with that one statement. Everyone nodded in agreement.

"Miss Cagalli does have a point however," Lacus said, causing everyone to turn their attention towards her. "We can't give up hope that Kira and the others will come back to us. We've come too far to just give in now. Please, let's try our best to hold off the enemy so that those we've lost will have not died in vain."

Really, there was nothing more that could be added to such a powerful statement so no one tried, the lines shutting down. Eclipse managed a peek at some of the Archangel crewmembers before everything went black. It looked as if a couple was muttering to themselves and the redhead had the inkling it was some kind of prayer.

Begging the other pilots to come back quickly.

And for the Dominion to stay far, far away.

* * *

Eclipse hovered in the harbor, staring at the wreckage. As a quick fix, the mechanics were folding metal over the damage, hoping that patch would hold through the next battle. For the most part, the rest of the Kusanagi wasn't too damaged since it came in so late into the battle, but the missing Regean definitely put a hole in its defensive armor—no pun intended. If they didn't patch it up somehow, the ship would be sunk with one precise hit and since the enemy wasn't stupid, they would probably aim for that spot directly.

"Cover that whole section with CNT Paste," Murdoch ordered, Eclipse hearing his baritone voice in the background.

"What?" a mechanic argued. "We're finished if we take another hit in the same place."

"Look, I'd even seal it with money if it would help any."

She should have been lending a hand, but every time she butt in to give a suggestion, the mechanics smiled, usually accepted the idea, then made sure to push her back to standing room only. Rubbing her forearms, she stared over at Athrun, jealous that he was able to help without someone being overly concerned. Maybe it's for the best, she thought, not realizing how spacey she really felt until a crewmember had to say her name three times in order to get her out of the way.

"Sorry," she muttered and let the nearest mechanic push her to the side.

"This might be the first—and only—time I'll say this, but you're in the way." Athrun put his hands on her shoulders to steady her then moved a little to be a comfortable distance. "And staring at it," he nodded to the Regean wreck, "isn't going to help."

"But there's nothing else I can do. And the Stealth's fine so I'll just," she trailed off and shrugged.

"Hey, Zala, can you lend a hand?" Murdoch asked and the younger pilot agreed.

"You." He turned back to Eclipse. "This may sound cold, but you have to snap out of it. The Dominion could come back and with us down as is—"

"I know, I know. I just never thought it'd be Lathan."

Smiling lightly, he patted her back and left.

They all sat around for another hour, the pilots more restless than was probably healthy. Athrun had a small argument with Lacus about heading into the satellite to find Kira, Mu and Dearka, but in the end the Pink Princess won. Having Athrun chase after them—no matter how much they wanted to know if they were safe or not—meant losing another pilot. Namarra and Eclipse would probably be able to hold Orga, Shani and Clotho off for a fair amount of time, but—ultimately—their suits weren't made for such fighting.

Eclipse sighed and Juri tensed. Apparently, she thought Eclipse was more nervous than she had claimed. Either that or the sound had startled the pilot. The redhead turned to her when she saw her jerk away, confused by the reaction at first.

"S-sorry," she said, rubbing her face with her hands. "I'm just a little…anxious."

"It'll be fine, Juri," Asagi said and patted her knee. The third Astray pilot did the same and Eclipse looked away. The redhead had been asked to sit over with the newbies, seeing as her attempting to help was doing nothing more than annoying the other mechanics. Most of the Three Ship Alliance was panicked; there was really no other way to describe it. Even the older officers were nervous though they hid it better than the less experienced. Thanks to Eclipse's previous training she was better at keeping her feelings from showing, but with Lathan injured, Erika just as bad and most of their battle strength missing inside Mendel, her outer shell was one buzzing alarm away from cracked.

"We'll be okay," Eclipse said, trying to get the girls to calm back down. They had seemed alright until the redhead had decided to do her loud sigh. "They'll be back soon."

"All hands, level one battle stations. I repeat, all hands, level one battle stations!"

Eclipse was going to mutter something like, "Or not," but—surprisingly—kept her mouth shut. Seeing as the girls all jumped simultaneously, the comment was best kept for her own personal commentary. They recovered well and that was comforting, but the redhead didn't have time to babysit them anymore. Despite their lack of battle experience, they were handling themselves rather well given the circumstances. They were nothing more than novice pilots and they were still willing to get into their suits and face unbelievable odds.

Impressive really.

"Coffee Addict, begin launching preparations," she said into her earpiece, pushing her way back through the locker room and out into the hangar. Grasping her helmet, she propelled herself to the cockpit and swung inside. "Bridge, I'm heading out."

"Roger that, Stealth," the soldier replied. "Catapult's ready."

Eclipse and Namarra joined Athrun as the Dominion launched the three machines. Namarra had already been updated on the plan and even though Eclipse knew she would be rather keeping an eye on her brothers, the Natural agreed to help the M-1s if ZAFT ever decided to move. The redhead was a bit surprised by her sudden agreement with the plan, but she didn't press the matter. If Namarra agreed, she wasn't about to question it.

It was three-on-three when the guys came within firing range. It was a debate whether or not they wanted to choose their opponents or just adapt as the battle went on and seeing as Shani was bulleting towards Athrun, and Clotho leaning in Namarra's general direction that mean Eclipse would have Orga.

Fine with her.

"Great, leave me with the mix 'n match," the Calamity pilot grumbled, Eclipse merely smiling at the remark. It was a well-known fact the Stealth was a hodgepodge of parts from assorted mobile suits and even though Lathan had done his best to even out the differences, she would always admire its uniqueness.

"Whatever," he added after a second or two and looked as if he was about to charge first, but Eclipse wanted that honor. Thrusting forward, she pulled out her two beam sabers and went for the attack. She knew Orga would block both of them, so she didn't strike at full strength. Instead, she did more of a fake attack and spun to his left, slicing her right blade down near the machine's thigh. The Calamity moved far enough to avoid the attack, but didn't have the agility to dodge her next thrust from the left saber. The blue beam seared into the metal at the armpit, coming dangerously close to the chest. Since that beam was made more for defensive purposes, it didn't get too far into his Trans-phase armor, but it was enough to piss him off. Eclipse heard the older pilot curse and kept up her attack, flipping the red saber around in her right hand and jabbing it down at his shins. This one made more contact than the other two combined, the attacking beam slipping into the metal and out the other side. Using the momentum, she moved forward a touch and cut her left blade out wide, severing the Calamity's right hand at the joint.

"What the—" Orga began, and retreated back a fair distance, the red beam in his right shin tearing through the metal and wires as he fled.

Eclipse smirked. Lathan had been doing some touch-ups on the HiMat system, giving her better mobility than she had had in months. Each individual thruster was synced with the others, the system meant to mirror the wings on a bird rather than have the velocity of a common booster pack. They acted more like muscles than propulsion systems, making her movements more fluid. She had tested his improvements in simulations, but that was the first time she really had a chance to use them in battle. The Strike Daggers earlier hadn't put up a decent enough fight for her to have to use those moves.

The Calamity fired a burst from his duel ram cannons as Eclipse began to charge again. Since Orga's suit was built for long-range attacks, she had to keep things up close and personal in case he got the upper hand. Despite the previous set, however, Orga was now prepared for her agility. At one point, he pushed her back far enough to fire his right duel ram cannon again, but she had avoided the attack easily enough and began sweeping in for another round, spit firing her CIWS to keep the Calamity off balance. She stabbed up near his head and he dodged to the right. Her bottom blade swung towards his cockpit and he boosted upwards, the beam catching only a sliver of metal. Aiming, he managed to gather up enough energy—and distance—to shoot his long-range beam cannon, forcing Eclipse to back up in order to dodge.

And right into Clotho's mace.

Her own muscles had pulled on the levers in time to dodge, but despite the improvements, the Stealth was still slower than what her brain and body could accomplish. If she survived the battle she would personally help Lathan finish his new cockpit system because what she had now was doing nothing more than chiseling her gravestone.

The Stealth evaded most of the attack, but the wire wrapped awkwardly around its right leg, spiraling upwards until the ball smacked against the back of her mobile suit near the battery. Eclipse rattled inside, her world a Picasso painting for a moment or two before the CA announced internal damage to her main battery and an energy pulse that backfired to short out both beam sabers.

"Power down to 20 percent."

She ignited the HiMat at full potential and the CA announced an even lower percent seconds later. The last thing Eclipse wanted, however, was for Clotho to pull her back towards his suit and shoot a round through the cockpit. "Initiate HCF-EPR," she ordered, and listened to her suit groan as it resisted his tugging. She forced herself to spin around and face him to block some of his M417 bullets.

Coffee Addict complied, but her battery only reached up to fifty percent thanks to all the internal damage. Cursing, Eclipse glanced at her screens to see Orga aiming in her direction.

"Lexi, let go!" Namarra yelled and Eclipse—trusting her judgment—cut her boosters just as the Decay tackled the Calamity before he could shoot.

The Stealth twisted as it neared the Raider, Eclipse watching its mouth glow with energy as it readied its Scylla. Reaching to her right, she flipped the switch for the Mirage Colloid. There was basically next to nothing left in the tank, but she just needed it for that brief second, the Stealth disappearing and startling Clotho long enough to make him hesitate on the trigger and let Eclipse slam into him.

The Stealth's upper chest landed on the cannon and the redhead immediately jerked the body to the left, bringing up her hand and placing it over the charging cannon. "Addict—"

"Charging Scylla," her machine announced, but Eclipse wasn't out of the red zone yet. Pushing off with her right hand, she tried to free the Stealth from the Raider, but the mace had wrapped around both suits then, making it hard for her to get any distance between them. It wasn't wrapped too tight—more like an annoyance—but with two charging weapons she didn't have time to focus on her caught leg.

"Damn you, small fry," Clotho said and unengaged both of his hands to grip her forearm. "Why don't we just snap this off?" His fingers clamped down on her arm, the metal digging into the Stealth just as both weapons were about to fire. The force damaged the wiring and the Scylla fired early, the jolt so powerful it zapped both suits apart, shorted the Raider's main weapon, and left the pilots frozen.

Breathe, she thought, trying to make her lungs move. The CA was shouting something through her earpiece—a miracle, really that it was still functioning—but she had to concentrate on her flesh body before she could help move her metal one. Just breathe. It's really not that hard.

"—joined the battle."

Eclipse ignored it. Breathe, damn it!

She took a breath.

"Freedom and Buster have joined the battle."

"R-roger that," she responded, hearing her suit then, but not giving herself time to digest the news. Shuddering, she pried her fingers from the controls and flexed them, shaking them as much as possible to get them working again.

"Raider approaching."

Of course he'd gain movement first, she thought with a growl.

Eclipse looked up and felt her breathing slow once again, although this time it wasn't from any weapon malfunction. Calculating the Raider's speed and her current reaction time, the redhead knew she couldn't stop the attack. If Clotho wanted to kill her now, he'd get his chance. She had expected to feel sad or angry about it, but she felt nothing. The only rage she heard was the Berserker screaming in her subconscious for the redhead to do something.

She doubted her other half even had the ability to dodge.

So the Buster fired instead.

While the damsel in distress motif wasn't something she found appealing, she was grateful to see Dearka at that moment. Not only because she was afraid he had been shot down in the satellite, but because his attack had stopped the Raider's approach, giving her enough time to get feeling back into her body to stop Clotho's next attack.

"Always good to see you, Dearka."

"ZAFT is on the move. Namarra's been called back to help the Astrays and the Eternal's gonna take on the Vesalius."

"We anticipated as much."

"Need some help?"

"Got it under control."

"Alright, I'm going to fall back and help the Eternal then."

"Roger that." And they ended the transmission. She felt a small pang when Dearka brought up the Vesalius and she knew her teammate had felt it too. They had started out the war on that ship and now they were about to destroy it. Such sad irony. The ship had never felt like home to Eclipse, but she knew the crew. Clotho came at her again during her guilt trip, but stopped halfway, one of those oh-so familiar voices coming through her radio.

"Attention, Archangel-class Earth Forces vessel. Before we commence battle, I'd like to return a captive to you."

"What the hell?" Clotho asked and Eclipse checked her radar to see an escape pod floating aimlessly in space. She doubted Le Creuset would ever do anything without a reason, so she really didn't know what to make of it. It didn't seem like anyone else did either since everyone was just as startled, some machines stopping mid-attack. The battlefield lay frozen for a moment, the first three to break the ice being Namarra's brothers.

"Stop gawking, newbie!" Clotho shouted and swung his mace back out to play.

Knowing the drill by that time, Eclipse charged forward, throwing off his depth and making the weapon jumble harmlessly around as he tried to readjust. The redhead dodged his feeble attempt and pulled out both EARP daggers, sticking them into the joints at the Raider's knees and giving a silent cheer when they exploded. The lower legs joined the rest of the battle debris as planned.

"W-what?" he stammered.

Swinging back around, she was about to disable Clotho's machine some more when a Strike Dagger fired in her direction. Why the pilot thought to interfere the redhead had no idea, but she doubted it was because of some sense of camaraderie. Somehow, she figured the guys weren't too good at playing with others.

Spinning, she let loose the Gleipnir from her right buckler and punctured the suit in three places, the left thigh, the chest and the head. Tugging towards her, the metapolymer chords tightened and she flipped out the sword under her wrist to stab the Dagger's cockpit when it came flying at her, using the same technique Clotho had been trying to use on her since the beginning of the battle.

Shit. Clotho.

Twisting around, she made a zig-zag movement just in case the Raider was coming at her, but nothing was around. In fact, the Raider had gone to join its teammates.

The ones chipping away at the Freedom.

A part of her was thankful to see the Freedom back in the fight, but for some reason he wasn't fighting. The machine was moving around as if Kira was drunk, but Eclipse had no idea why. At least not until she finally noticed the female voice screaming through the emergency channel.

"I-I have something with me. A-a key! The key that's supposed to end this war! So help me! Please, help me!"

Eclipse didn't recognize her, but based on elimination, she had to be in the pod ZAFT released as they entered the battle. No doubt she was not the only person who knew Le Creuset was up to something, but that transmission caused more questions to pop up than answers.

"Stop it! Just stop it!" she screamed again, but Eclipse had stopped listening, Kira getting overrun by the Earth Forces machines. Cursing, she watched Clotho knock off the Freedom's head, forcing the machine to twist awkwardly away from its original trajectory. Was he trying to get to the pod?

"Damn it all!" she yelled and went over to help.

Only Shani and Clotho were there attacking Kira—Athrun trying his best to keep them at bay—but she couldn't find Orga. That made her nervous for a second before the CA told her the pod had been snagged. One quick look at her cameras verified Orga had been the one to make the grab.

"Flay!" Kira screamed, but it was too late.

"Damn it, Athrun, get him out of here!" she hissed, knowing the Freedom pilot was either too tired to continue the battle and would get himself killed, or was on the verge of a mental breakdown and wanted to die. Based on Kira's past performances, she doubted he was suicidal, but she had no idea what he was trying to do.

Clotho had noticed her return to their side of the battlefield and—not caring about the signal to retreat—must have seen her suit for what it was, prey. Shani was chasing after Athrun still and the CA was announcing another low battery.

Great.

With her energy nearing empty and the only weapons open to her either too weak against his Trans-phase armor or too battery-draining to risk, she was about to become someone else's problem much like Kira had been. The only difference was she had some sensibility left.

"Coffee Addict, transfer remaining battery power to the Scylla. Leave only enough for one last shot."

There was a pause. "Negative. With the Scylla so unstable, the energy will cause it to spark and then explode with us attached."

Clotho had changed modes and snagged her left arm with his claws. The redhead managed to swing her right arm around and jam her unsheathed sword into the Raider's head before he could fire his own cannon at pointblank range. Eclipse's breath began to quicken as Dearka and Athrun screamed through her transmission, but she ignored them. She had it all under control.

Hopefully.

"The wires will hold. Do as I ask then dislodge the arm."

"Roger."

Based on the Raider's movements, Clotho was either really close to the end of his cycle or too pissed about losing his main weapon to think straight. Like a baby with a doll, he tossed the Stealth from side to side, practically tearing the arm from the machine without any added help. Despite how the situation looked, however, the thrashing actually helped.

"Energy transferred."

Clotho swung her hard to the right and she had to grab the controls before she became the bead in a rattle.

"Disconnect the arm," she managed before her body was swung back to the other side of the cockpit. Thank goodness for seatbelts. The Raider sent Eclipse spinning away as the arm came off, but it was so uncontrollable the redhead was afraid she couldn't steady in time to fire off a shot. Cursing, she pulled on her thrusters anyway and came upright, but her battery was drained, leaving her stranded and a ticking time bomb attached to the one enemy able to tear her apart. She had planned on firing off one last shot from her beam rifle, but Coffee Addict had drained the last of her extra pack into that one weapon. In space distance for her CIWS wouldn't be a problem, but her calibration had been thrown off in that last tumble. It didn't take a mechanical genius to figure that one out. Saying something equivalent to, "Fuck it," she pulled the trigger and aimed in Clotho's general direction. The Raider had already started coming at her so she really had no other choice.

Luckily, one hit her half-assed explosive.

For all she knew, the wires could have combusted on their own, but the bit of metal exploded, sending the Earth Forces mobile suit spinning in one direction as the force pushed Eclipse in the other. It wasn't a large explosion, but enough to keep Clotho from coming back at her again.

And it gave Dearka enough time to grab her suit and cover their escape.

"You're gonna give me grey hair," he hissed as they sped towards the Archangel.

"And I'm sure it'd look fetching," she responded, the remark coming out breathier than she had hoped. Her adrenaline was washing out of her quickly and raw reality was finally seeping its way inside. She had come close to death before, but somehow each time felt fresh. Perhaps she would never get used to it.

Or the spots across her vision; black spots.

White ones?

A sense of flying then nothing.

* * *

Namarra got to the infirmary just as Murrue was leaving. They had a moment where they shared a serious look, as if they were going to say something important, but instead Murrue smiled lightly and nodded. Namarra breathed, not even realizing she had been holding her breath.

"Captain Ramius to the bridge," the intercom buzzed and she squeezed past the younger Natural.

Mu was lying on a bed to her right, his side bandaged while IVs stuck into his skin. He was pale, but otherwise looked okay despite the wound. Something was still off, however. She could see it in his half-comforting smile. Typically, that grin was followed by a spark of some kind, but this one was dull.

"I've never known you to get hit. You must really be getting old, ace."

He laughed, a forced sort of cackle that ended in a cough, but it was genuine at least. "You're the second person to tell me that."

"Then you should be concerned your grey hair might be showing."

"Ah, kids."

Moving closer to his side, she sat down on the stool next to him. "Seriously, though, what happened? You leaving the battlefield had to be for some reason. I mean, you left the Archangel."

"The Archangel was holding her own well. Elsman and I were getting in the way anyway. Besides, Le Creuset made a move from the other port."

"Wow, your radar's detected that mid-battle? From that distance?"

Mu shrugged. "No, not the radars, just me. It's…" he trailed off, searching her face as if looking for some kind of clue she would understand. In the end, he didn't share, giving the vague answer, "It's complicated," before growing silent once more. Namarra was hurt by his reply, but tried not to show it. Everyone had secrets they couldn't explain.

"Can I ask what happened next? I mean, as far as I remember, you weren't injured until you went back into Mendel."

The older man sighed and closed his eyes, bringing up his one arm to point at the water bottle just out of his reach. She handed it to him then set it in a more accessible position once he was content.

"A lot of weird science shit that I'm not sure I even believe, but the evidence is pretty clear. God damn it," he cursed, a bit unusual when coming from him. She didn't know enough about the situation to say he deserved the right to swear, but it said enough to make her worry.

"I wish I had something to say," she murmured, but Mu was already beginning another thought.

"I guess you out of everyone understands not wanting to believe the truth."

She had to look away before they made eye contact, but his words rang true enough. Both her and Eclipse had been learning things they would rather not know about, but she couldn't help thinking it wasn't a horrible thing.

"Would you rather know or be ignorant?" she asked. "As the saying goes, knowledge is power, right?"

Mu gave another wry chuckle. "But ignorance is bliss, isn't it?" He paused. "I guess you're right. Just hard to know that man—that Le Creuset is my—" She looked up and expected him to continue, but he had stopped himself again. "Sorry, I really shouldn't be burdening you kids with my problems. You're already fighting the war my generation began. I feel like I should shelter you from some of it at least."

"I'm far from an innocent little kid, but I guess I can't get too mad at you for trying. Are thanks in order then?"

He smiled, but it soon flipped. "How's Lathan? Murrue told me a little, but I don't think even she knows much."

"He's hanging in there as well as Erika. They'll both make decent recoveries, just have some scars each." She left out Lathan's potential blindness so as not to startle him more, but just like she knew when he was giving her half the story, he could probably see through her teenage façade. He, however, didn't pry.

"Good. When I had heard about the Regean I was sure he was a goner. Maybe some angels are still floating around out there somewhere."

"Maybe a couple," she agreed, thinking briefly of her brother. She stopped quickly though, not wanting to upset herself. "I should let you rest."

"And you should do some of your own. We've lost a lot of men." He frowned, probably thinking about all the Orb forces lost in the last battle. Seeing as they were up against a large sum of GINNs, it was more disheartening than surprising.

"Yes, sir." She saluted and started heading to the door, but stopped. "Can I ask you a question?" He shrugged a yes. "How do you all know the captain of that ship?" After she said it she wished she hadn't. His face went all serious again and she didn't like the pain there. Funny how suddenly she cared about whether or not he was distressed.

"She was an officer on the Archangel. We went through a lot together those first few months making us all one huge family. Since we didn't have that much contact with our superiors, we had to make a lot of important decisions on our own. Well, she and I got transferred off this sip at Alaska. I came back and she must have made it up to captain." Sighing, his eyes shifted for a moment before he continued. "In any other circumstance I'd be so happy for her."

"Ah, sorry I brought up something so personal."

"You deserve to know. You told us about your brothers, so it's only right we share our own connections right?" There was that smile again then a wink. Always trying to make her feel better. Too bad she never seemed able to return the favor. "Now, go rest."

"Alright." She sighed and left without another word.

* * *

Eclipse was only out for a grand total of two hours. Exhaustion was the main cause of her passing out so the doctors made her get a couple hours of rest and then she was able to roam about as she pleased. Seeing as her suit was getting some major repairs done on it and Lathan was still unconscious in the infirmary, there was really no reason for her to be up and about for those couple hours anyway. The Three Ship Alliance had fled Mendel for now—putting some distance between themselves and both armies—but they were debating whether or not to return there eventually. There were a lot of resources still remaining at the satellite and with them so short on supplies—well, that was looking like the best option.

Lacus and Cagalli were apparently on the Eternal talking to some peace factions within the Earth Alliance through some connections in Orb. She hadn't heard any more details on the discussions, but it had sounded promising. Three ships versus two armies was just ridiculous odds and if they could chip away at the militaries from the inside things might move along faster. There was even mention of a reverend and something called the Junk Guild, but Eclipse had decided to leave the negotiations up to her fellow females. If Lathan had been vertical he probably would have been included in those talks based on his charisma alone, but the girls were doing pretty well for themselves. So, she was left taking care of the Regean. The ships had found a safe place to sit for now and have recently given the okay for mechanics to go out and properly take care of the overall damage to all the ships. Eclipse, of course, volunteered for the Kusanagi.

She surprised herself with how calmly she approached the demolished side. There were already Orb mechanics working to chip away at the debris, but they hadn't gotten too far, Kisaka telling them to leave the living quarters intact until either Namarra or Eclipse had gotten a chance to look it over. That was very generous given the circumstances. Kisaka had even agreed to let the Stealth be fixed in the Kusanagi hangar. Perhaps she had finally redeemed herself for her selfishness in Orb.

Namarra was already there when Eclipse, Athrun and Dearka arrived. She was holding onto a jutted piece of metal as two workers were sawing at the door next to her. It was hard to tell exactly whose room she was trying to get into—since Eclipse couldn't see how far back the damage went—but the redhead assumed it was Namarra's.

"I'll go see if the Eternal can spare one of theirs," Athrun said, pointing towards the two men at work. "I have a feeling we'll have to do that to all the doors and with the situation as is." He shrugged as if he didn't need to say anything more then pushed off towards the pink battleship.

Dearka tapped Eclipse on her shoulder and pointed towards Murdoch directing traffic. He and two others were over near the old storage area. While the space looked better than the melted metal it was before, there didn't appear much to salvage, but the older mechanic seemed to be finding some valuable pieces out of the mess. Eclipse nodded and the blonde headed towards them to help out while she glided over to Namarra.

The Natural saw her and held out a hand to help steady the descent just as the crewmen took a large enough chunk out of the door to walk through. Namarra went in first. It was hard to tell immediately, but the room had definitely been the Natural's. The flames had managed to slip through the door—the explosion most likely damaging the exterior—and scorched everything inside. It must have been a slow intake because the frame of the room itself was still intact, just everything lying inside was crispy. Her cot was nothing more than twisted metal in the corner next to the melted chuck that used to be her desk and the laptop molded in there somewhere. Eclipse could see the white letter 'X' from her keyboard poking through the black mess. Her clothes were mostly alright, the closet door pressed back against the wall and protecting a few stragglers, but not enough to last more than three days. The toilet had been pushed into the main living area, the utility half black, half grey as it lay bent into the mangled bathroom door. Twisted upside down, the upper—or was it bottom?—half was melted to about the middle, the once-gooey metal molding over the toilet and suspending it in place.

Eclipse sighed because there was really nothing else she could do. She had no idea where the small coffee table had landed, but the distorted debris dangling off the far wall gave her a good idea.

Namarra matched her sigh and headed over near what was left of her bed. The redhead knew what she was going after and called for the two mechanics to come back in, just in case the wall safe needed some prying open like the door. Agreeing, the mechanics came inside the room as she left to check on Athrun and that other saw.

The Justice pilot arrived when she found her room across the hall. Unlike Namarra's, however, there was no need to pry off the door since a well-aimed attack had left a gap large enough for her to slip through. The thought of her room getting attacked twice upset her, a cross between pissed and predicted. She had anticipated the enemy would attack that area specifically, but it still seemed cruel.

She sighed.

"Where's Lathan's room?" Athrun asked, putting a hand on her shoulder to catch her before she ventured in. He had gotten back faster than she thought he would.

She pointed to her right. "His living quarters are next to mine, but he kept some of his finished projects in the room next to Namarra's. Hopefully, those survived because his workshop definitely didn't." Looking down at where the hangar used to be, she saw some stray wires that could only be what was left of his geek cave.

Athrun nodded. "I'll try to get into those then to see what's left."

"Thanks." Swinging out to the side, she slipped through the gash and saw much the same damage in her room as in Namarra's. The gash was right where her bathroom had been, the toilet a melted mousepad against the floor and the sink only half there. It was hard to tell if the first explosion had done the damage or the second, but there was a mess either way. In the end, it really didn't matter. Stepping through the doorway—the door was actually able to swing—she saw her entire room pressed up against the far wall. There was no guessing where the blast had come from because everything was piled up and melted to the paneling like some war mural. If she had any inclination to dissect the piece like some art critic she may have stared at it longer, but she figured that was wasted effort. The closet had been blown out and her clothes either burned or too close to matter. Her cot and desk were shoved into the corner, covering up the one thing she wanted to get at; the wall safe. She yelled for Athrun as she headed towards the spot, trying to see if anything would budge with mere woman-power alone or if she had to wait for the heavy artillery. Some pieces moved, enough to see that a couple paper stragglers in her desk drawer had magically survived, but she could also see the back corner of a folder and she cursed.

That was the printout Erika's friend had given her about the Berserker research.

Given, Erika should have the digital file somewhere—and the Stealth might still have the bugged version they were baiting Azrael with—but just seeing the charred paper equivalent brought all the nasty memories back. She frowned.

"I'm sure the safe's still intact," Athrun said, having come up behind her to steady himself on the wall nearby. He reached down and pulled half of her laptop up from the mess, only managing to get it so far before a melted part of the frame refused to detach from the wall. "Find anything salvageable?" She shook her head and he sighed. "Damn it, I'm sorry."

"How was Lathan's?" she asked, not really wanting another pity party.

"Surprisingly, undamaged. I'm thinking these two rooms took the brunt of it all."

"So most of his tinkering is still working?"

"It all looks okay, but he'll have to start it up personally before we can know for sure. It's all still pushed back against the far wall thanks to the force of the explosion, but it looks like Lathan managed to close the bulkhead before the fire could destroy his side and the Kusanagi. Quite amazing really," Athrun continued, grabbing one side of the bed frame as Eclipse held the other. "To go from attacking," he paused to put some force in moving the debris, "to closing off the bulk of the damage before it harmed the Kusanagi." They moved the next piece, but that one wasn't going anywhere. "Rather impressive."

"Erika went back at one point, remember." She waved him off when he reached for something else. "Just wait for the others."

Shrugging, he leaned against the wall next to her. "A tag team then. Still, it was no easy task."

"Yeah, and now he may never be able to do anything like that again."

"What do you mean?" Athrun began, but Dearka had come in at the same time.

"We never did hear the diagnosis." He glided over to the two of them and held up his hands when they glanced up in unison. "Sorry, didn't mean to interrupt."

She sighed and waved her hand. He seemed to get the memo and relaxed nearby, the guys waiting for her to finish the news. She took another breath before continuing, wishing she could take off her helmet to stop it from choking her, but oxygen right then was far better than the lack of it. "He'll live," she said, matching each of their curious faces. "His right side is severely damaged and they won't know the extent of his mobility until he's conscious, but his brain is functioning fine and has no hemorrhaging." A tear dribbled out in front of her; she saw it break and splatter against her mask. It wasn't as if she had felt herself getting upset—quite the opposite, actually—more like her body had to have some kind of reaction so it spilt one tear. She had hoped it would go unnoticed, but the guys reacted to it. Nothing more than their muscles losing their rigid edges, but it was a flinch nonetheless. She gave them high marks, however, the two of them not rushing in to make sure she was okay. Perhaps they saw how cold her face really was.

"He's blind."

"I'm sorry," they said simultaneously and to anyone else it may have seemed a frigid moment, but it was all they could do. If it had gotten any more personal, they may have lost the will to keep fighting at all. So, they stood there in silence until the mechanics came in with the saw, the mere sense of them being next to her better than any hug. While she would still keep Namarra's brothers in mind, Eclipse was happy to know there were at least two other pilots who had the same goals as her.

The two soldiers explained the state of the other rooms before they began, probably needing more of a breather than anything, but the little group let them have their rest. Apparently, there had been gunpowder marks in one of the padlocked closets, but it didn't take a genius to realize the girls' gun collection had been hidden there. Eclipse smiled at that and even the guys cracked a grin as they stood back to let the mechanics work. Everything was intact if not needing a little cleaning. Compared to the past twenty-four hours that sounded easy.

It was a grueling ten minutes before the redhead was able to open the door and grab her belongings. Surprisingly, her journal was in good shape as well as some assorted personal items she had thrown in there before the battle. Sifting through them briefly, she grabbed them all and turned to see Namarra peeking inside to take a brief look around.

"Well, shit."

"My thoughts exactly," Eclipse replied and everyone turned towards the newcomer.

"Oh, but, Lexi, did you hear about our stash? It survived."

The redhead laughed and the guys shook their heads. The mechanics might have been just as amused, but Namarra's statement hadn't given Eclipse enough time to look.

"What? I'm quite fond of that sniper rifle, alright?"

* * *

Eclipse's mind had wandered as she watched the mechanics finish up what was left of the Regean. Despite her promise to get some more rest, the redhead couldn't bring herself to sit down let alone go sleep in Cagalli's room. Well, she was kicked off the crew once the rooms had a thorough examination, but was never officially asked to leave the wreck. That meant she could float and stare. Healthy? No, but at least it was a version of "rest."

She felt like shit. Lathan and Erika would be all right in the long run, but they had yet to awake and she was getting nervous about her brother's condition despite the diagnosis. Lathan blind? For good? Sure, with the kind of technology in the PLANTs he might be able to get his sight back, but the process would still be hard.

Lifting her head, she watched two soldiers weld a metal sheet where her bed used to be. They had kept Lathan's rooms, but cut off the remainder of hers and Namarra's. It was practically dead weight now, so they had no choice but to shave it. The room wasn't that big of a loss—especially since she was able to salvage most of her important items—but the visual reminder of what her brother had gone through made it more painful than she had thought it would. They were in a war and yet she still never saw Lathan as a soldier. He was a geek; since when were they using defensive weaponry and racing to close bulkheads before the flames fried the main ship?

It was almost too surreal.

Lathan wasn't supposed to get hurt. Optimistic, yes, but it had been more of a plea than a fact. While she had hated her parents when they were alive, she didn't want every person connected to them to die. How stupid was that? That's what it looked like, however, both Erika and Lathan had been taken out with one strike. Was it bad luck? A curse? Both sounded stupid, especially since the only reason was because of this damn war. She had debated sending Heine an update, but every time she was about to relay the message to her suit, she would freeze and get nothing beyond the greeting. Rather pathetic, really.

"New message received."

Coffee Addict had startled her at first, but the statement became a momentary distraction. If it had gotten her mind away from those gloomy thoughts she wasn't about to complain.

"Message from Revelin Sloan—"

"Fuck." Now she wanted to complain.

"—approximately fifteen minutes ago. It says: 'Hello, darling, haven't heard from you in a while. After your little run-in with my Lust I was expecting to see you knocking at my door. You've disappointed me, my little goddess, so I'm inviting you to me. Currently, I'm at Spemann—another satellite in the L4 cluster—and would love for you to join me. I've attached an invite for one friend and one friend only. I have a feeling I know who you're going to bring and I'm so excited to see you both soon.

"'Since I feel in a generous mood, I won't even place a time limit on this invite. I'm getting ready to do something huge so don't delay too long, my love. I'd hate for you to regret missing the fireworks. Revelin.'"

Eclipse frowned, there was really nothing else she could do. Get pissed? She was beyond pissed and even a bit anxious. Without a doubt, Namarra was her plus one, but he was expecting that, so why should she fall into that trap? With his ruse on Stray's death over and done with, she knew there were at least two of them. Two formidable does and she was walking right to them. Again, why?

"Because I have no choice."

"Sweetheart, you of all people have choices."

Eclipse turned to see Dearka standing next to her. She had the eerie feeling he had been there a while, but he had always been considerate enough to not butt into her personal conversations. "Thanks, Dearka, just don't call me sweetheart."

"Sorry." He shrugged and turned to the hangar.

After his help earlier, he and Athrun had bailed to go get some rest. Whether or not they had gotten any was beyond her, but they had shown an effort and that was commendable at least. She wasn't sure why he had returned to the wreck as quickly as he did, so she asked. If anything, it would pull him away from baby names.

"Just thought I'd check in. I figured you'd still be here."

"Looking out for me, huh?"

Shrugging, he said nothing more after that and they just watched the men work. With another girl it might have been awkward, but with a guy friend, silence meant camaraderie, friendship and maybe even trust.

They were lining up the last piece of metal to weld into place. Next was readjusting the anti-beam shield and coolants. Given the amount of work they had just done, it was impressive they had finished it in such a short amount of time.

"Y'know, you should be near your suit in case that ship comes back," Eclipse said, not putting much force into the comment, merely stating the obvious.

"The Buster's not too far. The Archangel's getting some major repairs done and with Mu out of commission for the time being—well, let's just say the Kusanagi is surprisingly quieter."

"Wait, Mu out of commission?" She spun a bit too quickly, her fatigue making her lightheaded for a moment, but she swallowed down the feeling. "I thought it was weird he was missing, but how did I miss that big of an announcement?"

"It happened while we were in Mendel and it's been rather hectic. I'm sure the captains have been keeping each other informed, but it's hard to circulate so much information at once. Hell, I hadn't even known Erika was hurt with Lathan until roughly ten minutes ago when I didn't see her helping in the hangar."

"She saved his life, actually," she responded, not liking how he avoided the question. "But Mu?"

"A shallow puncture and graze, but it's a bit more serious than it sounds. Don't worry," he added quickly, "he'll be fine eventually, but that means we have to work a little harder."

"What else has been happening? With Lathan and the Regean—"

He held up his hand again and shook his head. "I know. Don't worry. I'll fill you in." While he didn't know everything that had happened with Kira and Mu, he knew it had definitely rattled them. Kira wasn't injured, but he had been pent up in his bedroom on the Eternal since they had come back. It was quite unusual since Kira was always eager to help in any degree. Also, Lacus had either been helping with the negotiations or with Kira since he had gotten back. Frowning, Eclipse almost jumped to some rather perverse assumptions, but while Kira was still a hormonal teenager, neither was foolish enough to pull a stunt like that.

"Do you have any guesses?"

Dearka shrugged. "Cagalli seems involved in some way—something about a photo—and Athrun seems to get it too. We were in some kind of scientific area, but I don't know what that really has to do with anything. There might have been a sign mentioning gene research, but most of it was covered by debris."

"Wow, you notice a lot for not knowing anything."

He shrugged again. "Aren't we trained to be observant?"

Smiling, she returned to looking back at the mechanics. Based on those few observations alone she could put together most of the puzzle. Cagalli and the picture was the giveaway, but she couldn't tell what was the final verdict. Perhaps she would ask later, but right then everyone needed to process. Besides, she didn't think she could handle their drama with Lathan in such poor condition.

"Yzak was with Creuset," he said. "He actually agreed to talk. At gunpoint, yes, but it's still impressive." Eclipse listened as his face grew grim. "He's still with ZAFT even after knowing everything you went through and what's going on. We fought in the last battle, but I guess I never fully understood how hard it was to fight a real friend until now. He's just so—" He paused, looking for the right word. Eventually, he settled with, "Blind."

"I'm sure you got through to him in some way, if that's what you're worried about. We didn't get into much when I met him last, but he definitely seemed conflicted."

"With his mother so deep into the Council and being the heir to a great military lineage I guess I can't blame him. Seriously though," he continued, crossing his arms. "Has he always been so stubborn? And such a stickler?"

"W-what?" she stammered, amazed he had been so ignorant of his friend's personality the whole time. "You're kidding."

"Huh?"

"I just praised you for being observant and you didn't even notice Yzak has a tendency to have a stick shoved up his ass?"

"I'm assuming that's a figure of speech."

She rolled her eyes. "Oh, c'mon, you were just as bad once."

"No, I wasn't."

"Uh-huh—darling—you totally were."

"Now who's using endearments?"

"Dearka, you two were inseparable and practically thought the—never mind." She waved her hands in front of her face, not finding the argument worth the energy. It was amusing enough to keep the bad issues at bay, though. Maybe that had been the purpose all along. "The point is, Yzak's always had a chip on his shoulder. Lucky you for being one of the few to see his good side or at least be blind to his faults."

"I'm not saying I was blind to anything, I just think he's a bit tense."

"Tense? Dearka, he thought you were dead."

"No thanks to you, but when you put it that way it makes a little more sense." He smiled briefly and even though she didn't appreciate his ruse, she found herself amused by his fake ignorance. "In all seriousness though, being that tense and conflicted is going to get him killed."

"We can't do anything about it though."

He sighed. "I know. Kinda sucks." He did a half shrug and seemed to remember something when he did. Blinking, Eclipse watched him fumble at his side before holding out something to her. It looked like a book of some kind. "Oh, and I found this." She hadn't noticed it despite his close proximity which probably said more about her state of mind rather than her skills. Maybe he had been hiding it on purpose until now, but that was just an excuse to make her feel less pathetic. Mentally shrugging, she took the offered book and turned it over in her hands.

The cover was torn and burnt, the bottom right of the book—and any other lower corners—nothing more than particles by that point. There might have been a title at one point, but the engraving was etched off, leaving a scratchy surface near the top.

She looked up at Dearka as he moved his hand in a circular motion, trying to get her to turn the page. Doing as he had asked, she opened to the first page, wincing when she saw it nearly crumble under the movement. Pointing, he traced his finger over half a word followed by another.

"—erker gene," she read aloud and instantly frowned. "Is this what I think it is?"

He shrugged. "Originally, I thought it was a prayer book, but now it looks more like a Bible. Pretty creepy if it's a Bible about what I think it is."

"Creepy would be an understatement," she muttered and closed the front flap before turning it over in her hands. There was nothing on the back other than more etched off words so that didn't help her any and with Dearka still standing there, she didn't want to dive too deep into it. If anything, she didn't want to bore him despite his intrigue. "Where did you find this? I thought you talked with Yzak the whole time."

He did his shrug thing again. Must have been something he had been perfecting over the past couple of months. Usually such nonchalant attitude made her angry. Right then, however, she found it amusing. "When the Strike hit the ground it knocked up more than dust and cement."

"And burned some other things, apparently." She held up the book again, but couldn't help smiling. "Thanks, Dearka. I'm not entirely sure what it is yet, but it's definitely an interesting find."

"That's me, Mister Observant."

"How vain. And you thought Yzak was a dick?"

"Now who's being harsh? Perhaps we should cut him some slack. He didn't exactly get whacked across the head with the humble-reality stick."

Eclipse chuckled slightly and nodded. "Yeah, he hasn't been attacked by a sixteen-year-old with a scalpel or been prodded with needles within the past six months."

Laughing once, he nodded, but his face soon grew grim once more. "Joking aside, I've thought more on whether or not I wanna leave. I mean, our old team is practically in our backyard." She nodded, letting him continue. "But I think I've decided to stay. That talk with Yzak opened my mind to a few things. One, I don't want to destroy all Naturals. And two, I like this prospect of thinking for myself."

"So, you'll stay?"

"Yeah, I think I'll stick around. And what about you? Yzak is a day's travel away."

"What's that supposed to mean?" He did his nonchalant shrug again. This time she frowned. "It's getting easier for me to be making so many choices on my own, but there are still some things connected with ZAFT that I can't just ignore yet."

"So, you're leaving?"

Now she shrugged. "Probably not, but I know I'll have to face a few things eventually."

"Fair enough. You know where I am if you need back-up."

"Thanks."

They went back to watching the final touches, Eclipse admiring the quality and speed at which the mechanics finished their work. Given, it was a pretty cut and meld kind of job, but doing anything of that nature whether it be on Earth or in space was still rather impressive. She and Dearka struck up another conversation, but she didn't remember much about the chit-chat, an Orb soldier speeding out in their general direction to distract her.

"Miss Rymyr," he started and she nodded. "Your brother's awake."

* * *

**_A/N: _**For any of you who live in Germany, I envy you. I've been back for nearly a month and I miss it every day. Perhaps I just don't like my country enough. And there were a lot of Canadians there. (Do I have any Canadian readers?) Do you guys normally travel that much? Anyway, met a lot of cool people and I hope to head out to Europe again soon.

As for the chapter, you guys know I wouldn't kill off Lathan just yet, right? I know most of you didn't fall for it (predictable, huh?) but I liked the prospect of Lathan being blind. So many possibilities.

This is the point in the canon where all the _huge _drama begins. The whole prospect of the "Ultimate Coordinator" (Ugh…) is thrown around and we finally get the official announcement that Kira and Cagalli are twins. Ah, the drama. Another thing we run into is a huge break where everybody's at a stalemate (and the EA's making those nukes). I had asked for suggestions on what to do, but haven't gotten much in response. Are there any people you want to see interact with each other? Some kind of simulation with a new upgrade? Anything? Please let me know 'cause I'd hate to jump to the next battle like the series does.

Special thank you to my Betas who some may say have been with me too long and I say, "Yes, they have, but for some reason they kept coming back." :) This story would suck more than it does without your help. (_CSSStravag, Death-Scimitar _and _Maderfole_)

And that you to the reviewers old and new for offering suggestions, criticisms and praise where they felt the need. And every help is appreciated.

* * *

_**Corrections to the Narrative:**_

The only changes I really made involved Flay's screaming over the emergency channel. In the Anime her dialogue was switched, but this way worked better for my story. Besides, I'm sure she was screaming some other stuff that we never heard.

As for the battles, I beat the boys up pretty good, but most of the damage was what the canon originally gave them. Eclipse took out the Raider's legs instead of Athrun, but it was just a minor thing. Hopefully no one has too big of grips about it.

* * *

**_Questions/Gripes:_ **

****I think it's my turn to gripe here because _Maderfole_ took all my reviewers and have been huddling them up in his little forum. Yes, I have gone there from time to time... but-but that's not the point! :P

Well, Lathan's not dead, obviously. Hopefully that won't turn into a gripe for this chapter.

* * *

Thanks again to any and everyone reading this fic and offering advice. It's always appreciated no matter what form. I'll see you next chapter.

_Strata_


	55. Vision Impaired

Vision Impaired

"If there's one thing I'll never get used to, it's waking up and still only seeing black."

Eclipse frowned as she crossed her arms over her chest. What could she honestly say to that? "I'm sorry," seemed too repetitive and everything else was basically undermining. "You have options, Lathan. Just be happy you're alive."

There, go for pissy. Good one.

"I'm not ungrateful," Lathan responded, lifting his hand above his face and wiggling his fingers insistently. He had done that every day and it's been nearly three days now. Given, he had only been awake for a week and a half, but she really wasn't sure what he was trying to accomplish. Unfortunately, he could never see those fingers. "Sorry to be a pain, sis, this just really sucks."

Amazingly, he hadn't hit the depression stage yet of his injury, at least not heavily. The doctor said his good humor might be some kind of defense mechanism, but whatever the reason, he was handling it all quite well. While Lathan had always been a good-natured person since birth, she really didn't like how easily he slipped into his happy façade. With everyone on edge about their situation in general, his humor was appreciated, but Eclipse wished he would stop worrying about everyone else and just slip into depression while she was around to snap him out of it. A strange way to think about it, sure, but she was getting more worried about his psyche than her own.

And that was saying something.

"I know," she sighed and grabbed his right arm. Putting her palm in his bandaged one she said, "Squeeze." He made some kind of grumble, but still complied. Or at least attempted. It was barely a flex by anyone's standards, but he was doing better. She changed positions, linking his fingers between hers and holding his arm up in front of him. "Now, push." That one he was better at, his shoulder not as damaged as his chest, side, and upper leg. They were the most burned along with most of his arm and foot.

She was testing his leg's strength when Kisaka walked in. He had been making cameo appearances into the infirmary since he had heard Erika and Lathan were hurt. Mostly, he tried to avoid technical talks with them, but if anything, the stimulation was better than them sitting there doing nothing.

This time, however, he didn't turn to the mechanics. Instead, he motioned for Eclipse to go outside.

She nodded. "Lathan, I'll be right back."

"Take your time; I'm not moving."

Smiling sadly, she glanced over at the sleeping Erika then left the infirmary. "Sir?" she asked once they were clear.

"How're they doing?"

"It's slow," she replied, not sure why he brought that up when he probably knew more about their condition then she did. "Just trying to stay positive."

He nodded. "That's all we can really do at this point." The silence that passed was a tad awkward. Normally, she was okay with a little quiet, but Kisaka had to have come in for a reason that day. Just talking about Erika and Lathan seemed repetitive, so why did he look so contemplative?

"Sir, are you alright?"

"Hm?" He had turned back to Lathan in bed, the doctor coming over to finish his minor rehab sessions. Blinking, the echo in his mind must have helped him remember her question because she could practically see him shake off the sluggish behavior. "I just got word our resource transports have arrived at Mendel."

"Any complications?" she asked, wondering if that was what had him so zoned.

He shook his head. "No, thank goodness."

"Then that's a relief, sir."

"I agree and the ships are going to be starting on a course back there as soon as we are able."

"Good." If it was such positive news, she still didn't understand why he was so tense. The past couple of days he had almost seemed back to his old self. He was even cracking smiles around her again. After the incident in Orb she never thought she would see him smile like that to her again.

Or maybe she had underestimated his ability to forgive and forget.

"I had done some background checking on those three pilots from the EA for you."

"What?" Now that was surprising. "I never—"

"Since you had risked so much to speak to them at Orb, I thought I should at least do some digging."

"Thanks, I think. What did you find?"

"Now you're curious?" He cracked a smirk, but continued before she could get annoyed. "I was hoping they were from Orb at first, but after some extended research, I found they were actually from Scandinavia, our neutral ally."

"Scandinavia? All of them?"

He nodded.

"Why would Scandinavia send kids to Blue Cosmos?"

He shrugged, a more normal gesture than what she was used to given his military background. Perhaps the other captains were beginning to rub off on him. "I'm pretty sure they were orphans and probably too old to be staying in the orphanage any longer. At that point, the kids either join the military, join gangs, or just get picked up by smugglers. Blue Cosmos must have had its fingers in the smuggling ring."

"That's unfortunate," she said, meaning the words even though it sounded a bit understated.

"Be grateful you had a family when you were young."

"I am always grateful," she replied instantly, but it was more of a rehearsed response than anything. Kisaka caught onto that right away and smiled while she corrected herself. "Well, not always."

"You and Cagalli were a rambunctious pair. I think I started coloring the grey out of my hair around thirty thanks to you two."

"It might be too late to apologize so I'll just stick with, 'You're welcome,' and move on." Smiling, she watched his lips do much the same and felt a little better. Something still seemed to be bothering him, but she didn't want to pry too much.

"Smugglers almost got you two once, believe it or not."

"Really?" For some reason she didn't remember that story. Thinking hard, she brought her hand up to her mouth and tapped on her chin. "Did that really happen?"

"I don't think it was Blue Cosmos, but it was definitely some kind of trafficking thugs. Cagalli remembers some of it. She said you went apeshit and they escaped. I found you two huddling in the department store, eating strawberry ice cream on the floor. The store owner had called the main house—I bet you can guess how that conversation went. You had been missing for nearly ten hours." He sighed, as if the memory was a positive one, not this dramatic. Eclipse blinked. How could she have forgotten something like this? "You looked a bit ragged." He paused before the last word, most likely trying to find the best term. "And you didn't really snap to until we got home. By that time Cagalli had fallen asleep and Lathan had met us at the end of the drive."

"I'm sorry I don't remember that. Why bring it up now?" she asked, sounding a bit heartless in the question, but it still seemed an odd time to talk about something so sensitive.

"Just reminiscing."

"You couldn't come up with something a little more cheerful?" she joked.

"I just always admired the way you and Lathan treat each other, that's all. He's a tough guy, so hang in there."

"Thanks." And that time she gave a genuine smile.

He put a hand on her shoulder then moved to the other side of the room to see the now rising Erika. She had woken up about the same time as Lathan despite her better condition. They had given her more sedation medicine to help her body heal, fearing the more stress would make her susceptible to infection. Thankfully, they had been out of danger for nearly two weeks so she had been able to get up and start rehab. Apparently, the Three Ship Alliance wasn't on the high alert list for the time being.

A blessing in disguise.

"Lexi, stop being so tense. The air's suffocating."

Smiling to herself, she walked back to the bed and slapped away his pointed finger. She wasn't sure she would ever get used to him using more of his hands than his eyes.

"I wouldn't be so tense if you'd consider the eye surgery."

"Just leave it alone, alright? We can't even do anything right now."

"No, but we can start initial medication."

He waved his hand back and forth. "Save it for someone else. It's bound to happen to another."

And that was it.

The conversation never went any further.

* * *

"What the hell is this?" Namarra asked, flipping the book in her hands. At first, her version of handling looked careless, but the book wasn't getting more damaged so Eclipse stopped being so panicked.

"Dearka found it. Some kind of creepy Bible."

"Makes sense," she said, turning back to the half first page. "Have you read through it?"

The redhead nodded. "Of what I could make out. Most of the other pages are soot damaged and many are missing."

"Tell us anything of use?"

"Feel free to read it yourself, but it's more a book of myths than facts. Some of the stories remind me of what Azrael had been saying back on the _Dominion_."

"About throwing Berserkers into volcanoes or other nonsense?"

"Yeah, along with names and ages."

That surprised her, just as much as it had Eclipse herself. It was as if Dearka had unearthed a bit of information only a certain few had been privy to. And now the girls had finally gotten in the loop. Some of the names were written in a script she hadn't recognized, but most were in a language they could at least translate.

Namarra flipped to that list of people, taking a moment to look at the names. It felt like a legacy of some kind, as if they were flipping through a list of their ancestors. Only a genealogy search would confirm that, but it was still a bit surreal. Was that really a list of past Berserkers or just a record of authors? Hell, maybe it was a written list of deaths from somewhere and completely unrelated.

There was really no way to tell.

"Other than those stories, what does it say?"

Eclipse shrugged because there was really no easy way to explain it. "There are some mentionings where Berserkers were revered as gods. And then there were others where kids were killed if ever shown signs of the gene. It's amazing how drastically different the two are." Namarra nodded, clearly engrossed. Eclipse put a hand over the page before she lost her attention. "Once Erika is feeling up for it, I wanna show her."

"Agreed. Have you started working on a digital copy?"

"Yup, but take your time and let me know what you think. Oh," she added, holding up her finger before Namarra could walk away. The Natural seemed frozen, however, too immersed in the book to even take the time to leave the room. "And be sure to put it in the safe. After all—"

"Yeah, I think we already learned our lesson." She smiled and Eclipse gave an abrupt laugh.

"A 'lesson' is a good word for it."

"So, is this a good read before bed?" Namarra asked and Eclipse gave an abrupt laugh of her own.

"I had a dream, actually, that we were all standing around a volcano with grass skirts on, sipping coffee. Lathan was covered in bird feathers for some reason and Sai was trying to push him over the edge with a pike."

"Wow, what were you on before you fell asleep?'

"Apparently, something good. Waltfeld actually bragged about the brew he gave me after supper. Lacus acted quite oddly to it and it smelled like it had traces of alcohol in it."

"Wait," Namarra held up a finger. "Lacus was drunk?"

"Off of one cup of coffee? No, of course not, but she was a bit loose."

"Geez, how much did he put in there?"

Eclipse shrugged and watched the Natural's eyes shift suspiciously. "Don't."

"What?"

"You're not getting Lacus drunk."

"Mu would help. We'd be supervised at least."

"Wow, really?"

"Wanna join?"

She sighed. "No, trust me, it's not worth all the effort."

"Darlin', the wheels are already in motion."

"Seriously."

"I'm always serious."

And there was really nothing more that could be done. As long as Eclipse could hear the stories afterward, she was sure she could forgive one night of indulging.

* * *

Heine looked good. From one side of a screen it was hard to tell much over the bad reception, but he looked okay. He still had his red coat—not like she was surprised, really—but had a couple more insignias than she could remember. If that had something to do with his heroics, she was impressed, but if it was also because ZAFT was running out of good pilots, then things were starting to look bleak. For a while there, with Patrick Zala on the chair, people were joining the military like it was the ice cream truck coming down the road. She hadn't sat down and had a conversation with Athrun on the whole ordeal, but knew it wasn't a good situation if not even Athrun would open up to her.

"Leeexiii!" Heine said in a sing-songy tenor.

"Wow—geez—sorry." She tried to cover up her distraction by twisting a finger in her ear, as if his response had caused some eardrum damage. If anything, her finger did more harm than his perfect pitch.

"You're zoning out on me."

"Sorry, been a lot on my mind."

"Please stop apologizing."

She opened her mouth to argue, but it shut it when he shook a finger.

"So, your letter was a bit vague, how's Lathan, _really_?"

Sighing, she leaned forward in her chair and rested her elbows on the desk. She hadn't told him much, basically that Lathan had been hurt in a battle. That encompassed anything from a broken nail to a broken neck. "We had a kamikaze in the last battle that decided to self-destruct right where Lathan had been stationed. He managed to close the bulkhead before the blast could get the main ship, but got severely burned in the process. I don't remember if the doctor gave me a percentage, but I'm sure it's pretty high." She studied his face, but it was neutral. He must have been expecting the worse. "We're working on his motor skills at the moment and he's able to get out of bed, but we haven't used gravity simulation yet."

"That's manageable at least," he interrupted.

"Yes, that is, but—Heine—he's blind."

That made him pause. "What?"

"Blind. The force of the explosion broke his glasses and the shards punctured his eyes. Thankfully, his brain isn't damaged, but—well, it'll be difficult."

"Blind," he whispered and folded his fingers near his lips. His eyes slipped into a serious frown and Eclipse felt her mood worsening as well. Heine rarely got stern—at least that was what she was lead to believe—but lately she had only see him upset. "So, what's next?"

Sighing, she shifted uncomfortable in the chair. They had ended up turning Lathan's bedroom back to the way it had been before the attack and he was starting to take daily trips down there, since the ships had started back to Mendel. It would be another month yet before he could stay there permanently, but until then, Eclipse and Namarra were bunking there. With the Natural's reputation for being sneaky, though, Eclipse always felt as if Namarra was going to walk in and catch her talking to Heine.

Then the teasing and the rumors—

"Lexi, seriously, it's one thing to be spacey and another to be ignoring me and the problem. I know you're not spacey." He smiled at that, but it still wasn't his norm.

"Honestly, I have no idea _what _to do," she managed and wiped her face with her hands. "There are moments he's completely depressed and others where you'd think nothing's changed."

"Have you talked to him about his choices?"

She rubbed her eyes again. "We don't know all the research available, but he doesn't seem open to much."

"Not even the laser surgery? I can see the eye replacement, but just—"

"He's joked about how fond he is of his glasses."

"We don't have to make them 20/20 if he doesn't want to. Just enough to function." Eclipse shook her head again, but Heine continued. "I have a lot of connections here in the military. Basically, if I don't go rogue, they'll always be available to me." He frowned deeper as he pulled his hands from his mouth. Setting them on the table, she got a decent look at his face. It wasn't just concern for Lathan that had him looking like that, but it seemed he had honestly considered joining their alliance. Opening her mouth, she was about to make such a declaration, but he lifted up one finger and shook his head. The redhead saw someone walk behind his chair. Putting on the brightest—yet fakest—smile she had seen on his lips, he twisted away from the screen to address the other person.

"Malik, I didn't expect you until tomorrow morning. Didn't go well with the dame?"

"Nah, she fell for a computer geek." His voice was higher than Heine's, possibly indicating an age, but it didn't hold any kind of melody like Heine's did. If anything, she would have called it off key compared to her fellow redcoat's. "Y'know, the one who owns that repair shop in town?"

"Ouch, really?" He visually cringed and Eclipse found herself craning her neck to try and see upward at their faces. Unfortunately, video chats didn't exactly work like that. "Looks like you're back to dating your right hand."

Eclipse smirked and Heine got a playful punch for his comment. "Hey, long distance isn't exactly a breeze either." Malik must have pointed down to the screen because Heine looked over for a second. "No wonder you wanted me back later." They exchanged a couple more shoves and then Malik was gone.

"Sorry about that."

"Roommate?"

He nodded. "A young, pesky one."

"Ah, then I truly am sorry."

Shrugging, his smile turned more genuine, the green in his eye lighting to something almost golden, but it could have been a trick of the screen. "You look tired."

"It's not exactly easy over here, y'know." She sounded snippier than she had intended and sighed.

"SIN-ED still?"

"Among other things."

"I wish you would've let me help you with them."

"Heine, that was a long time ago."

"No, actually it's _still _happening."

She opened her mouth to continue the argument, but shut it, thinking hard. Bringing Heine in as backup might be the surprise FS wouldn't be expecting. If Heine was the plus one and Namarra there as support—

"Stop thinking so hard, you're making me nervous."

She smirked. Heine wasn't an elite for nothing. "Who took over the SIN-ED case when I was named unavailable?"

"I don't think anyone did. After they were officially named the perpetrators in your parents' murder, Orb was poking around. Since we didn't want to glorify Tad Elsman's involvement, we let the matter go."

"_Let it go_?" She practically screamed the question. How could it have only sounded absurd to her?

"Well, the Chairman was the one to originally appoint you, right?" He didn't wait for her confirmation. "And that was before he was named Chairman, but he has far less free time now to be keeping an eye on a couple renegades. The last information we have received told us a large number of Naturals and Coordinators were found massacred on an abandoned satellite, so there's been no reason for a follow up."

"And you never argued?"

He shrugged. "Not in much of a position to."

"Fine, fine, how many?"

"Basically an entire organization, I guess. We had trouble verifying a number, but had tracked them to that last location and have every right to believe only a small few have escaped."

"So, it _is _true."

"You didn't know?"

She shook her head. "More like guessed. Our last run-in was a bit," she paused, looking for the right work, "thin."

"So, how many are left?"

"At least three."

"But no more than eight."

She nodded. "Tell me, how soon can you get some time off?"

"What?" He leaned back in the chair and crossed his arms over his chest. "You're sounding a bit suspicious."

"Hear me out. I've been 'formally' invited to go meet FS in one final meeting."

"How knightly."

"I'm allowed one guest."

"That's suicide."

"I want you to be my guest."

"_Now _it's homicide."

Eclipse sighed and put up her hand. "I said hear me out." Heine flicked his fingers and remained silent. "I'd bring other backup."

"He'll anticipate that."

"I'll bring more people than he has."

"Not very comforting. Who would you bring?"

Shaking her head, she sat back and folded her arms, pulling her left leg up under the chair to keep her steady. "Not on a frequency like this." His shoulders bobbed in a shrug, but he didn't argue.

For a couple more moments they stared at one another, Heine probably debating the offer and Eclipse figuring out how to make her plan work. Heine was a formidable soldier so she knew his skills wouldn't be a problem and if she had Namarra, Athrun and Dearka take rifles it might all end up a success. Let Namarra have her sniper fun and leave the other sharpshooting to the guys—

"Give me a week to work some things out."

"I don't know if we have that long."

"A week, Lexi, we're still in the middle of a war and I have plenty of duties."

She sighed and pushed her hair behind her ear before bringing the hand back around to bite on her nails.

"That bad?"

"He said they're working on something."

"Any ideas?"

Shaking her head, she bit down on another nail. "With their track record—despite their diminished resources—they're either planning another assassination or a mass destruction."

"You work on getting the info and I'll work on that leave."

"Very well, I'll keep you informed."

"And talk to Lathan."

"Anything else?"

"Yeah." Clearing his throat he leaned forward again and spoke softly. "As of three weeks ago, soldier Lunar Eclipse was reported to have died in battle."

"I had expected as much, but why only three weeks ago?"

"Oh, it gets better. It said she died a hero, 'preserving the Coordinator genome and making it possible for us to reproduce.' That was what tipped me off it was all shit."

"Huh? How is that possible? They learned nothing."

"You're named a scientific miracle and, apparently, have a research facility named after you."

"Not a planetarium?" Heine frowned and Eclipse shook her head. "That's creepy."

"That's politics. Your name was listed with Athrun and the Le Creuset team so often it was harder than they thought to make you disappear."

"So, they made me a war hero?"

"Yup."

"Fantastic."

"So, I guess walking around with your given codename is a bad idea nowadays." Smiling, she could tell he found it more amusing than upsetting. Perhaps he found it comical because it was so ironic, or maybe because it was _another _reason to make her go back to her birth name.

"It's not that—"

"Easy? So you keep telling me. Hopefully, after we finish up the whole SIN-ED thing you'll have a change of mind." He smiled brighter, genuine this time. She forced herself to match it, but somehow it sounded too easy.

And her Berserker half made her a little more Lunar Eclipse than Lexi Rymyr.

* * *

Mu did supervise, but only for an hour. One, because he couldn't drink yet thanks to all the post rehab. And two, because he had been falling asleep and trusted Lacus to not do anything stupid. Specifically Lacus because he knew Namarra was probably going to do something _very _idiotic.

"So, where ya from?" Lacus asked, Namarra covering a smirk behind the bottle. Already the songstress was loose and if her speech wasn't enough of an indication, she was sitting on the floor with her legs crossed at the ankles. Leaning back on her right hand, her drink was in her left. Mu had made them promise to drink the super light stuff and since he had everything else under lock and key, there was really no choice.

"Originally?"

Lacus nodded slowly, straightening her skirt over her knees. Namarra tried to remember the last time she had seen Lacus sit so informally. It was on the verge of impressive.

"Scandinavia," she replied and took a drink.

"Really? Then how'd you end up in the EA? They're neutral."

"It was bad luck, actually." Namarra shrugged, but didn't offer anything more. Lacus reached out to nudge her with her foot. Her drink swished in a circular motion, urging the Natural to continue.

Namarra sighed, but couldn't resist. With any luck, Lacus wouldn't remember. "My parents died when I was seven. For nearly two years it was just my brother and I."

"That's awful!"

She lifted up her bottle in acknowledgment. "Thanks."

"For the longest time it was just my dad and I. I never had any siblings."

"I'm sorry."

"Oh, don't be. It worked out fine. He wasn't around much, but my nanny would take me to see him at work often."

"When did you meet Athrun?" Namarra hid another smile. This was amusing and probably the most informative drinking session she had ever attended.

"I was," she put down the drink and counted on her fingers, "eleven."

Namarra nearly spit out her drink and coughed. "You were set up way back then?"

Lacus shrugged. "Athrun's mom had basically become my new mother within that time and with such similar ages." She shrugged again. "Also, our fathers were pretty close at that time. Both wanted to try and preserve our Coordinator legacies—or whatever you wanna call it."

"Convenient," the Natural agreed.

"Sure." Taking another sip, she realized it was empty and set it down beside her. "We weren't against the idea at the time."

"So, what happened?"

"When Athrun's mother died, his entire family just changed."

"A death does that."

"My father tried to help Athrun's dad as much as possible, but they just drifted apart. Our engagement was still official, but it wasn't like it had been before. I rarely saw him and when we did speak, it was formal, not as loose as it had been before."

"Well, he _was _in the military by then, right?"

She shrugged and Namarra watched as one of the straps slid down her shoulder. Sluggishly, she pushed it back in place, but the grim look betrayed her lucid mindset. The serious conversation was killing her buzz. A pity really, Lacus was doing so well.

"I never thought Athrun's father would order that hit on my father," the songstress muttered.

"What?"

"Nothing."

Namarra looked at her quizzically. In all honesty, she hadn't heard what she had said. Her face was down and Lacus had been straightening her skirt again. Namarra was about to open her mouth, but someone knocked on the door. At first she thought it was Eclipse, but DaCosta's voice sounded behind the metal.

"Miss Lacus, the commander would like to speak to you."

"Okay," she said and stood. Namarra held out her hands, fearing she was going to fall over. Instead, the Pink Princess smiled and waved her off. Fixing her skirt one last time, she opened the door. "Lead the way."

DaCosta looked over her shoulder and saw Namarra acknowledge him with the bottle. He sighed with a smile. "Miss Lacus—"

"Only had three, Mr. DaCosta. You know it takes more than that." Turning, she bowed slightly to Namarra, frozen with the bottle to her lips. "Thank you, Miss Namarra, for the lovely conversation. Shall we?" she continued to the greencoat.

DaCosta gave the Natural a blank look as they left. "Didn't Lexi mention her attempt to get this one drunk?" He jutted a thumb at the smiling Lacus before following her down the hall.

Namarra watched the door close and shrugged, finishing off her booze. She understood the benefit of ranting to someone unfamiliar or not close to the family so she could only laugh. "Well played, Lacus Clyne."

Apparently, she would have to get more serious next time.

* * *

"Is this really how you wanna handle things?"

Maybe Stray shouldn't have asked. FS nudged him aside with his shoulder as he fixed his tie in the cupboard's reflection. FS rarely looked angry anymore, but that was why he seemed so scary. Did Stray ever feel threatened? Sure, but where else was he going to go?

"Hm?" FS asked, centering the knot.

"Not that I don't admire the style," the chef continued, adding another slap of frosting onto the three-tiered cake. "I just think we shouldn't have to—"

Thunk.

Stray sighed. He rarely jumped anymore from FS's antics, but sometimes even he felt sick knowing the fork rattling back and forth in the wooden cutting board was far more dangerous in FS's hands than his.

Smiling, the former head of SIN-ED tweaked the fork again and walked out of the kitchen. "Just make sure the food's edible."

Stray nodded. He had been doing a lot of that lately and frowned at the thought. For the first time, he figured it was the right time to try and leave.

Somehow.

* * *

Heine arrived in a modified version of the CGUE. She wasn't sure of its firepower, but the orange exterior definitely had "Heine" written all over it. If Eclipse had been in the Stealth her CA could have given the full specs, but this mission hadn't involved mobile suits and it never would. Just an innocent meeting between four people, accessorized with weaponry fit to mow down a small mob, and with three sharp-shooters as back-up.

Yeah, just a little chat over tea.

"Did you need me to disembark then we both go in together?" he asked.

Eclipse gave the affirmative then moved the transport closer so he could board. As soon as he was on, she shut the hatch and started setting in their coordinates. She didn't even hear him come in, her mind wandering. It wasn't until he steadied himself on the back of her chair and rested both elbows on the headrest that she noticed. For once, she wasn't annoyed. Maybe she had expected the gesture, but either way her reaction surprised her. Finished, she stood and they gave each other a huge hug. Eclipse had decided to dig out an unmodified version of the ZAFT redcoat pilot suit from the Eternal so the two of them matched. It wasn't for camaraderie purposes, merely because she felt like dressing the same might throw off their enemies. Too bad Heine had grown and stood well over six foot and she was still around her five feet, eight inches.

So much for that idea.

"Ah, it's been so long."

"Yeah, since—what—the Freedom incident?" she asked and he frowned. Laughing, she clapped him on the shoulder. "Sorry, bad memories, apparently."

"I have been offered other models after that, but figured they might have been just as jinxed. Sticking with the good 'ole CGUE." He jabbed his thumb backwards towards the hangar as if she could see it.

"My Stealth's still an oldie but goodie."

"I heard through the grapevine your Stealth's a couple screws away from the scrapheap."

Shrugging, she sat back down and pushed him over towards his seat. She started the engine. "If you have a suit, might as well use it to the best of its abilities."

"I don't think killing it counts."

Eclipse frowned, but ended the matter with another shrug. Heine hadn't been the first person to remind her just how fragile her mobile suit was, but she wasn't really attracted to all the high-tech suits getting pumped off the assembly line. Besides, the Stealth had its own personality—literally—and the thought of switching it out for some newer model bothered her. Her love of black ops missions didn't help matters either.

"It doesn't look like you upgraded much either, Heine."

"I do more intelligence missions and group commanding than anything nowadays. I think I'm on the edge of being promoted to a commander, but no one wants to give me the position because we're low on elite pilots." This time he shrugged. "A blessing, really. As good as they say I can lead, I'm not too thrilled about being responsible for people on a battlefield. Sounds like too many restless nights."

"Hear, hear," Eclipse agreed.

"So," he began, shifting uncomfortable in his chair. "I'm assuming you didn't bring amateurs as our backup."

"Wow, right to the meat of the meal, huh?" She waited for him to argue, but he just urged her on. "If you must know, two of them used to be redcoats—"

"I knew it."

"—and the other one is just like me."

"Just like you?"  
"Yup. She can go berserk sometimes too."

"She?"

"Yup," the redhead responded, deciding not to give more info than that. Heine didn't seem too pleased with the lack of information, but didn't press the matter more. Either he really trusted Eclipse to pick decent comrades, or he was comfortable with going in blind. Since the first reason seemed more probable, she found herself smiling. It was nice to feel trusted.

"So, I take it they're expecting us?" Heine asked.

Eclipse nodded. "I sent them a message roughly three hours ago. They responded within ten minutes, of course."

"Ever figure out what they're trying to do? You never gave me a solid confirmation on that."

"I managed to get some of my old contacts interested, but they never replied back to me either. I doubt FS has everyone paid off, so either they're _really _good at keeping it on the low down, or nothing serious is going on and FS is just trying to make me nervous."

"Seeing as your contacts have been reliable in the past, he might have just been throwing you a lure and seeing if you'd bite."

"No matter what I had to confront him eventually," she admitted, crossing one leg over the other as her arms mimicked the movement. "At least this way I don't have to worry about some kind of Dead Man's Switch or something."

"His big plan could still be getting you to go over to their side."

She shrugged. "There's always that possibility, but I think you're right and most of his organization is gone. If that's the case, he doesn't have enough man power to keep me as his little pawn for long."

"Let's hope," Heine added and Eclipse glanced at him, cocking an eyebrow.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Oh, c'mon, you were totally infatuated with them the last time I did this with you."

"Yeah, that was _before _they decided to go insane."

"So insanity is a turn off in your book, huh? Nice to know."

"Wha—"

"In any case, you can't just forget a relationship like that. Don't let him get into your head and I'll make sure there's no permanent damage."

Eclipse smiled. "Fair enough, but when it comes down to it, you have to let me finish this off on my own. After all, it started with FS and I, it might as well end with us."

"Depends on the situation."

"Heine."

"I'm serious. I didn't come to be your 'partner in crime' all over again just to see you dead."

"So, you'd get in my way?"

"If it came down to it, yes." He looked so serious Eclipse found herself annoyed. She should have been flattered or even appreciative, but instead, she was angry with his response. In a way, she felt the whole mess was her problem and he was just tagging along like he always did. Even allowing Namarra, Athrun and Dearka to come was more for their benefit than her own. FS was _her _problem; always had been. Shouldn't she be the only one allowed to kill him?

Hm, maybe she hadn't changed after all.

"I'd advise against putting yourself between FS and the Berserker, Heine."

"I know. A lot of people advise me against things, but somehow it all works out in the end, right?"

She frowned. "Dumb luck and all that? Eventually, it'll run out, y'know."

"Most likely, but I have a feeling it's not today." His smile was confident, but Eclipse still felt a small shiver to fear. Not exactly a good sign, but she had to start trusting him now. With the satellite now in sight, there was really no time to think any different.

"Oh, did you talk to Lathan?"

"I _have _been talking to Lathan," she said. "No change in his responses. It's still a huge 'No' for the surgery."

"Give him time," he responded, his smile faltering for a second, but it recovered quickly. "Let the man heal his ego before we start worrying about his optics."

"Ah yes, men and egos."

"Don't feel so high and mighty yet. Women have them too, men just always bow to their will so it looks like they're in the right. Really, we just don't want to sleep outside."

"I'll keep that in mind. For now, though, maybe you should try and talk to him. I'll patch you through if we get back."

"We'd _better _get back, Lexi."

She really didn't have a good response for that.

* * *

It was rather funny to see how most of the ports ended up looking similar. Either there was one architect who had made the plans for all the colonies in the L4 area, or he had a lot of apprentices who liked to copy his work. The only difference between the main shuttle docking hangar on Spemann and the one on Mendel was the size. Since Spemann was merely half the size of Mendel, that made sense, but the smaller version made Eclipse start feeling a little anxious. Perhaps it was some sort of claustrophobia, but either way her tensing was not going to help with the situation.

The transport docked easily enough, the redhead setting it down in the right terminal. She had debated going towards the middle one, but it just left too much open ground for them to cover and if there ended up being more than a dozen SIN-ED members left ticking, that much time with no protection could get them all killed.

"Inside the colony," Eclipse muttered into her earpiece. "About to leave the transport. Ending communication." The other members weren't deaf to the conversation, but their devices were a little less user-friendly. Perhaps if they shoved them halfway down their eardrums they would work better.

"We're docking in the adjacent hangar to avoid suspicion. So far, it doesn't look like we're being monitored. We have a GPS on your current location, so don't pull Coffee Addict out and you should be fine," Namarra responded, her voice quieter than the redhead had thought she was capable of. Then again, she couldn't remember the last time she went on an "official" mission with her fellow Berserker. Any other time they were mocking each other and enjoying the fact that they were being a pain in the other's ass.

Eclipse nodded as she left the transport, disguising it as her ducking through the doorway. She doubted Namarra could see the movement, but it was more of a habit than anything. Funny how things so typical could end up blowing an entire mission. Looking sideways at Heine, she knew he had on a similar form of communication and had probably heard the entire conversation. If he had, however, he didn't show it.

Always the professional.

"Where do you think he'll meet us?" Heine asked, keeping his handgun low at his side. He checked to their right as Eclipse checked to their left, keeping an eye on the door.

"Probably further inside. Somehow, jumping us at our shuttle seems a little too tenth grade."

"I'm sure that's as far as their psyche has developed, so don't put it past them." Since it was probably true, Eclipse didn't argue and motioned for them to move forward.

Stepping further away from the shuttle made it easier to see a wider view of the hangar. It was still small by many standards, but given the circumstances, she wasn't about to argue. Unlike the debris in Mendel's ports, this one was stripped bare, not even the random crate in the corner to show any kind of livability. It was almost as if the place had been originally made for people, but no one ended up moving in. Swallowing, she twisted back around and the two of them made their way to the exit.

Like before, Heine went through the door first, Eclipse touching him with her hand to keep him close to her and still watch their asses.

"Clear," Heine announced and started leading them up the stairs, Eclipse still keeping contact with him. It was highly unlikely someone would sneak up on them now, but the redhead still felt antsy. There was a person nearby, she just knew it. Who it was, she couldn't tell, but after spending enough time in the military she was getting more and more of a sixth sense regarding paranoia.

She didn't swing back around until Heine reached the top of the stairs. Calling back to her, she twisted around to stand on his right. They were now in some sort of shopping center, but seeing as the port was one of the high-traffic areas in the colony, the various stores and food vendors made sense. The many shops made the back of her neck prickle—since that meant there were plenty of places to hide—but there was nothing she could do about the location.

Just hope they didn't get ambushed.

"There's an exit about 100 meters in front of me," Heine said.

"Roger, start walking and I'll keep an eye on the rear." She felt him nod and then started walking.

They hadn't been able to do much prior research on Spemann, but they did know the life support system was still intact. According to the data they could gather, this and Mendel were the only two stable enough for people to come back and live on. Why no one did probably came down to personal reasons, but it was quite sad to see such beautiful structures go to waste merely because of a medical scare years ago.

Sweat dribbled down into Eclipse's eye and she shook her head. There was no reason she couldn't take off the helmet, but if she did, what could she do with it? Seemed almost a pain to be dragging it along with her and even though there was a clip at her waist, she felt it would always get in the way. She shouldn't have been sweating anyway. Given how cold the temperature inside the satellite was, her suit was keeping her alive. And yet she was still nervous.

"You sense something too, don't you?" Heine asked, stopping for a brief moment to aim towards his left. Releasing his breath, he kept walking before finishing his thought. "I don't understand it yet, but someone's been following us for a while now."

"I've been thinking the same thing," she responded, tugging on the back of his suit to stop him. "But how, I'm not sure." Her speech slowed as something moved in front of her view. She had tugged on her comrade for just that reason, but whatever it was, had already disappeared. It wasn't a black shape like she would have normally expected, but white. If she was seeing ghosts now she would have to go back and talk to the shrink, but if it was a genuine threat she would have to thank her eye doctor. "Something's here."

"Yeah, I just saw it too."

"The right?"

"No, near the fountain; 50 meters ahead."

"Cover?"

"Five meters, left."

"Go."

Inching over towards a stairwell, they kept their eyes in front of them, trying to find that same white figure. It was hard to follow, however, the unpainted walls making the two practically blind to their surroundings. Their opponent was definitely smarter than they would have thought if they had anticipated the interior.

Sneaking behind the stairwell, Heine aimed in front while Eclipse aimed behind and under. "Now what?" he asked.

"I didn't think they were going to jump us, but they haven't exactly made us feel welcome either." She felt her muscles tense, a couple minutes away from cramping. Namarra announced their arrival in her ear and she felt those same muscles relax. Even if they couldn't see the immediate assailant, it was nice to know backup was on the way. Heine relaxed at the same time—she felt his body slump with relief—but then tense a mere second later. That made her tense again and whip around to see the problem.

Or look up instead.

"Hiya."

Eclipse almost fired at those words alone, but had to hold off when she saw Stray leaning over the balcony railing to look down at them. He must have been the white figure they had been seeing because he was dressed in a chef's coat and white shoes, his silver hair only adding to the ghost-like appearance. Heine shot once, but it went wide. Smiling, he looked back over the edge as Eclipse put a hand on Heine's gun.

"Didn't mean to frighten you, sir." The redhead felt her comrade twitch at the formalities. "We're surprised, actually, LE here normally travels with another lady friend. You're very much male."

"You should know not to trust rumors, Stray." Eclipse tried not to smile—knowing the circumstances—but failed when he flashed his harmless grin. Heine held up his professional demeanor, but Eclipse failed. "Do you realize what that grin does to me?"

"Of course," he admitted then turned around, motioning for them to follow.

"Where we going?" Heine asked, but at least he put down the gun.

"We're going this way." Stray pointed in front of them towards a bridal shop. "So you two can change."

"Change?" both asked.

"Oh, c'mon, you should know the drill by now. We like ballrooms."

Heine and Eclipse shared a look. It was rather impressive Stray had recognized Heine as being the same man to have been with the redhead way back at the beginning of the war. Even more impressive was the fact that they had found another useless ballroom to hold some kind of extravagant meeting in. Either they had an odd obsession with formalities or their sense of irony was stale.

"Don't worry, Lexi, the heels won't be too tall."

"How thoughtful," Heine muttered.

* * *

They had been known for their grandeur, but a ball gown and tux seemed even beyond the word "overkill." Clearly, it was a smart move because Stray had been present as they stripped down, pulling off weaponry as he saw it. As she stood there in her underwear and nothing more, she cursed herself for not finding a comfortable way to hide a knife in panties. Heine stood next to her in boxers, but the two of them had seen worse corpses to feel any kind of embarrassment.

"Is this _really _necessary?" Eclipse asked and Stray nodded grimly. She made sure to note his solemn expression.

"Boss's orders." Reaching to the hook next to him—no, Stray was smart enough to make them dress on the main floor instead of the dressing rooms—he pulled off a long, silver evening gown. Tossing it to Eclipse, he turned back and grabbed the tuxedo before she could make any kind of comment.

Looking at the garments then at each other, they dressed without another word. If anything, it was better than meeting FS topless.

"And here," Stray added after they slipped on their shoes. He tossed a gun and holster to Heine and three knives at Eclipse. "Just keep them out of sight."

"Things that bad?"

Stray didn't answer and Eclipse didn't press.

_Shit._

They left the shop and port after they were changed, Stray leading them to a hotel and banquet hall across the street. It wasn't large by any standards—only two floors, but it was convenient and for any traveler that was good enough. Next to the hotel were some smaller restaurants and clothing shops, but they were all stripped bare, nothing like the harbor they were just in. Beyond the hotel there didn't seem to be anything but that didn't seem possible. Was this place only half finished?

"This way," Stray prompted, grabbing Eclipse's hand to pull her forward. She was probably dawdling too much, but the sight was just so strange. The cobblestones under her feet made her feel like she was in Europe, but with all the detail put into such a small area, why wouldn't they have expanded? It was as if they were walking in a snow globe, just without the glass barrier. The overgrowth rained down the lampposts and poked through the cracks in the sidewalk, some weeds strong enough to cause bumps and holes. Since there was no wildlife—and the wind was limited—the rapid growth was confusing, but Eclipse was no biologist.

She was still trying to figure out the perimeter when Stray let go of her hand to motion them through the swinging door. Stepping through without a fuss, Eclipse admired the oak check-in desk bordered by two dead trees. The vegetation outside was doing well—if not terribly overgrown—but these inside plants had died a long time ago. The chairs and couches looked brand new to her left and even the bar seemed fully stocked. The only way to tell anyone had even used the facility was the carpet. It was faded and worn down, the triangle and circle patterns frayed at the edges. If she didn't know better she would have said people were running through there with spikes on, but even that felt improbable.

Glancing to her right, she made eye contact with Heine. He seemed just as spooked so she stepped towards him and he put his arm around her waist. If anything, it was like they were covering all the areas again. Eclipse glancing to the right and Heine to the left.

Even though they were practically unarmed, no one could sneak up on them.

Stray lead them off to the right, pass the check-in desk and stopped them in front of two large, wooden doors. There wasn't much in decorations—and even the wood on the door looked a bit ragged—but it had definitely been a ritzy place back in the day.

Frowning, Eclipse put a hand on Heine's arm as she bent down to fix the strap on her heels. Stray was right when he said they weren't too high, but when this particular girl only wore flats for a living, any kind of heel was high. "You alright?" Heine asked, but she didn't respond and he didn't ask again. Straightening, she nodded to Stray who put both hands on the handles and turned.

The doors opened to what the redhead was expecting; a ballroom. After their first encounter on Mendel, Eclipse was afraid there was going to be some kind of theme with these two, but she never thought they would be able to find such establishments so easily. Call her naïve, but she didn't think every one of those satellites had one just lying around. She frowned at the thought.

FS was standing with his back to them, arranging some silverware on the one table with the white cloth. He was humming loudly to himself, the notes echoing through the empty room. Unlike the one in Mendel, however, this one was considerably smaller. There was no balcony this time, merely the one floor with about four tables scattered around a wooden floor. She knew it was a dance floor because there was a small lip around the edge, setting it off from the carpet and tables. In reality, people had probably intended for wedding receptions to be held in that room, but now it was going to house two known psychopaths, a Berserker and a ZAFT redcoat.

Ironic.

"Revelin, our guests have arrived," Stray said, motioning the two of the forward. Heine's arm tightened around Eclipse's waist as they moved. Typically, she would have been annoyed by such a gesture, but right then she felt it necessary. Turning, FS's eyes narrowed. At first she wasn't sure why he was suddenly so angry, but as his eyes followed the grace of her body and then Heine's arm, she got it. The guys were probably just playing some kind of possession game with her, but she was way over being considered a part of FS and Stray's posse so she took a step closer to Heine as they walked, filling that gap. FS wasn't pleased—not like she knew he wouldn't be—and she smirked. Childish, sure, but boy it felt good.

"How lovely to see you again," FS cooed, his face still straight, but somehow he managed to make his voice inflection sound terribly happier than his body displayed. Maybe he should join a radio station with that kind of acting potential.

"Sorry I can't say the same," Eclipse replied, her lips curling into a fake smile. "And so formal. Really?"

FS was wearing a tux of his own, a little more high end than Heine's and white. While Heine was wearing a white vest under his black tails, FS was wearing a deep cobalt one. She knew he had done it to match her evening gown and was exhausted by the thought. Spreading his arms out wide, he did a little twirl as they neared. "I thought it was a grand idea." There was really nothing she could say against that.

"Please, join us for dinner," Stray said, hurrying in front of them to pull out one of the high-back chairs for Eclipse. "I can assure you it's edible."

"From you, that means a lot," the redhead replied with yet another smile and headed in that direction. Heine was walking with her, not willing to leave her alone it seemed. While she was thankful for the support, she was worried about his own safety instead of her own.

Funny how some things really don't change.

"Please, sir, you can sit right next to her." Stray motioned to Eclipse's right, but Heine merely nodded. FS grabbed his arm as the two of them walked by, pulling it from the redhead's waist and throwing it back towards Heine's body.

"Please," he started with a smile, "sit."

This was going to be one hell of a dinner.

But it did taste good despite the awkward silence. There was some classical music drifting through the room, but the table was completely silent. If the company had been anyone _other _than FS and Stray, Eclipse would have been annoyed by no one talking—she can't avoid being a girl forever—but since she didn't want to hear anything that they really had to say, she welcomed the silence and picked at her food. In between the first and second course, she debated bringing up the whole, "killing her parents" issue, but thought better of it. FS already seemed agitated and not even Stray was acting like himself. She had been expecting him to be pouring the pepper in his tea or slopping salsa on his potatoes, not sugar in his drink and gravy over the spuds. It all seemed too—

"Normal," Heine finished, setting down his fork next to his plate and leaning back in his chair. "This is all too fucking normal."

"I'm sorry, sir." Neither had even bothered to remember his name. Eclipse doubted they remembered it from before, but she didn't want to be the one to start _that _conversation. Heine was already crossing a line she didn't want to. If they had something to say, they would let her know. Now, if they had gone the whole evening without spilling anything she would start asking questions. For a dinner though? Nah, leave well enough alone. "Would you rather we throw food at each other or dodge bullets at the table?"

Heine frowned at FS's smug remark. "I just think it's impolite to force us to come here, wear monkey suits and then make us sit in awkward silence throughout the whole food exchange."

"I rather thought it was delightful." Eclipse wasn't really sure why FS was being so formal with his speech, but—again—she didn't want to set anything off. They were both walking on thin strands at the moment and pushing them towards one of their insanity moments was not something she looked forward to.

"You guys called Lexi for a reason—" He stopped, Eclipse stepping on his foot under the table. They shared a look and it wasn't a pleasant one, but the redhead didn't want to get them riled up. Hopefully, their backup had arrived by then, but Coffee Addict had given her no indication they were within firing range. Keep them civil for as long as they could and then worry about popping questions once the cavalry arrived. Was that so hard?

"Please, we were just enjoying a nice dinner with friends. And your attire is just dashing, don't you think?" FS turned to Eclipse as he said that. Feeling his stare, she turned towards him, startled when he held out a hand. "Please, let's do a little dancing before dessert."

She hesitated, but finally ended up with the answer, "No."

"No?"

Really she just didn't want her and Heine to be separated and sharing an eloquent moment with the man who ordered and most likely performed the hit on her parents made her nauseous. "You said it before, we're enjoying a pleasant dinner, let's not ruin it with terrible dance moves." Picking up her glass, she started sipping the water, but stopped and turned towards Stray and Heine. Stray had jumped up from his seat and had an arm under Heine's throat, pulling the skin tight and to the side as he put the turkey fork against tendons.

She frowned. "Threatening me to dance, FS? Really?"

He just smiled. "Please, come dance with me."

If Heine and she had been holding hands, she knew he would have squeezed a warning. Hell, she wanted to reach behind her to find that hand merely for the sense of security. While Stray had him at fork-point she didn't dare show any kind of open friendship. If FS had gotten hostile merely because Heine had an arm around her waist when they walked in, she didn't want to imagine any other kind of touching.

"Why are you hesitating?" he asked, his hand still held steadily in front of him. "I remember a time you'd never fail to come to me." His eyes held a look of sensuality she had only seen once from him and that time was nothing more than an adolescent kiss. He had been able to control his sex drive better than the others, so he had always seemed collected. Besides, he had known how horrifying the whole experience had been for her so he stayed away. Now he was rabid, his emotions naked on his face, but not endearing like the control he had had in the past.

Her frown deepened.

"C'mon, Lexi, it's just a dance," Heine said. Her legs twitched at the statement, her mind having been too focused on the past to realize their immediate danger. That was scary, especially for her partner being held hostage behind her. "Maybe the song'll be short."

That remark felt like some kind of message and she resisted the urge to look for their back-up. If he had been notified and not her that would make sense, but she still didn't like not knowing for sure. Taking a breath, she finished her sip and decided to trust her team for once. FS and Stray were too into themselves to notice any other guests—at least she hoped so—so why alert them?

Smiling, she placed her hand in his and let him pull her to her feet.

The song was a waltz, but not one she was familiar with. Thanks to her ritzy upbringing and her parents' love for Victorian parties, she had come to recognize many of the movements. The steps weren't hard initially and since FS was clearly making them up, she didn't argue and let him lead, picking up the one corner of her dress as they twirled along the floor.

"Have you figured out yet why I brought you here?"

"To piss me off?"

He laughed. "No, that's what the dress is for. I thought this was a good time for me to enlighten you on the current situation in Orb."

Despite her surprise, she kept up the steps. "Go on."

"I know your current status is exile, but that can easily be changed once the government's gone."

"Well, that would solve some problems, yes," she agreed, not sure where he was going with the comment. If he was planning on overthrowing the entire government by force he might find it a bit harder than he had anticipated. Orb, while neutral, was no novice to war. They had shown that when the Earth Alliance had attacked, so why would he even bother?

"They are very weak right now."

"Obviously," she replied, stepping with the rhythm.

"So if there's any other way to gather an army again and officially own you, that'd be it."

"Excuse me?"

"Hm?" He looked down at her face and stopped the steps, brushing some hair away from her eyes. Flinching, she made herself keep that eye contact as her feet still tapped anxiously to the waltz.

"You said, 'own me.'"

"Yes, I did."

"Why would you say that?"

He shrugged as if it was obvious. "Why _wouldn't _I? Darling, I know what you are, you know what you are and knowing that other one would follow you wherever you end up means I would have _two_ of you."

"Alright, I'll play along." She tried to step back, but he kept his hold on her, swinging them back into the waltz. "What would we do under your control?"

"I'd keep you both safe."

"In exchange for what?"

"A chance to be like you."

"It's not that easy. No one's even found a way to do it."

"They haven't tried the right methods yet."

"Oh, and you think you can?" She broke away that time and stood a safe distance away. "You too, huh?" she began, reaching down to take off her shoes, but making sure FS never left her sight. "So, tell me, why are _you _so interested in being like me? Is it because there're no boundaries with the Berserker? How about the limited adrenaline rush that makes you practically immune to pain until you're too wounded to survive?"

"There have been rumors of another set of human beings that are the evolution of humankind. Your friend, Erika Simmons, called them SEEDs, if I remember correctly."

"What about them?"

"You see, while SEEDs are impressive, they are a state of consciousness. You can't copy a thought or belief."

"You can, however, copy a gene sequence."

He nodded. "In theory, but obviously it's not that easy, right?"

"So why even try?"

He shook his head with a smile and held out his hand again as a new song started, but she made no movement to reach out to him that time. Clenching the straps of her heels in her fingers, she stared. "Orb has some technology even the PLANTs haven't heard of. Your parents had been—"

"Parents?"

"—working on a machine to split and preserve genetic strands in a way people can be completely cloned. As of yet, nothing has come close to this research. I know of one failed clone walking around—wait, two?" He waved the thought away. "But no one has tried anything since."

"My parents?"

Shrugging, he started a bobbing walk, circling the redhead as he continued. "There's always more than one reason to kill someone."

"Working on a cloning machine?"

He shrugged again.

She had expected anger; some kind of burning passion and then a leap or lashing out in his general direction, but instead her stomach convulsed, the muscles cramping into the only other thing she could possibly feel.

Laughter.

It was small at first, just one little spittle that turned into outright hysteria the moment her hand went to cover her lips. "S-seriously?" she stammered, her psyche probably the only one in the room with any idea about why she was acting so. Hell, it was probably the Berserker's amusement and not her own, but since the line between her feelings and her other half's had been blurring, there was really no way to confidently confirm which half had gone insane.

"Your parents' death is really that amusing?" FS asked, his face a bit more quizzical than angry. Although, his bruised ego was definitely showing through.

"Oh, God, it's just so predictable!" She wiped a tear from her eye. "For the longest time, FS, I had seen you as an honest threat. You had your little organization, your crusade for stopping this war—or whatever—and now you go in this direction? Saying my parents had been building a machine? C'mon," she continued, dropping her heels to the ground and wiping her eyes one more time. "I've been poked, prodded, and even violated, so why the _hell _do you think your little plan is going to bother me now?" Giving another laugh, Eclipse could feel the Berserker breaking through. "Grab a ticket and go to the back of the line."

His lips slipped into a frown and the redhead could see his confidence falling off in flakes. The laughter may not have been enough to strip him of everything, but it had definitely twisted a knife into a sore spot. Had he really expected her to be the same docile soldier she had been toward him in the past? Especially after knowing what she had done to Melanie?

"Seriously, _old pal_, who the hell do you think I am?"

"You're misguided, for one thing."

"'Misguided?' And what makes you think I'm not _finally_ headed in the right direction? I'm free of ZAFT, making orders for myself for once, and actually enjoying the fact that I'm able to wake up every morning. _How_ is that misguided?"

"You're taking orders only from yourself, huh?" She nodded and the faintest hint of a smirk appeared. "So, the Berserker doesn't count then?" He continued when she didn't respond, "What if I told you this new research in Orb could destroy that Berserker gene as easily as mimic it? Why do you think your parents were _really _going to see Tad Elsman? He has just as many ties to ZAFT research as the chairman himself. Food and resources is a good cover, I'll give them that much."

"You're bluffing."

"Am I?"

Now she smirked. "Yes, because even though you want to be a Berserker, you don't want to do it alone. So, you're giving me this little talk thinking you'll pull me in again." She gave an abrupt laugh. "I may have been infatuated with you in the past, but you can't just pull me along anymore. You wanted me to be more independent? Well, here I am and funny that you _never _changed. You've never wanted to be alone, _Revelin_." She added some spite into his name and even after he tackled her and wrapped both hands around her throat she didn't regret it. His mood had changed so drastically she didn't even have time to react, but she wasn't so much surprised as she was disappointed.

Heine was most likely still tied up with Stray because there was no way he would have let her struggle so long with FS, let alone let him even tackle her like that. She had neither the ability nor the desire to look back and find his position, a little busy with the psycho digging his fingers under her chin. Immediately, her hands went to his in an effort to free herself, but after her initial reflex subsided, she reached down under her left armpit, freeing the knife hidden there in her chest sheath. Cutting at his right arm on the way up, Eclipse watched him flinch and fade backwards, ready to let go and get to his feet.

Bang.

The sound was unfamiliar at first, and it wasn't until she saw the quick blip in her vision and hear the thud into the floor nearby did it finally register. Backup had arrived. Her defensive move must have thrown off the shot, calculating the bullet's trajectory to have either gone into FS's left shoulder or through his neck. A damn good shot if she had chosen to be a damsel instead of a fighter, but because of her intervention, the bullet merely grazed the knot on his tie and took rest under the floorboards.

"Lexi!"

"Revelin, reinforcements!"

Both Heine and Stray yelled at the same time. Eclipse heard her comrade clomping over before she even felt him hoist her up by the armpits, her eyes still on FS. Her former friend had given her one final look and then bolted, heading towards the kitchen door in a zig-zag pattern. The sniper shot twice more before he disappeared through the swinging door. Her initial reaction was to start chasing after him, but Heine's grip stopped her. Turning, she followed his fingers on her arm to his face and then down the length of his arm to the gun pointed at Stray. The chef had a bloody nose, the red liquid still bright as it stained the front of his white jacket. His tongue went up to lick some from his upper lip, but his nose was definitely broken. Giving a short laugh he held up his hands and shrugged.

"What do you want me to do?" Heine asked after he let go of her arm and gave his full attention to Stray.

She thought it over for a moment, but, in the end, didn't have much time to referee the argument between her conscience and common sense. "If he tries anything, shoot."

"You mean I get a free pass?" Stray asked, but Eclipse was already running off barefoot towards the still moving kitchen door. She had just enough time to hear Heine's answer echo off the now silent hall.

"You'd better hope she gets him. I'd hate to be you if she comes back empty handed and berserk."

* * *

Eclipse felt blind. Not only had she been forced to rip off most of the gown's bottom half, but running around barefoot didn't exactly give her the gold medal for speed. If she had thrown on the shoes she would have twisted an ankle by then, but at least she wouldn't have had to worry about the assorted debris littering the back alley. She had a moment where her mind had decided to remember the last time she was in an alley she was running away from some psycho doctors. Shaking off the initial panic, she slowed as she neared the end. FS had moments of cowardice, but it was mainly when he knew there was no other way out. In those moments he would probably name his disappearance a tactical retreat, but somehow she doubted he would flee this time. Especially since he had gone through all the trouble of having her come there.

The phrase, "Come out, come out where ever you are!" almost left her lips, but she held off. While childish bantering was a common Berserker thing, she doubted that kind of immature taunting would get her anywhere but the morgue. Despite her comment before, he still scared the shit out of her.

Flexing her fingers, her sweaty palms slipped against the metal in her right hand. It took her a moment to remember she had grabbed one knife. She had two others and she outright cursed, knowing she should have grabbed more weaponry. _Too late now_, she thought and slinked back against one wall.

She was able to see more than she expected. With such a long alley she had anticipated skyscrapers and abandoned vehicles lining the street, much like Mendel. Instead, there was nothing; a layered cityscape grounded down to pebbles no bigger than her head. She wasn't sure what could have caused that kind of damage, only that it went as far as she could see. She had figured there was barren landscape beyond the initial buildings, but her mind never fathomed _nothing. _Despite the lack of structures, however, the weather system still seemed to be functioning. Some colonies spun circles end over end in order to keep the gravity consistent. So, leaning back and staring at buildings in the sky was normal. This one spun sideways to accommodate the fake weather. Currently, it was cloudy and there was even some rain starting to fall.

Her ears seemed to shrink as she strained to listen. The raindrops increased within seconds, deafening her to any potential footsteps. Knowing that, she tensed and held her blade out in front of her as she walked sideways to see around the other wall and still keep an eye on her weak side. Walking in slow motion was a poor way to describe the movement, especially since her eyes were darting in every direction. She saw a figure to her right and reacted to it.

Bringing the knife up high, she tried blocking the attack to her face, but such a small blade was no match for the hand-sized rock leading the punch. It slipped across the stone's surface, forcing her arm to go across her body and making her off balance. The punch continued its path, however, scraping across her forearm and bruising her shoulder. Gritting through the pain, she gave with the momentum and spun her left leg around to catch her attacker in the right side. She hit body, but couldn't judge the severity of the wound with her own body groaning. Regaining some footing, she jumped back, quickly grabbing the blade into her left hand before her numb fingers made her totally weaponless. Her back hit the wall again and she felt the rain stop. It didn't take a genius to know she had just stepped under an overhang, but it did take one to try and decipher the creative strings of swear words flipping behind her teeth.

"Glad to see you've gotten better."

FS's voice made her jump at first, even though she knew it had been him all along. Frowning, she hated her body for the initial reaction, but didn't have the energy to punish herself too much.

"Really, it's more of a testament to the Berserker. Did you know your eyes faded just as you dodged?"

"A trick of the rain, most likely."

"You believe that?" He took a step closer; close enough the rain stopped hitting him too. Reacting to the advancement, she tried stabbing out, but he caught her wrist and pulled himself closer. "I wonder what it'd be like to have that kind of person inside of me."

"You're romanticizing this way too much."

"Am I?" he asked and leaned his elbow against the wall. His face was uncomfortable next to hers, so close his breath blew away the chill of the rain. If she could, she would have forced him back, but his right hand still gripped her left and with one side of her body still banged up, she was stuck. With him being so off balance a simple head butt would have thrown him off, but she was afraid to make him angry again. The piece of concrete was now down near his feet, so that was one less weapon to worry about, but she wasn't naïve enough to call him unarmed.

"Alright then, _you _tell me what it's like. Better yet." He leaned in. Thanks to his height, his hipbones cradled her abdomen as one thigh brushed hers. The rain had done some good to his appearance, but perhaps the water-soaked clothing just did it for her. With his hair dripping down past his ears he almost looked like a lost puppy, but somehow she was threatened by his innocent façade. More pissed than aroused by his advances, even the Berserker started feeling agitated when he whispered, "Show me."

"Back off!" she hissed, jabbing her head to the right. After clipping his jaw and nothing else, she got even angrier when he started laughing. He leaned back, but not enough to make her feel less trapped. If there was one thing even the Berserker hated was the sense of being caught. Perhaps even the sadistic had fears.

Or at least anxieties.

"I _said_," she stressed, spitting at his face, "back off!" The saliva had been a good distraction. Even though it didn't hit anything of significance, FS flinched. Swinging her dead arm in his direction, she aimed for his ear. While she couldn't feel exactly what was going on in that limb, she knew there was enough strength there to at least wound him. Her nails raked across his left ear and cheek before the arm fell back down to her side. The pain was almost enough to make her lose focus, but the adrenaline was beginning to numb her, the Berserker quickly gaining more control. The grip on her left wrist loosened and she repositioned the blade, stabbing it upwards and into FS's forearm. It didn't go deep enough to poke through, but went at such an awkward angle it left an ugly gash all the way up to his elbow.

Smirking, Eclipse switched over entirely and the Berserker laughed. Ramming her bad shoulder into his chest, FS stumbled backwards and barely had time to put pressure on the wound before she went at him stabbing again.

Her right arm was swinging uselessly, the first attack having done far more to the limb than she had originally thought possible. The left one was all she needed, however, stabbing once into his shoulder then his side, his arms when they came up to block, his breast—but he was still moving; bobbing like some fishing lure. Her Berserker mindset didn't understand it at first, but when she had gotten too greedy and went for a mortal blow, FS's forehead met her right cheekbone. The blade still punctured his ribcage, but none of those wounds had been serious. His defense had made sure of that and now she was the one staggering; the one trying to get her balance back just as he jabbed an elbow down across her temple. She managed to keep her footing for a moment, but by then FS had grabbed his piece of concrete and was already mid-swing.

Not even the Berserker could defend against unconsciousness.

* * *

_**A/N:**_ Hey guys, I'm so exhausted… I'm not entirely sure why because I know I've been working a lot lately, but I shouldn't be this down. Posting this chapter is a huge relief and a huge weight off my mind. I don't know why I was so nervous for this chapter, but I think it had a lot to do with the whole FS vs. Eclipse thing. I have to finish that up soon and I was getting ulcers just thinking about it. (Pretty image, eh?) Anyway, it's finally out. There is an area or two I felt myself cringe and roll my eyes (maybe you all felt the same) but—whether we like to admit it or not—it needed to be in there.

Heine came back in this chapter! (Just in case you didn't read it all and noticed him in there.) It was fun to start writing him again, especially since Eclipse and he get along so much better now than how they used to. He doesn't feel the need to be overly flirtatious or his blunt silliness. Sure, that probably has something to do with exhaustion and the war effort, but I like to think it's because of their developing friendship.

Originally, I was going to have it be Namarra and Eclipse vs. FS and Stray, but I'm glad some people pushed me toward a different group of people. While Namarra is included in the gang, it's nice to see another tag team on the attack. If anything, it's also refreshing to see the soldiers interacting and working together with so many different people. Flexibility on the battlefield only adds to the idea that they can all work together. Adds to the "peace" idea, I guess.

Oh, funny thing too. I doubt anyone here read/reads my "Other Worlds" story, but I have gotten a _huge _craving to start writing that again. I think it has to do with the audio books I found on three books in one of Pierce's quartets. (Hm, did that make sense?) Anyway, that probably has something to do with it. Going back to reading it, however, now I just want to rewrite it! Probably gonna end up like my _Beyblade _story. Gah, I have to start writing that one again too... Ugh, how do you people handle writing so many stories at once? Must have a lot of time on your hands.

And now I'm babbling. So, thanks for all the support, especially from my own killer teammates _Death-Scimitar_, _CSSStravag_, and _Maderfole. _I'd hate to meet us all in a dark alley at once.

* * *

_**Corrections to the Narrative:**_

As far as I can tell, there are no corrections or timeline alterations at the time. Most of what I added to the story is speculation of what I assumed was happening at that time in the SEED world.

* * *

_**Questions/Gripes:**_

_Tristraim: _Thanks for the Heine idea. To be honest, I wasn't going to throw him in until near the end, but I like this idea better. Score one for reviews!

(This is kind of in response to _Orange_, but I'm sure others have had similar concerns.) Deciding when and where to have the Berserker come out and make havoc is hard. There are some moments, that the second personalities might seem justified, but—at the same time—I don't want to keep reiterating the drama that goes along with it _every _time. That being the case, I also don't want to make it look like neither Namarra nor Eclipse can take care of herself in battle without the Berserkers' help. As we should all know by this time, that's not the case. So, a little creativity goes a long way for those girls even if they don't have their insane halves dictating their every move. I love writing the two both in and out of Berserker mode mainly because they're so resourceful. That might come down to the fact that I know little to nothing about military machinery so the basic things in life have a little more of an "umpf" in this story.

* * *

Thanks again for all the support and it's great to see new reviewers popping up from time to time. All comments are appreciated, so keep it up! See you next chapter.

_Strata_


	56. Bitch Doctor

Bitch Doctor

"She went after FS," Heine explained again, folding his arms across his chest. Stray was bound, Dearka offering to take over as watch dog so the redcoat could talk to Namarra and Athrun. There seemed to be ulterior motives to the generosity, however, the blonde's sticky fingers picking at the leftover food near his right hand.

"It's her personal business anyway," Heine went on.

"True, but what's the point of back up if we're _not _backing her up?" Athrun asked, his contorted face successful in displaying his frustration. "She hasn't even reported in yet that little—"

"Just let her do her thing," Namarra interrupted, tired of playing referee for the redcoat and Athrun. They hadn't even been officially introduced and already they wanted to throttle each other. She knew little about Heine, but knew he always had Eclipse's good interests at heart, even if that involved her going off on her own to chase a psycho killer. _He trusts her, _Namarra decided, looking at Athrun next. _And he needs to do it a little more._

"Okay, I'm all against 'overreacting' as well, but it's been an hour since we saw her run off." Dearka repositioned himself to see the small group and Stray at the same time. "Even I have to admit that goes beyond the limits of courtesy."

Namarra nodded slowly and looked down at Stray sitting on the floor. No one had second-guessed Heine and Eclipse's reasoning for keeping the Sin alive, but looking at him now, she only saw him as a hindrance. Stray had never shown a homicidal streak in the past and even now he looked content with his hands strapped behind his back. A little on the kinky side, but it was not her place to judge. Even if the chef had spewed everything he knew about FS's plan—which came a bit too easily, but she wasn't going to argue—at least two people would have to stay with him just in case FS came back. Two on two was a fairer fight than two on one so that would leave the remaining two searching the grounds by themselves. Really, there wasn't a lot of ground to cover—seeing as most of it was leveled—but it would be unwise to split up. Knowing how long Eclipse had been gone, time wasn't a luxury.

After getting Heine's attention, she gathered up Athrun as well and walked out of hearing distance. "Alright, who's going to stay with Dearka?" Namarra jutted a thumb behind him towards the blonde.

"Well, we're all strong in the tracking and close quarters combat area, I'm assuming." Heine extended a hand to them and they all introduced themselves. If the redcoat noticed Athrun's name he didn't show it. Most likely, he had known of the Three Ship Alliance's crew after having been in ZAFT's military intelligence and Eclipse never failing to use him in the past.

Namarra continued, "Just a matter of picking straws, I think."

No one said anything for a good three seconds until Heine spoke up again, "Well, are either of you uncomfortable handling her when she's berserk?"

Each frowned in turn. The thought had most likely crossed all their minds. Namarra had seen Eclipse at her worse—not to mention her Berserker was getting a bit restless—so she knew how to handle her. She wasn't entirely sure of Heine's solidity, but if Eclipse trusted him, she could. Athrun, on the other hand, was the iffy one. Yes, he had been on a team with her, but she had never been this unstable before. His determination made up for any kind of inexperience though.

Finally, Heine shrugged. "Alright, alright, I can take a hint. I'll stay back and you guys play hero." He held up a hand to stop any arguments and stretched as he neared Stray and Dearka.

Namarra couldn't help but smile and nodded at Athrun. "Together? Or split up?"

"Together. No point in having two people to track down," he responded then pointed to the back door and to the right.

"Just what I was thinking."

* * *

The Berserker felt like Lathan. Her eyes were open, but she saw nothing. Typically, she would have mocked such a comment—even to herself—but then she frowned. Given the situation, she had expected a bag or a blindfold, but she felt nothing across her eyes and her breath didn't bounce back to her in a warm puff. She took a deep breath just to make sure, but the diagnosis was the same.

Next, she tested her feet. Believe it or not, they were not tied and with no brush of wind near the end of her dress, she knew the air was dead. In a container of some kind, most likely. Despite her blindness, however, she felt hollow. Or—more accurately—she felt like she was in a hollow space. Not claustrophobic, so the area was larger than a refrigerator box, but definitely enclosed.

Shit.

She knew her assailant wasn't stupid. After his display earlier, she may have called FS a masochist but clearly smart enough to see when the Berserker was on a war path. She had gotten greedy and plunged forward without thinking of the consequences. Typical of the Berserker, but it seemed so elementary she felt stupid.

Wiggling her arms, she could tell the rope there was tight, but it was wrapped too many times; so much so, in fact, it felt heavy. There was one strand dangling near her fingers, which moved quite freely as she tugged on it. The whole thing just seemed half-assed. Knowing FS was cocky, but not careless, it could really _only _mean he was injured.

_Hah, no doubts there_, she mused. While his defense was smart, it wasn't painless. Most likely, he had tied the rope one handed since she had gotten in some good shots to his forearms. That boded well for her.

"If you buried me alive," she croaked, clearing her throat once before continuing, "then I should thank you for the extra large coffin." Her voice bounced and rattled back to her, giving the impression of a metal interior. Still, she was gathering a lot of information from her surroundings, yet knew nothing of her current situation. "Or if you planned on just releasing me into outer space go for it. It's getting a little stuffy in here."

"And you're still a cocky bitch, amazing."

Surprisingly, FS didn't make her jump. Either that meant deep down she knew he was there or she really didn't care what happened next.

"You're bound, blind and unarmed yet you still make smartass remarks."

"I try," she responded, offering a shrug. She wasn't sure he could even see it, but at least it made her feel good.

"I have six other SIN-ED members in here with me. You sure you want to keep waving that tongue?"

Slowing her breath, she listened. FS shifted in the corner to her left, a droplet of either sweat or blood sprinkling to the floor with that same motion. Based on the smell, it could have been either, but she heard no other sounds. She didn't doubt SIN-ED's ability to keep still in a room, but the air didn't feel suffocating enough to have more than two people in the room. FS had shifted against a wall and that wasn't more than ten feet in front of her. In that small of an area she would have noticed a group of stinky predators.

"You're bluffing."

"You think so? Well, no matter how many lies you make yourself believe it only takes one bullet to silence you and a couple of my friends to kill yours."

She sighed. "And _why _would you kill me when you just glorified my existence not too long ago? How is _my _dead body gonna get what _you _want?" The metal room shuddered as some kind of engine rumbled under its surface. Small, yellow lights popped up around the lower edge, not bright enough to make her flinch, but enough to let her see FS. His arms were bloody from the recent barrage, the cuts still fresh beneath his stained white shirt. He had lost the jacket—probably because he was getting a fever—but other than that, looked as egotistical as he typically did. Arms crossed over his chest, he leaned into the corner, right ankle crossed over his left.

He grinned. "There are many methods to getting what I want." He pushed off the wall, arms swinging limply as he walked towards her. "Not even time is an enemy at this point."

A shiver slinked from her shoulders to her knees, making her breathless before she could retort. The scary thing was, she wasn't scared.

The room was getting colder.

One more swing and he braced both hands on the chair handles, blood dripping down onto her gown as leaned down in front of her. Standing a little off-center, his hot breath made her eyes twitch every time he exhaled. "I have in my pocket a drug that will stop your heart in minutes. As you have probably already guessed." He blew hot air into her face. "You are sitting in a freezer that will keep your body preserved until I figure out how to remake you. Or I get enough money to hand you off to someone who will."

"Flattering, I bet you say that to all the girls." He had chosen his position well. For the most part, her kicking range was neither that high nor wide and in that kind of a dress, any kind of split kick was out of the question. Her knees could do a fair amount of damage, but she was still in no position to attack. And a simple rock proved her chair was bolted to the ground.

"Well, shit," she said, calculating her minimizing options.

"Realize you're screwed?" he mocked, but she shrugged.

"Hm, I vaguely remember it feeling better."

He laughed, but somehow she doubted it was from her joke. "Hah, you're strapped to a chair. Even in the limited light you can at least see that."

"Ah, and in any other circumstance that might have been romantic."

She saw him push back and around to stand in front of her.

"So, what are you going to do to me after you freeze me? I doubt I'd make a good sculpture. Although, I could put myself in some interesting position right now and become an unsavory decoration in your mansion." He took a step to retort and she reacted. Slouching down, she kicked out as hard as she could, aiming for his knees. It was the most obvious move she could make, yet he seemed so surprised.

Or was he a good actor?

Her heels connected with air, confirming that he wasn't as stupid as he let on. She cursed. He matched her cuss then reached for her and his pocket at the same time. His cold fingers dug into her skin as he pushed her head to the side, exposing her neck. Even though she knew better than to be intimidated, the Berserker found her pulse quickening. Sheer strength and sadistic determination couldn't get her out of this moment, but there had to be something. What was the point of her existence if a mere mortal could put her on ice?

"Oo-ee, Oo-ah-ah, Ting, Tang, you gotta phone call."

FS cursed and hesitated, but Eclipse said the simple, "What the fuck?" It sounded like Stray's voice but someone else joined the chorus and another started beat-bopping in the background. She had a pretty good idea who had reprogrammed his ringtone, but not even a phone call could save her at that moment. Unfortunately, unexpected ringtones—no matter how obnoxious—didn't bother this particular psychopath. It was hard to see in the dim room, but FS hit the artery no matter how she squirmed. She kicked at him, but he clamped his knees around her own to keep her still.

The injection itself wasn't painful, but he continued jamming the needle hard into her skin, the base of the syringe digging into the muscle until the base of the syringe was actually touching. She dropped her shoulder to go with the force, but with her head going one way and her upper body trying to go the other, she realized the need for a good masseuse was in her near future.

Once it was all in, FS made some kind of triumphant noise and laughed, throwing the syringe onto the floor. His phone rang again just as it clanked against the metal. This time he picked up.

Stray spoke first. "Y'ello, what'cha doing?"

"Did it—Jaeger, I did it!"

Shit, Stray was loose too?

Eclipse just reminded herself to keep breathing, trying not to think about her poor decision in keeping the other Sin alive and about the drug racing to her heart.

* * *

Heine held the phone to Stray's ear as Dearka remained on his perch. The chef knew he wasn't going anywhere and—to be honest—he didn't want to. Captured or no, he was still with Eclipse's party.

As long as she was still alive.

FS's words startled the other two; he could feel them tense. He had explained enough of the plan to help out the others, but that was pointless if FS had already executed it, which was what he gathered from the exclamation.

"So, now what?"

"Just get the hell out of here, I suppose. We don't have the equipment to remove this freezer yet."

"But we don't have a transport," Stray lied, looking at each of his captors in turn. "LE's comrades took it out; at least that's the only explanation."

"We—wait—what?" FS sounded upset and after a remark like that one, Stray couldn't blame the outrage. Stray heard the man sigh loudly. "We'll have to take theirs then; it's our only option."

"Yes, the only option," Stray repeated and looked up at Heine. He was frowning hard, no doubt a string of curses echoing in that skull of his. FS had managed to get the drug into her system and even though no one knew the _exact _affect it would have on a Berserker, Eclipse was still human. And a non-beating heart amounted to the same thing in every person.

Dead.

* * *

Eclipse took another deep breath and focused. Sticked or not, she wasn't just going to wait to rot. FS was enjoying his gloating, pacing and jumping around the room as if she was already cold and rigid. If he continued breathing so fast his lungs were going to freeze, but at the moment she actually appreciated his hyper activities. His hot air was keeping her warm.

As she had determined before, her bonds were merely tied multiple times, not tight, per se. Her hands were more towards her right side, wrapped around the chair spoke. Uncomfortable, yes, but usable. Glancing up at FS again, she began sawing her hands back and forth, her shoulders moving up and down. She pulled her wrists apart at the same time, biting her lip to hold in the painful grunts as the ropes slowly loosened.

"Where are you now?" FS asked, his face still showing his frantic delight.

Stray paused before he answered, "Near port."

Eclipse frowned. If that was true, she had more than one reason to be pissed.

"So, you got away?"

"Given their amateur status, it wasn't too hard to do."

"Good. We have to get to ZAFT's weapon ASAP."

Her pace quickened when she heard the mention of a weapon. Knowing ZAFT, it had to be big and powerful, but how could they keep it hidden? How has no one heard of it? Swallowing—in an attempt to keep herself calm—she heard the conversation start to slow down. The Berserker wasn't entirely sure how fast the drug would go through her system given her heightened state of mind, but she knew her heart was beating fast and that wasn't a good sign. Technically, she could stop to slow her heart back down, but then she'd be right back where she started.

Stuck.

The ropes finally started to loosen, her hands parting enough that one, good dislocated thumb would get her free. Hearing the conversation ending, she had no other choice.

Wincing, she pulled out her left hand first, twisting her body and shaking the fingers hard. The quick flick did nothing for her thumb, but she didn't have much time to worry about it. The other hand free, she spun around the chair and undid the rest of the tie.

Of course FS noticed her by then.

He dropped the phone and lunged at her wildly, probably so upset about his plan failing to be thinking clearly. The Berserker, on the other hand, was as close to panicked as she had even been. No one cornered a Berserker and expected to get a tally in the win column.

Snagging one end of the rope, she held on and pulled. The other half stayed wrapped around the chair, but she had enough. Dodging to the right, she stuck her left foot out to the side and snaked her injured hand around to push on FS's shoulder. It hit like a club, shoving the Sin towards the chair and off to the side.

His forehead hit with sickening smack, sounding fatal in such a silent space. Panting, she dropped and wrapped the rope down around his throat, keeping hold of one end as she repositioned herself.

FS grabbed at the hand nearest to him, both sets of fingers wrapping around her right wrist.

Looking down at his bloody nose and focusing eyes her panic heightened. "No, stop!" she screeched. Her instincts told her to free her trapped arm, but she forced herself to use her upper body and remaining arm to grab his legs.

She pulled.

There was no snap like she had hoped, not getting a good enough position—or right amount of force—to break the neck. So he struggled, moving his legs in a feeble attempt to free them and pulling her fingers towards his mouth. Two he got between his teeth and bit, but not hard enough to maim, seeing as a choking windpipe took priority.

Gasping for breath, FS held on for a little bit longer until he let go, his fingers beginning their clawing at the rope. Changing position again, she let the rope go slack then pulled again.

Still nothing.

Her strength was leaving, her heart beating faster than normal as she started to get dizzy. FS had slowed his struggling by that time, the gurgling coming from his bruised windpipe a mixture of blood and air that echoed in the enclosed space while turning the stale air into something a little more rancid. Coughing once at the smell her heart skipped a beat and she gasped, but still held on, waiting for the moment when FS's gurgling stopped. She felt it before she heard it, his body suddenly becoming too heavy for her failing strength. At first she thought it was her muscles giving out, but his dead weight had become just that.

Dead.

Letting go finger by finger, she crept forward to get a look at his face and felt the Berserker's lips twist into a sadistic grin. Purple-faced and eyes bulging, the leader of SIN-ED looked to be deader than a vampire who forgot about Daylight Savings. Reaching up, she checked the pulse at his neck and felt her tongue hang out as her smile grew into a wide-mouthed shout of triumph.

It was a lovely moment, but even her Berserker pride had to realize she was running out of time. The exit hatch was just above her, about eight feet up and just out of reach. With the chair bolted to the floor and FS's corpse doing nothing to help the situation, she cursed and looked on the floor.

The phone.

FS must have left it open and on. How ironic then that Stray should all hear what had been happening. The Berserker liked an audience, however, even if she had been the uncharacteristic frightened rat during the whole experience.

"Stray, you still there?"

There was no response, but the gentle breathing was sign enough he had been listening in.

"Good. Now, I'm gonna have to turn you off and find my way out of this shithole."

"You have two coming your way. Good luck, LE," Stray said calmly, cutting the connection himself.

Staring at the phone, she watched the screen go black then felt another breathless sign the medication was kicking in. Her skin dripped water, her body temperature rising even though her breath still puffed clouds inside the cold room. It seemed a poor plotline to just have her die after doing all of that work to kill FS, but there was no way she could gather up enough strength to hoist herself to that latch and open it. Looking sideways at the chair then up at the exit, she cursed and threw the phone at the ceiling, having only a couple seconds to savor the falling debris until everything went white.

* * *

Namarra fixed her backpack, shifting it more onto her back as she bent over to look at the rubble. She had—reluctantly—agreed to leave Heine with her rifle as she went off hunting for her comrade. Athrun and she had agreed to stick together, noticing the vast expanse beyond the inner city once they had left Heine and Dearka. The port they had originally come in from had much the same layout as the one Eclipse had come in, just a bit more desolate. There were rooms for stores, but they were all empty. It had been an easy trek, but not even they had anticipated the vast nothingness they were now tracking through.

Sighing, she stood back up and put her right have to her ear. "Chicabo, give me the coordinates again."

"You're standing on it. I don't know what more you need to know."

Namarra grumbled at the metallic response, but couldn't blame the CA too much. After all, the Natural was the one getting antsy. "Anything?" she called over to Athrun. He was only ten feet or so away.

"There's no indication anywhere!" he hissed, a frantic shuffling in the rocks ending up in more gravel and scrapes up to the elbow.

"Chicabo!"

"I said you're there!"

Bang. Rustle. Bang. Crash.

Both of them held up a hand to silence each other.

Bang. Screech.

They pointed to a spot between them, under a large chunk of debris. Ironically enough, they had moved that chunk there previously. Albeit it was by accident, but it had fallen there nonetheless.

Bang. Bang. Bang.

Looking at each other, they nodded and Namarra cocked her 9mm, pointing down at the spot while Athrun found a metal pipe to wedge under the boulder and prop it up.

Bang. Click. Crash.

There was indeed a metal shaft under the debris. Dirt shuddered as the piece was hit and it even vibrated when the "crash" sounded. At first glance, she would have called it a bomb shelter, but a metal covering could mean a lot of things.

Giving a nod, Athrun made one last heave and the boulder toppled over. Unholstering his 9mm, he held it in his left hand while he opened the hatch with his right. It was stubborn at first, but eventually gave. Dirt and smaller rocks fell over the sides, echoing off hallow interior. That was a good sign at least.

Without giving the order, Athrun flashed a light down into the expanse. The first thing he saw was FS's mess of a corpse then shifted over to Eclipse.

"Lexi!" the both shrieked, Namarra being the first one to jump down inside, narrowly missing the redhead. Athrun landed near her, his heel digging into the nearby Sin, but that particular corpse didn't care anymore.

"Start CPR," she ordered and skidded to her knees, whipping the backpack around her shoulder. Athrun didn't argue. Setting the gun to the side, he locked his fingers together and started pressing his hands down onto her chest.

Namarra fished through her backpack, pulling out two paddles. She pointed to her shoulders. "Pull the straps down to expose more of her chest."

Athrun looked up and frowned. "What?"

"C'mon, I've had experience. And besides, do you want her to die?" He had already began without her retort. "Clear—oh, pads." Setting two, orange gel pads on the exposed skin—the burnt scars making her target area a little easier to find—she switched the dial.

"Clear!"

The first shock didn't work, but Namarra wasted no time in trying again.

"She doesn't look injured really," Athrun commented, restarting the CPR as the machine recharged. "Other than the bruises on her wrists and the good-sized cut on her skull, I don't see any other reason her heart should have stopped."

"Heine had Pride on the phone about five minutes ago. He said the drug was administered. Clear!" Namarra announced again. Still nothing. She upped the voltage. "It's not like we have any medicine to counter it. Clear."

Nothing.

"C'mon!" Athrun hissed, bending over to breathe in her mouth before linking his fingers together again.

"God send you to Hell if you die on me! Clear!"

* * *

Heine tapped his foot impatiently. They had all heard the bit of the last conversation and knew the outcome could be very dire for their redheaded comrade.

"Ugh, _please _stop that," Dearka groaned. "You're making me nervous."

"I'm sure you'd be nervous even without my twitching."

"Fair enough," the blonde grumbled and started rubbing the table cloth between two fingers.

Stray just stared at his captors. FS's death was predictable, but he never thought he'd succeed at putting the drug into her system. Or that the other Berserker had grabbed a defibrillator. Either she had a strange sense of ESP or had been in this scenario before. No matter, the outcome was just too damn close for him to feel comfortable.

Staring at Heine, he knew he would be getting the update first since he had been the one to relay the phone call. Both of their nerves were getting to him, but he knew better than to show it. What good would his fidgeting do?

He started biting on his lower lip anyway.

* * *

Eclipse hated the fact that she recognized the feeling. It was very similar to the time Namarra had zapped her before, the difference being she was a bit foggier, as if there was something she was trying to remember, but had no chance of recovering it.

Blinking twice, she heard voices, but couldn't make out what they were saying. She knew they were male and female, but despite the familiar inflections in their voices, she started flailing. _Where am I_? she thought. When Namarra had awoken her the last time, she had found out all the sadistic things her other half had done. This time, however, it felt like hours since she had had some kind of consciousness, even the Berserker's.

"Bitch," she croaked and coughed. Swallowing, she tried again. "You're a bitch."

"Thank you, I _do _think I'm liking this a bit too much," Namarra said. That time she knew it was her. "You're alive too—oh, thank God you're alive. I didn't kill you all over again."

She frowned and almost made a retort, but Athrun cut it. "Sorry to cut this short, but we should be getting back. Who knows how many other SIN-ED members are out here."

"None," both girls replied at the same time, Eclipse's coming out raspier than the Natural's.

"Regardless," he continued, "we should get back. Namarra, can you radio ahead?"

She nodded and walked a couple steps away, putting a finger to her ear while she spoke to her CA.

Eclipse watched her for a couple moments before Athrun's whispering pulled her back to him. "What happened?" she asked and he seemed to snap too, as if he had been lost in thought.

Slowly color flushed back into his cheeks and he smiled lightly. "Not now. Can you stand?"

Taking a moment, she accessed her internal damage. First she moved her arms, but they were sluggish and didn't respond right away. After doing much the same thing with her legs she shook her head. "I'm very tired."

Nodding, Athrun fitted his hand under her upper back and lifted her up slowly, making sure she didn't get dizzy. Sitting up, she grabbed her head and shook it. Blinking a couple more times, she focused in on the only other thing in the room.

FS's corpse.

Really, she felt nothing. To her, it was just another body and a mission finally completed. If she was going to feel any kind of remorse, it would have to happen later because then she just lifted her hand to flick off the body and let Athrun help her to her feet.

* * *

Namarra and Athrun went up the hatch first, hauling Eclipse up with a rope around her waist and shoulders once they were safely above ground. The first thing she noticed was the change in temperature. Whether the other two had noticed the degree drop she didn't know, but she instantly started feeling better in the warmer climate. Taking a deep breath, the three of them made their way back to the ballroom.

Eclipse shook off Athrun's hold once they returned to the others, feeling strong enough to be stumbling forward on her own. Dearka sighed and shook his head with a smile, one hand wiping at his brow. Heine visibly relaxed, his pacing slowing down and gaining more direction as he met her halfway.

Stray caught her focus first, but when Heine stepped into view she smiled. It was short lived, however, Stray's appearance still a surprise to her since he had announced his escape earlier. Stepping to the side, she saw the phone resting on the table near his head, but his hands were still bound behind his back. Who could have operated that phone then?

Heine stepped in between them, holding a hand out to stop her blind advance. She must have looked shell shocked based on his frown and obvious concern. To give him some credit, he didn't openly fret over her even if it might have been on his mind.

"Wait, Lexi, what's your plan? You've just gone through quite the ordeal, so make sure you're thinking right."

Her brain wasn't the problem, merely her body trying to regain some proper muscle movement. Yes, she might have felt a bit foggy, but the thought of killing Stray seemed absurd. Where or when she had come up with that conclusion was beyond her, but despite his association with SIN-ED, he didn't seem to be the type actively involving himself in their masquerades.

Saying nothing, she pushed past Heine and dropped to her knees in front of the chef. His smile never faltered. "So, what now?" he asked. "Am I to join Revelin?"

Her speech came sluggishly, a mixture of shock and belief about everything that had happened. Immediately , she wanted to say, "no," but stalled and stared at him a second longer. Shifting into a more comfortable position, she patted down her dress. "What do _you _want, Stray?"

"To eat and for you to call me Jaeger."

"To live or die."

He shrugged and settled himself back down. "Is that decision really up to me anymore?"

"It's always been your decision, Jaeger."

"Hm," he mused. "Since when?" He didn't expect an answer, or at least didn't act like it. Eclipse didn't prompt him either and the others had kept their distance. Dearka got up then, lying his gun down on the table so she could grab it if she wanted to. Stray looked up at it then, a thoughtful expression on his face.

"To be honest, I don't really want to die."

"So, what _do _you want then?"

He shrugged again. "Start over, I think. Is that possible?"

"Don't see why not." She pointed a thumb back at the others. "That's what we're all trying to do. It hasn't been done yet, so the more who try, the more likely it'll happen, right?"

He laughed then, a quick burst of sound little more than air, but he had made his point. Eclipse smiled.

"I'd like a trip back to Januarias 4 then, if you will."

"Huh?"

He smiled. "Best place to start over is where it all began, right?"

Eclipse frowned despite the promising proposition. She should be overjoyed he had chosen the healthier choice of the two, but somehow a part of her thought he would join their ragtag group. A bit too optimistic, it seemed, especially since there was high doubt the Three Ship Alliance would accept him. He must have noticed her distress because his smile grew fainter, as if he had been having the same thought process.

"You know I can't."

Without responding, she crawled around and unbound his hands. Instead of her helping him up, however, he pushed her down in an effort to get to his feet, smiling wider as he extended a hand down to her. "Cramp muscles are nothing compared to getting shocked back to life."

"I what?" she muttered and grunted as she rose.

He blinked. "Sweetie, you _died_. Revelin gave you a drug to stop your heart. Don't you remember?"

"Y-yeah, I remember most of it," she admitted. The mixture of shock and panic had blocked out most of it, but she couldn't forget all of it, unfortunately.

Stray must have noticed her face darken because he put a hand on her shoulder and asked brightly, "So, who gets to take me? I'm good company, honest." He held up one hand as the other made a cross over his heart. Eclipse smiled, but none of her other comrades seemed as amused.

"You're letting him go?" Athrun asked, his arms folded over his chest. Dearka stood next to him in a similar manner showing his agreement with his comrade. Namarra looked as indifferent as she normally did and Heine looked thoughtful; neither disagreeing nor fronting her idea.

"He has crimes against both space and the Earth. Not to mention he helped kill _your _parents and _my _father," Dearka added. Despite the accusations, the blonde didn't seem angry anymore. Either he had finally accepted his father's death or understood that killing Stray would do nothing more than waste another bullet.

"Who would we hand him over to then? ZAFT? Orb? Either way nothing's solved."

"What do you mean, Lexi?" Heine asked, his fingers now drumming a rhythm on his lower lip. "If you hand him in to ZAFT he would probably be silenced and whomever took him, would most likely get his—or her—status back in the military." He turned to look at the former elites and saw them glance his way. While neither outright admitted their position on the matter, it definitely struck a chord. "And if you," this time he specifically pointed at Eclipse, "take him back to Orb for sentencing you'd get your citizenship."

"There's no guarantee—" Eclipse began, but Heine cut her off.

"You think I was in intelligence merely for the fun of it? I know who's in charge of Orb now and I'm sure they will do anything to get you back. No matter what you've done in the past, you are still Lexi Rymyr, and almost as much of an idol as Cagalli Yula Attha. Not to mention you're the daughter of martyrs in their eyes. To any government that would be the most glorious banner to be fighting under."

"The same for ZAFT," Namarra continued, catching on. "Y'know, I, personally, wouldn't mind another set of eyes _inside _the ZAFT army. All of this peacefulness is making me nervous. They're brewing something."

"I could say the same thing about the EA, Namarra." Eclipse turned to look at her. "Why don't _you _head back as well."

"C'mon, we're getting away from the point." Athrun moved to step in between the two, making a physical barrier.

"Then what do you propose, Athrun?" Heine asked. "You sounded against the idea of just letting him leave before. Death?" Eclipse visibly tensed and Heine held out his arm to keep her back. "Or did _you _want to take him back to ZAFT yourself?"

"I was thinking Dearka should, actually."

"What?" Dearka exclaimed, his hands dropping to his sides in disbelief. "Why me?"

"You'd get a chance to get your life back, avenge your father, and at least tell your mother _yourself _you're alive instead of her hearing it through people like Yzak."

"You think I have no other reason to stay here?" Eclipse could tell he was trying not to blow up and she commended him for that. She, on the other hand, was getting weary. While the conversation was engaging, her adrenaline was waning fast. Pulling out one of the chairs, she sat. Heine and Stray noticed, but neither did more than nod.

"He's just trying to be thoughtful," Heine said as he turned back to them. "It's ultimately you're decision, but that's an option, Dearka."

The blonde didn't respond right away, staring down Athrun for a couple of seconds before twisting his attention at the floor. "It's like we're handing off a small victory no matter whom we give him to."

"And there's actually no guarantee either side would take mercy on him." Namarra looked over at Eclipse who had started rubbing her forehead. "Lexi, I think it's ultimately your decision, no matter what the rest of us may think."

The redhead looked up and at each of them, ending with Stray. He had just admitted he wanted to live. After all of this he still wanted to try for a normal life and that was commendable if not inspirational. Why should she deny him that after everyone else had already done so for almost two years?

"I want him to live a life in Januarias 4. Can you all respect that?" A delay, but nods all around nonetheless.

"Then he'll come with me," Heine announced. "I'm really the only one able to roam space freely and not many would question my authority. I'll throw a redcoat on him get him started."

Stray visibly cheered up and Eclipse found a smile as well. "Thank you," she mouthed, catching his eye, but not wanting to distract him while he went over some things with Stray. He winked as he talked and put an arm over the chef's shoulders, making him feel as comfortable as possible, most likely. Funny, since he had recently been pointing a gun in his direction, but Stray would always be the easy-going Stray.

"Oh, Heine," Eclipse added quietly before they could get too far away. "FS mentioned a ZAFT weapon. Do you know anything about it?"

He looked to think about it for a second, but shook his head. "I'll get back to you on that."

"Jaeger?" she asked next but he just shrugged.

"Revelin had been keeping things to himself lately. We were supposed to head over there after here, but he wouldn't even tell me the coordinates. I'm afraid I won't be of much help."

She smiled despite the let down. "That's okay. Thanks."

"Lexi," Namarra said, walking over to her and holding out a hand to help her up. She didn't seem to have heard the conversation which was nice. The Natural would have to know sooner or later, but the more information she could get now, the better. "If things are done here, we should get going. Since none of us have checked in with the TSA." She swiveled her head back and forth to make eye contact with Athrun and Dearka who shook their heads.

"We probably should to ease their conscious," Athrun finished.

"I _will _need someone to drop Jaeger and I off at the rendezvous point. I can think of a good reason for an extra redcoat to be aboard my suit, but it's not exactly comfortable." Heine winced at the thought and Jaeger just blinked. "Any added assistance would be _greatly _appreciated."

"I'll do it," Namarra offered, pulling Eclipse up and motioning for either Athrun or Dearka to take over. "I'll even take you as close as I can just because I like you." Heine gave a soft chuckle and nodded his thanks.

Stray turned to Eclipse first, picking her up with a hug so strong the redhead yelped, but was nothing but thankful for the affection. "Don't worry, I'll keep in touch," Stray whispered, planting a light kiss on her cheek before stepping back. Winking, he waved and walked away a couple of steps to let Heine say his goodbye.

"Man, he stole all my moves," Heine remarked, but pulled her into a tight hug nonetheless. "Thanks for keeping me in the loop," he muttered and bested Stray by kissing both of her cheeks. "Oh," he added just before they all split ways, "and stop dying. You're driving me insane."

"Can't make any promises," Eclipse replied with a laugh and let Dearka help her walk towards their transport in the hangar.

* * *

Eclipse had been a bit grouchy on the shuttle—probably had something to do with her recent death, resurrection and Heine withdrawal but managed to get some sleep about an hour into the trip. Athrun and Dearka left her alone for the most part, answering some of her gripes with calm understanding and doing nothing to worsen her mood. If she had been in a considerate frame of mind, she might have asked how they were doing, but she would have to ask them another time.

Athrun's voice awoke her as they were docking, his conversation with DaCosta not interesting in any way—just protocol—but it was loud and clear enough for her to focus on.

"Mission accomplished?" DaCosta asked while he punched something into the computer. If he was in charge of such menial things as docking, it meant Commander Waltfeld was at the helm. Her sleepy face frowned, not wanting Athrun to just tell the whole bridge what had happened, but at the same time not having enough energy to say otherwise.

"It was a success, yes," Athrun replied, but said nothing more.

"Are the little imps alive?" It was Waltfeld that time, but his phrase must have been unfamiliar to the two former ZAFT soldiers.

"If you mean Lexi and Namarra, then yes," Dearka said. "Namarra's giving the other part of the team a lift and Lexi's attempting to return to normal."

"Lexi's what?" DaCosta asked.

"We had to shock her heart back into rhythm, but she's doing fine now." Athrun glanced over at Dearka, deciding to go straight to the point rather than tiptoe around it.

"Geez, just rattled that one off, eh, kid?" DaCosta mumbled.

Waltfeld hesitated a second before responding, but Eclipse still had her eyes closed so she couldn't see his initial reaction. "Make sure she stops in at the infirmary _here _on the _Eternal_. The _Kusanagi_'s undergoing some upgrading right now so it's as chaotic as ants on a watermelon over there. I mean it, Zala."

The redhead opened her eyes and saw Waltfeld first, even if he didn't see her. Dearka and Athrun looked stiff with discomfort, but otherwise weary. Even if she had been the one in the direct danger the other two had held their own. Being back up didn't always mean they did the glorious stuff, but were still involved all the same. She felt bad then, promising herself to apologize later. She may have asked for their help, but she didn't utilize them as much as she should have.

And going off alone probably didn't help.

Closing her eyes again, she slinked down into her chair and pretended to be asleep until Athrun shook her awake.

* * *

"We're keeping you under observation," the doctor announced, taking a moment to eye the tattered dress across her shoulders. He offered a blanket that she willingly snatched before he started putting an IV in her arm.

Athrun and Dearka had already left, Commander Waltfeld ordering—no, he called it "suggesting"—they get some rest. He nodded as if he understood, then announced he had to return to the bridge for a meeting. Eclipse couldn't say otherwise, besides, he always seemed to be the one waiting on her hand and foot. It was about time she either stopped getting hurt, or stopped running to him for help. Funny how she hated the prospect of being the damsel in distress yet she found herself as that constantly.

Sighing, she watched the doctor attach the IV to the stand nearby and turn on the system. "Lie down and I'll be right back. I'm going to get some medicine to counter what you were given earlier."

Again she nodded, not really having any reason to argue. After all, she knew as much about medicine as she did about living in a home with a white picketed fence.

Leaning back against the wall, she felt her body lift. While feeling weightless was fun, she always missed gravity and then, she seemed to miss it most of all. Perhaps part of the reason was because she felt lightheaded already and adding the weightlessness was just overkill. And now she felt cold, but her forehead was sweating. Grabbing the blanket, she pulled herself back down to the bed and wrapped it over her shoulders, the back end was attached so she was grounded for a little bit at least.

The doctor noticed her condition when he came back and adjusted her IV, mumbling something about shock. But she felt fine. Other than her shivering and clammy hands, she felt normal.

"You need some rest," he announced again, taking her temperature. "You're starting to run a fever, but with some sleep, I know that will go down."

Nodding again, she turned and the doctor helped tuck her in. She was asleep within minutes.

* * *

Her dreams were disjointed; jumbled in a way that made her more confused than her subconscious typically did. She didn't remember much, only a bunch of pictures resembling her memories from Januarias 4. FS was the star in most of them and—unfortunately—the memories gave her good feelings about him. Not exactly something she wanted to wake up to after killing the guy.

The room was dark when she opened her eyes, but there was enough light coming from the machines to help her see. Her IV was gone and no new one hanging so it had done what it needed to do, apparently. The heart monitor beeped at a steady rhythm, but she couldn't tell if it had been like that the whole time or if she had been the patient from hell. She was unsure of how long she had been out but if her stiff muscles were any indication, she could have been asleep for days and not even have known. Taking a deep breath, she stopped short, a sharp pain cutting through her ribs and seeming to bounce around the chamber before finally settling. She had had shortness of breath before so it could have been anything, but she tried again regardless to the same result. Cursing, she resorted to quick breaths, keeping her eye on the monitor.

"Awake, I see," a metallic voice rumbled in her ear.

Eclipse found herself smiling despite the circumstances. "And where have you been?"

"Where have I been? I've been here all along. It's you who has been ignoring me."

If the redhead didn't know better, she would have said the machine sounded offended. "So I _do _tune you out then?"

"I don't think it's really to your advantage. I had some good one liners."

Closing her eyes, Eclipse tried to take another deep breath and this time succeeded with minimal pain. She smiled. "Coffee Addict, could you do me a favor?"

"Don't I do you enough favors?"

Eclipse ignored the comment. "FS had made the remark that my parents were working on some kind of cloning machine, or some such. Could you read me all of FS's Emails as well as find any kind of newspaper article or Orb document hinting that what he said might be true?"

"I'm no librarian."

"No, but I can't move at the moment and—hell—it's a lot better listening to you rattle off mundane information than counting sheep."

The CA paused until finally it agreed. Somehow, she felt like it had also stuck its tongue out at her.

* * *

It wasn't a happy day, per se, when she left the infirmary. Her heart rhythm was a tad irregular now, palpitations common now when she would get overly stressed or just at random moments when it was inconvenient to her. The doctor hoped it was some kind of adjustment period, but she was supposed to monitor her heart problems for a week, writing down when the palpitations start, end, what she was doing, etc. At night she was supposed to stay in the infirmary, but since her fear of anything medical _caused _the palpitations, the doctor had allowed her some restful time in her own room. Given a device to monitor her sleeping heart, the doctor made sure she had Namarra in the room as well to help if needed.

It was her second night out of the infirmary and still she couldn't sleep. A part of her had hoped for some kind of super power, as if dying for a few minutes made her able to do things like see the dead or call up spiritual energy to smite people. Fantastical, yes, but always appealing to any human trying to better society. Hell, it was attractive to anyone trying to survive. But after a few more restless nights of seeing nothing in her room besides Namarra's restless stirring, she had given up on the proposition of being more than she could be. Then again, the thought of her seeing the ghosts of the Berserker's victims was a bit unnerving so she had no other choice to accept her life was crazy enough as was.

She had expected to fee _something _after FS's death—freedom, productive, thankful—instead she just felt irritable. FS had made a mention of some scientific research being done in Orb concerning her parents, but the only people she could ask about that kind of thing either had no more authority in the country, or were still being monitored and awaiting rehab. There wasn't even any proof FS was pulling that ruse out of his ass and—given his track record—his teeth should have fallen out a long time ago given all the lies he had been pushing through them. All she could do was be frustrated. FS had tormented her for the good part of a year and the only thing she had gained from his death was indigestion.

Namarra tossed the blankets to the side again, the muffled sound of the fabric hitting the floor and making the redhead frown. The gravity control had been fixed for Lathan's old room, so the two of them had been "float free" for the past couple nights. With Namarra's night terrors still at their peak, it was a blessed two nights mainly because her momentum wasn't throwing her across the room. Instead, she would fall on the floor, scream for ten minutes or so then drift back to sleep.

And wake up with a well-deserved backache in the morning.

Eclipse could tell the Natural was about to start another sleepless night, so she gave up and left. Slipping a jacket over her T-shirt, she fled.

Out of habit, she headed for the infirmary, but stopped just outside the door. Lathan still needed rest despite his rapid recovery and in her mood at the moment, spreading depression throughout the room would do no good. Taking the next right, she curved towards the hangar instead. While her Stealth was the most obvious place for her to think, she found herself appreciating the normality of the idea instead of grumbling about its predictability. The suit was far from being totally repaired, but at least she could close the cockpit and get a little privacy.

"Coffee Addict, any mail?"

"Nope, nothing new," the two-tone replied, ironically not responding in its typical sneer.

"Can you bring up past messages—"

"Again?" Now it sounded normal. "There is going to be nothing different from yesterday."

Eclipse sighed and reached off to her left, sticking her fingers under the latch on the side panel and pulling it open. "I'm just seeing if there is some kind of hint. Please. And did you manage to find anything on that ZAFT weapon? I vaguely remember FS mentioning it months back, but my memory's a bit hazy of that long ago." Grabbing the black blanket folded in the corner, she shook it once, shut the panel and wrapped it tight around her. If there was any drawback to dying it was how easily she got chilled.

If the CA could sigh, it probably would have in that moment, but instead it said nothing more and the screens to her left awoke with a blue hum. Curling up, she stared at the screen, covering a long yawn as she read.

* * *

Namarra knew better than to pry open an ally's closed cockpit. While she had a tendency to disregard that unwritten rule, staring at the Stealth's cockpit made her want to become the most obedient soldier ever.

"Are you concocting a battle plan?" Lacus asked, steadying herself on the railing off to Namarra's right. Since their alcohol experience, Lacus had begun dressing a little less formally. While she still seemed to admire the pantless kind of wardrobe, she had begun wearing jackets over her sleeveless dresses. While the Natural didn't feel any kind of drop in the temperature on board any of the ships, many of the other crew members had begun to complain about the chill. Even Eclipse had gained a blanket or two within the past couple of nights.

"Somehow 'walking in blind' doesn't sound very smart."

Lacus nodded thoughtfully. "Have you tried just knocking?"

Namarra frowned. "Too easy."

"You are just upset you didn't think of it first, Miss Namarra."

"I have a feeling she's asleep," the Natural countered, as if the excuse would keep the Pink Princess from heckling further. "I'm not exactly the best roommate."

"If that's the case, perhaps we should let her be and post guards to inform us when she does awake." If Lacus had not have smiled, Namarra would have been concerned. She continued after a laugh at the Natural. "She has put herself in a rather depressive state lately. I just wanted to cheer her up."

"Drinking?"

Lacus shook her head. "Not everyone has the same concept of 'cheer up' as you do, Miss Namarra."

"Unfortunately."

"Incoming transmission," Chicabo announced, forcing Namarra to hold up a hand before the Pink Princess could go any further.

"From?" the Natural asked.

"Encoded."

Namarra frowned. She wasn't expecting anyone to call her and usually an encoded message was an indication one of her contacts was calling her. If that was the case, that person probably needed help and she—honestly—didn't have much time to spend.

"Sorry, Lacus, but I have to take this." She pointed to her ear as if it said everything then pushed herself towards the Decay. Sitting down, she pulled the screen around to her front and pressed the blinking red button. The screen flickered once then the colors formed into something a little more recognizable.

"O-Orga?" she gasped, her eyes slowly opening wider the longer she looked at him. He seemed no different physically, but he definitely looked weary. Judging by the purple bags under his eyes, he could have been near the end of the cycle, but she couldn't tell. The last thing she had heard, their "normalness" during the end of the cycle was getting shorter and shorter, but he looked at her as he did nearly a year before. "O-Orga, I—"

He put a hand up. "I don't have much time. Nam, Azrael got the schematics to the Neutron Jammer Cancellers. He has an army massing on the moon right now with new nukes arriving daily. He's going to attack the PLANTs."

Namarra swallowed her surprise. She would have time to dwell on the horror of the information later. "When?"

He shook his head. "We haven't been given a date yet, but it has to be soon."

"And why tell me?"

"I have to go."

"Orga—" But he was gone and the screen went black. Giving herself a deserving moment, she stared at the black screen, admiring the way her eyes still had Orga's face imprinted there. Taking one final breath, she called up to the _Kusanagi _bridge. "Colonel Kisaka, I'm calling a meeting."

* * *

Namarra tapped the consol impatiently. She had taken her sweet time coming from the Decay—knowing the others had a larger distance to travel. Still, the only three present were Kisaka, Cagalli and Lacus. Eclipse had gone to the infirmary to get Lathan and Erika—nukes were no small matter after all—but the others had only just docked.

"What do you mean the Earth Forces have nuclear weapons?" Murrue asked, shrieking a bit before her and Mu found a pair of chairs to sit in.

"How the _hell _did they get that kind of technology?" Mu continued.

"Well, they didn't get it from us. The Justice and the Freedom have been under close surveillance for a while now." Erika steadied herself on the captain's chair, waving acknowledgement and thanks to the others for their concern. The left side of her face had the most visible evidence of her ordeal. Most of the burns were healed enough to be without bandages, but the scarring left over almost made the wrappings appealing. Her skin waved in deep red and purple ripples around her eye and up to her forehead. A square bandage was taped across her cheek, raw skin underneath.

Namarra shook her head. "He didn't have much time to explain."

"Hm, I might have an idea," Waltfeld began, all attention drawn to him. He looked at Eclipse who frowned.

"FS's reach wasn't that deep; it couldn't have been."

"Then who's the other devious bastard with fingers in ZAFT?" Mu's face fell and contorted into a raw kind of rage. Either he had been holding back that emotion for some time now or truly felt that kind of bitterness towards that individual. Maybe even a little of both.

"You don't mean Le Creuset, do you?" Athrun said.

"Flay did mention a 'key' didn't she?" Cagalli blushed when they all looked at her next, but her determination forced the embarrassment away. "That couldn't have been a coincidence."

"We still need hard evidence," Kisaka said, bringing the bridge back to their topic. "Perhaps what we should be focusing on now is what to do about this."

Everyone nodded and took a moment. Murrue spoke first. "The PLANTs have to be our first priority. Even if we know the EA's gathering on the moon, we'd be severely outmatched."

"What if we destroyed the nukes before they made it to the base?" Cagalli suggested, but Waltfeld was already shaking his head.

"If Namarra's resources are trustworthy," he looked Namarra's way and she nodded, "it'd take us too long to figure out which transports were smuggling them. Not to mention the routes would be well guarded. We'd be putting ourselves in too much danger."

"Let's not forget it could be a trap. Relations aside, Nam," Mu added quickly. Namarra felt herself get heated over the accusation, but he was right. And if it was anyone but Mu, she would have blown up. "You know their captivity better than anyone and how controlled they can be."

"Despite the timing, I don't think it's a trap," Namarra said. "But I'm not going to say abandon common sense. The routes should be left alone."

"Lexi and I might be able to hack into their system and at least keep tabs on the shipments." Lathan stood a bit taller as he spoke, still trying to prove his worthiness, Namarra figured. "With the CA's help, I can do virtually anything." Everyone nodded.

"So, our next stop is the PLANTs then?" Lacus didn't sound as sure of the notion as she normally did. Given Lacus's unabashed confidence in their crusade, that small wavering made Namarra nervous.

"It's a large area to cover," Kira agreed.

"We might be able to get them a warning at least," Mu offered. "Get in touch with some old contacts."

Eclipse shook her head immediately. "ZAFT hasn't been idle either. I don't know much, but FS was hinting at a large space weapon. I'm not sure of the power, but I doubt they'd do anything on a small scale. Alert ZAFT about the nukes and space could become a nuclear wasteland."

"A space weapon?" Kisaka asked.

"I already have a close comrade working on info. I expect his reply within the week." Namarra knew Eclipse had been talking about Heine and started chewing on her lip. It didn't matter how good a person was at gathering information. That was some risky business.

"How confident are you that this weapon exists?"

Eclipse turned to Murrue. "FS was spewing some weird shit that day, but I vaguely remember him mentioning something before too. My memory's a bit skewed that far back, but twice isn't a coincidence."

"Then if we figure in the weapon, we don't warn the PLANTs at all." Waltfeld looked grave at the statement, but they couldn't risk escalating the war toward oblivion for the sake of rumors.

"Splitting up would be suicide." Mu scratched his head.

"Then we'll calculate the best position the EA would take and pray we're right." Erika folded her arms over her chest stiffly. Hiding the painful wince well, she continued, "There should be enough Mirage Colloid in the girls' suits to cloak us for an extended period of time."

"You planning on combining the liquid with the atmospheric entering gel?" Lathan turned towards his comrade. Sight or no, he still knew what she was thinking. "We'd have to expand the dispersion zones."

"Each ship should be equipped with that capability. All we—"

"Sorry to interrupt, Mrs. Simmons," Kisaka said, "but you're going to have to explain it to using a less scientific way."

"Ah, of course. The Colloid left over can cloak the ships so we can get near the PLANTs. Lathan and I will worry about the specifics, but avoiding the heat sensors is another matter. Shutting down the ships seems to be the most logical answer, but how are we to stop the nukes if we have to wait for a full power up to even move?"

"The catapults don't disperse that much heat and only look suspicious when launching," Athrun said. "Keeping them activated will at least allow the mobile suits to launch."

"But the distance we'd have to be at would still make it difficult—"

"Ah!" Waltfeld snapped his fingers to interrupt. He looked over at Lacus. "The Meteors."

Her face brightened for a moment until it drooped in thought. "As of right now, those additions are programmed for close-quarter combat alone."

"A simple fix," Kira said, but ended up explaining once all the expressions dipped into confusion. "The Meteors are additional weapons made specifically for the Justice and Freedom. With the added thrusters and fire power, Athrun and I could cross that distance and hold them off until you all arrive."

"But how'll you keep them charged?" Eclipse asked. "That's a lot of energy."

"We'll shuttle the Eternal's catapult energy into them. Kira and I can mask the output once we make the program adjustments."

Namarra whistled softly and watched Mu exchange a glance with Murrue. They looked both overwhelmed and impressed. While Namarra had a long introduction to electronic mechanics, those two were well-versed in other skills. And it had to be a quite daunting for Naturals to listen to Coordinators talk shop.

Eclipse moved out of the corner of her eye. Namarra turned to see her comrade's hand go up to her ear and they both made eye contact. The redhead had just gotten a message and the Natural watched her mouth say the name, Heine.

He had news about the ZAFT weapon.

* * *

**_A/N:_ **So, I finished NaNoWriMo again this year; finished early even. And I have some great news about this November, instead of either editing my past stories/novels, or writing a new one I (pause for drum roll) finished _Weapon's Waltz_! Sure, I have a _lot_ of editing to do and at least one section to add, but I'm hoping I can just pop out the chapters and get you guys some nice Christmas and New Years presents!

I'm curious to hear what you guys think about FS's death. I wrote it and I'm a bit on edge of it myself. Was it enough? Did it need to happen? Thoughts please! It's been a bit dry lately and I know everyone's been so busy—that's not going to change with the holiday season—but I'd like to hear from people. And to those of you who have been thoughtful enough to send me PMs about updating, thank you. I've been a bit slow lately, but that's what happens when life hits you with a lot of stuff. :)

Going along with the life changes, I'd like to specifically thank, _Death-Scimitar, CSSStravag, Madderfole, Asmus, _and even _OrangeP47_. I'm not the only one busy in this world and I needed a little extra help this chapter. The extra eyes were very welcomed and I always appreciate any and every bit of advice. So, for my last minutes saviors, thank you. :D

Well, to wrap this up, I hope you enjoyed this chapter long overdue.

* * *

**_Corrections to the Narrative:_**

The biggest correction I made was them finding out about GENESIS this soon. Something that big and powerful can't just go unnoticed and with so many people with connections in ZAFT—well, need I say any more?

Another big correction I made was Athrun meeting Heine already. Seeing as Eclipse is really good friends with both of them, it was really only a matter of time before they met face-to-face. Leave it to Eclipse to set up some kind of mission meet-up thing.

There might be some other minor things, but I just want to get this chapter posted so I didn't look too closely. Bad author, I know.

* * *

**_Questions/Gripes:_**

_CSSStravag:_ I haven't decided on the whole Jachin Due thing. I wrote the final battle already, but I do have some editing to do. We'll see.

* * *

Thanks again for all the support and I'll see you all next chapter!

_Strata_


	57. The New Mankind And Everyone Else

The New Mankind And Everyone Else

Heine leaned back against the wall as his heart raced. He couldn't believe what the computer screen had said not two minutes ago. Blocked; he had been blocked out of the system.

Red flagged.

Any minute now some military officers would find him and arrest him. It would most likely be nothing more than questioning, but no matter what was involved he just couldn't understand the events that had lead up to that moment. Yes, he had taken off for a couple of days to help out Eclipse and then get Stray a fresh start, but he had taken every necessary protocol to make sure he had done nothing wrong. Besides, he was high enough on the food chain that little to no one had questioned his methods. Was that the first sign? People just radioed in what he was doing instead of stopping him from doing it? Did all of those events make him a fugitive?

Shaking his head, he continued on down the hallway, trying to look as normal as possible. It was hard to make eye contact as he saluted his fellow officers, but anything less than protocol would put him under suspicion. He never enjoyed the spotlight—for the most part—but he would take that over military prison any day.

He knew he had to message Eclipse mainly because he had promised her, but he had no information to give. As soon as he had tried searching for any indication of a ZAFT weapon, he had been flagged. After that he left the main research room, heading to no where in particular, only _out_.

"Excuse me, Commander Westenfluss?"

He swallowed and spun a bit too quickly, throwing on as good of a delightful façade as he could manage. "Yes?" Two males were standing in front of him, bearing the unmistakable badge of the ZAFT military police. Withholding a fearful swallow, he blinked his eyes innocently. "Is there something I can do for you officers?"

"Please, come with us."

Heine didn't even know why they bothered with the please because there was really no choice in the matter. It was come or face the consequences afterwards. Well, either way it was face the consequences, but the severity of those consequences depended on when he left and whether or not he argued.

"May I ask, what this is all about?"

"Please, you do not want us to discuss this out in the open."

He could try and buy himself some time, but he could already feel the stares twisting his way and the panicked heat rushing to his face. Short of pulling a gun and shooting them all, he would never get out without a bullet through his heart.

How did it get this far?

"Ah, Commander," a smooth voice spoke from further down the hall. Heine couldn't see the man thanks to the two officers standing in the way, but just watching all the eyes shift over in that direction—not to mention the size most of those eyes grew to—he knew it had to be someone of importance. The only significant person he had ever had the privilege to meet was Chairman Zala and that was almost a year ago. Now he was merely under the command of Hawkins and probably had little more importance in the grand scheme of things than the head mechanic aboard a _Nazca_-class.

"Please, officers, this man is under my protection."

The two men parted ways after that statement, probably wondering much the same thing as Heine himself, _What the hell?_ There stood a man in a long jacket much like what a councilman would wear, just neither as fine nor in a color of significance. His long black hair swayed down to his shoulders, and the loafers on his feet displayed wealth if not his constant need for comfort. In his hand was a clipboard, one he swung out to his side as he talked. Heine could see some lettering on it, but nothing he could make out. It looked like some math homework based on all the numbers, but doubted it, given he was clearly out of schooling age.

"Mr. Durandal," they both saluted, "I'm sorry but we have received no confirmation this man was under anyone's protection."

"If you'll look further into his file, you'll see he had been under my command until recently. Even this current," he waved his hand in an effort to find the right word, "mishap was my fault. Please, do not blame an innocent man for my mis-keystroke."

Heine relaxed slightly, seeing the officers get confused over the whole ordeal. This Mr. Durandal was lying through his teeth because the only command Heine had been under was Hawkins and even the special mission he had gone on with Eclipse had been authorized by Chairman Zala. So, who was this man then? And how did he even know what had happened?

Pulling out a small tablet, one officer looked into the matter while the other kept an eye on the two men. His head swiveled back and forth as he tried to keep both in sight, but in the end that effort was wasted when the officer announced that Durandal had been right all along.

Heine decided to swallow his surprise.

"Thank you officers. Clearly, it was just a small misunderstanding and I hold no fault against you. Please, carry on with your duties and be happy to know that I, among many others, value your commitment and fair judgments." They left after a salute and Durandal waited until they were around the corner and the rest of the bystanders had turned back to what they had been doing before walking towards Heine with an outstretched hand and a smile. Heine tried to match that smile, but no amount of theatrical training would best that man's physic.

"Please, Commander Westenfluss, follow me to my office."

He could only agree.

They chatted idly as they walked through the halls, Durandal commenting on little things like the weather in the PLANTs—which was really a fixed thing—or even some of the war effort. He didn't go into much detail when the war subject came around, but Heine didn't offer much stimulating conversation either so where the train of thought went was not up to him. Luckily, the office wasn't that far away, and Heine only had to suffer a mere five minutes.

Durandal opened the door and motioned him inside first. If anything, the man had good manners, but Heine still didn't like how all of this was coming about. Why would this man risk his career in covering up his rookie mistakes? He didn't even know him. Hell, he had never even seen him before, so why waste so much effort to keeping Heine out of military prison?

"Please, sit." Durandal indicated the chair in front of his desk. It was a moderate room, with nothing more than one bookshelf, a floor plant, and a computer resting on the desk. Either he was in the process of moving, or he had another office because there was not enough in the room to make Heine believe he worked there on a regular basis.

"I'm sure you have plenty of questions."

"'Plenty' is a bit smaller than I was thinking, but it seems we're on the right page."

He smiled. "Fair enough. Here." Reaching into his desk drawer, he pulled out a manila folder.

Heine hesitated, but ended up taking it. "What's this?"

"What you were looking for. Information on GENESIS."

"GENESIS?" Heine asked, but Durandal just did his smiling thing again. Clearly the information in his hand said everything, but he really didn't want to shuffle through it in front of this man no matter what he had done for him. "Why?" he finally asked.

"Why what?"

"Why help me?"

"Ah." He shifted around his desk to lean near Heine. Folding his arms over his chest he looked down at the younger soldier. "Does a man need a reason to help out a potential friend?"

"Friend? We have never met before today."

"True, but I know you very well, Heine Westenfluss. You're a top pilot and—well, until recently—have been one of the most advent people to the war effort. Your work in intelligence saved thousands of men and your personal skills as a soldier are exceptional if not best. Why wouldn't I want to keep that kind of a person away from prison?"

Frowning, Heine just stared, waiting for him to continue. Durandal shrugged, swinging his arms out to the side. "Well, if you don't buy that, then I'm sure you realize your importance _outside _the ZAFT military."

He shook his head. "I'm not following."

"Let's just say you have connections I'm very interested in."

"Connections?" Names and faces flashed through his mind, but many were either in the military or had recently been in the military like Athrun Zala and Eclipse. Stray crossed his mind and his pace quickened. Did he know he had assisted an ex-SIN-ED member? But how would he even know about that? Given the circumstances, that man had already known about many things Heine had never thought possible, but now his reach just seemed unfair. No human should have that much intelligence at his fingertips. But despite his fear over Stray, his mind's eye lingered on Eclipse and he felt his eyes narrow.

"What do you want from me then? Clearly, you did all of this for something."

He held up a finger and shook it back and forth. "I don't need anything from you at this moment, but let's just say you owe me, Heine Westenfluss. There'll be a time in the future I'll need a man with your skills and if you don't want to be thrown into military confinement I suggest you do as I ask."

Suddenly, his smile became three times more devilish, but the only thing Heine could do was nod. He had gotten himself into the mess and with Lathan's condition, the war spiraling down the path it was, and the many other people he owed his life to, there was no way he could just opt out now.

Durandal extended a hand and Heine shook it.

* * *

"Can you send that information to the bridge?" Eclipse asked her CA, the others turning to her once she had spoken up. Most were deep in thought on what they had to do next, but seeing as Heine had come through, they were about to have more to think about.

Four pages of schematics flashed up on the main screen, two detailing the blueprint to what looked like a giant disk and two more outlining what each individual part indicated. Erika was at her side once they flashed on the screen, trying to make the most of it before relaying all the scientific mojo into something everyone could understand.

"Heine left a message as well," Coffee Addict said once the file was transferred. "It's in a separate file and highly encrypted. It will be done when you come to read it."

"Roger that," she replied, meeting Namarra's eyes once more. Nothing more than a stare was shared between the two, but she was sure the Natural had gotten the message.

Something had gone wrong.

"Did your contact say where this weapon was located?" Kisaka asked, turning from the blueprint to look at the redhead.

"Space is huge, so I'm sure there are plenty of places this could be, but a round about area might be nice, yes," Murrue added.

Eclipse shook her head. "From what I can tell, this was all he sent. There is another message for me, but Addict is riddling it right now. It might say something or it may not. I'll let you know."

Kisaka nodded and turned back to the screen. "Mrs. Simmons, can you make anything out of it?"

She was silent for a moment more before taking a deep breath and wiping her forehead. Her hand brushed one of the bandages and she winced before pointing up at the screen. "This weapon here," she indicated the large dish and triangular device in front of it, "shoots a gamma ray beam. The rays are generated by a nuclear explosion and immediately focused to produce a coherent beam of energy."

"N-nuclear?" Athrun gasped. Eclipse turned to him and frowned. Knowing his father was behind this whole thing couldn't have been easy.

Erika nodded. "Think of it as a giant gamma ray laser. If that thing were shot on Earth, the extreme radiation would sear the entire surface to a crisp, wiping out all forms of life."

"Do you think they'd do it?" Murrue asked, reaching down to grab Mu's hand. It was the first and only time Eclipse had seen her show that much affection around the rest of the crew. Given the circumstances, however, if she didn't show any emotion the redhead would have been worried. Most of the Coordinators had grown up in space, but many of the Three Ship Alliance had grown up on Earth, Eclipse included. No, a little emotion was justified.

"If my father was in his right mind, I'd say no, but—well—we all know he's not." Athrun's gaze dropped, suddenly more interested in his feet than the rest of the room.

"I doubt it's him alone," Kira added, putting a hand on his friend's shoulder. "There are more people on the council than just him."

"And no doubt Rau Le Creuset has his grubby fingers in the mix," Mu said, his face turning sour. "No man with that small amount of sanity could think firing a weapon of that caliber onto Earth was a _bad _idea."

"No matter who is pulling the trigger, I think we can safely say it'll be pulled."

"And that is a scary matter in itself," Kisaka agreed to Waltfeld's comment. "We might have to go back on our initial plan and just get to the PLANTs as soon as possible."

"But there's still something I don't get," Namarra added, pulling all attention to her. "If the EA has nukes, why would they immediately aim at the homeland? Destroying a PLANT won't make ZAFT give up. It'd probably piss them off more than anything and they are still superior in strength."

"Attacking the Homeland would deplete the military considerably though." Lathan tapped a finger against his lips as he spoke. "EA has ZAFT on numbers."

"Yes, but we're more than superior in space." Athrun seemed to have gained back some of his confidence even if his affiliation with ZAFT had been short lived. "Even if the Strike Daggers _are _ready for space, they are few and most likely full of technical errors. That leaves the Mobile Armors and we all know how that has panned out in the past."

Waltfeld nodded. "So they'll be attacking a base, most likely. Or at least a PLANT with one."

"Aprilias would have the most impact, but I couldn't imagine them going after that one first." Erika turned away from the specs. "They'd hit one of the outlying PLANTs, maybe even another agricultural one with military ties."

"At this point in the war, _all _PLANTs have some kind of military tie," Waltfeld said grimly, tapping his fingers across the arm rest. "So, we're still back to picking our starting point."

The room did a communal sigh and slipped into silence. Eclipse wished it was as easy as sending a mobile suit into different directions for recon then reporting back, but no matter where they were sent, the ships had no way of getting to those locations in time to stop the nukes. Their best bet would be to camp out at the closest point possible to all targetable areas and pray their intelligence was good enough to help them get there in time to stop the nukes.

It was really the only option so everyone agreed and hurried off to start the preparations. Lathan and Eclipse went back to the _Kusanagi _hangar as promised and began infiltrating the computer system at the Lunar Base. The redhead's CA had to do most of the work, Lathan telling her the exact paths she had to take in order to get past the security systems. Eclipse had been good at hacking in the past, but Lathan was up to date on all the new software and anticipated every security wall before they had even chopped a path towards it.

"Hah, it's because I was on one of the teams that developed this software—well, a _very_ close copy for ZAFT," he admitted after an hour of hacking. "Pretty good though, huh? I doubt they've had a break in of any kind before this."

She laughed and shook her head.

"You still have the message from Heine," Coffee Addict reminded her in between orders. "I am nearly done with decoding, but will not even get a chance to finish if we continue with this. If I get sucked in too far, I won't be able to detach myself from the system until everything is finished."

"Is that true?" she asked Lathan after she relayed the message.

He shrugged. "No system's perfect, sis. Remember, this was the very first time I had ever done something like this. I haven't had the time to prefect it either." He shrugged again. "Maybe in a couple months to a year I can teach it to multi-task, but this is pretty intense too. If there's a system out there that can do this _and _decode a message at the same time, I'd be scared. Clearly, computers _will _take over the world if we've reached that point already."

"Fair enough. Addict, I need you to save what you have already decoded and make it accessible to me in the Stealth. I'll get through some of it at least."

"Roger that."

"Alright, break over." Lathan cracked his fingers instinctively and cringed, shaking out his right hand afterwards. "Damn, forgot about that."

"The 'still injured' thing?"

"Yeah, that."

Eclipse only smiled. Even though he should have had his fit of depression—and she was a bit worried when he didn't—she was happy to see him trying to return back to a normal life. Aside from the bandages still on his eyes, he spoke like he always had, the redhead often having to remind herself he was blind. If there was one person who could be happy about being blind, it would be her brother.

Lathan scolded her for being sluggish when she nearly missed a cue and she smiled. Good thing he couldn't see her laughing at him.

* * *

Namarra wasn't given any specific job to do so she headed to the hangar after Lathan and Eclipse. The two Rymyr kids had gone straight to Lathan's computer and she had made her way towards the Stealth and Decay. Both suits still had a large amount of work that needed to be done on them. With Lathan and Erika in the infirmary—not to mention many of the other mobile suits in the Three Ship Alliance had been damaged—there wasn't much work done on their suits. They could still fight well in space, but there were many adjustments that still had to be made.

The head _Kusanagi _mechanic was already there when she arrived, motioning for some other mechanics to pull out the canisters containing the Mirage Colloid. He was an older man like Murdoch, just balding quicker and with an accent that placed him from India. His skin still held its deep tan, but for some reason, Namarra couldn't help but notice it looked a bit paler. That could have been because of the extensive amount of time they had spent in space—everyone looked a bit pale nowadays—but it was more likely from the stress and lack of rest. The man, Kuthra by name, was as skilled at chess as he was at mechanics and had even been offered the job as a commanding officer way back when. Eclipse had mentioned he turned down the job because there was too much pressure. Based on what he was handling at the moment, Namarra would have probably chosen the officer route. Somehow, being responsible of the mechanical error that destroyed a battleship or mobile suit seemed more stressful than mapping out battle plans. Then again, chess champion or no, sending people to their deaths didn't sound like a slice of cake either.

"Give us an hour and the Colloid will be out of both suits," he said in his Indian accent, smoothed out over the years, but still a unique addition to his character. "Have you come to supervise or just restless?"

She smiled. "I was hoping to tinker a little with both suits. Lexi is helping her brother with geek duties and I was just kind of left in the dust. There's a lot that needs to be done to these babies before I can feel comfortable with either of us taking them out. Might as well use the time while we have it."

He nodded and turned to look at the suits once more. His fingers scratched the back of his head as he stared a moment longer, turning back to Namarra with a less than enthusiastic look on his face. "It'd say that is a great idea, but with us in such cold water, I'd be worried that we'd be ambushed and your suits would be out of commission due to updates. Start with OS updates on the Decay while we do some major adjustments to the Stealth after we get the Colloid."

"Won't you be busy dispersing the Colloid? I was under the indication it was an all staff job."

"If each ship pitches in some mechanics everything will go smoothly. Athrun and Kira have also offered to use their expertise so it should still be done in ample time. Besides, there are other things us mechanics need to work on." He winked. "We can't all be focused on one task or we'd never get anything done."

Nodding, she wished him luck and made her way to the Decay. Slipping down in the cockpit, she called up the operating system and cracked her fingers. "Alright, Chicabo, let's get going. Any adjustments you want me to make specifically? Or just stick with the old reliables?"

"Old, but new; put it that way. I'm not ready to get out the rocking chair yet."

Namarra gave a quick chuckle. "Me neither."

* * *

Eclipse covered a yawn as Namarra started debriefing her on the updates to the Stealth. She had been up nearly 30 hours straight—running on coffee, no less—and was ordered to sleep, but found her bedroom strangely quiet. Sleeping in her cockpit seemed like a fantastic idea at first until she realized a small team of mechanics—Namarra included—had banded together to fix it up. She doubted the hangar was going to be quiet anyway, but she still had yet to read Heine's message and wanted a little more privacy than a room in a crowded hallway with a nosy roommate.

The nosy one who had been thoughtful enough to help with the Stealth.

"With the limited resources we _do _have, I couldn't add any more fancy gadgets, so you're gonna be working with the bare minimum, unfortunately. Your Scylla is nonexistent—probably floating off in space somewhere—but at least you still have a bigger buckler and some Gleipnir bolts left to play with." The Natural pointed to the Stealth's left arm and Eclipse nodded. "Both blades on the feet have been replaced as well as the two EARP daggers. Given your past performances, we gave you the last two in stock so use them wisely."

"For whatever reason, you like your blades so we tried to stock you as well as possible," Kushra said, joining the duo. "Beam sabers were recharged and fixed as well as the blades under the arms. We had to replace the blade in your right arm—along with the limb, actually. We pulled it from the _Eternal_'s stock so it's of the GINN model. The Stealth will look as normal as its chimera self."

"Thank you," Eclipse replied. "Did you manage to save any of the HiMat system? It wasn't terribly damaged in the last battle, but that stuff is as easily torn as rice paper."

Namarra nodded. "We fixed it as best we could, but am leaving the final adjustments to the OS up to you. You know your reflexes better than I do."

"I need to convert it for outer space flight anyway. I did that for the last battle and I flew better than I ever thought I would. Thoroughly impressed."

"Geez, don't pat yourself on the back or anything," Namarra grumbled, but Eclipse could tell it was in good fun. She would give her comrade some compliments after she heard the whole report. Since she was fishing for them she might as well give her the appreciation she deserved.

"One bad thing I have to mention though," Kuthra went on. "Your HFC-EPR is shot and we have no way of replacing it. Other than that, we could only spare one beam rifle, and half load of CIWS bullets for each of you." Eclipse nodded and reached out to shake his hand. Taking it, he shook it firmly.

"And what about your suit?" Eclipse went on, turning to look at her fellow Berserker. "Anything new that I should be concerned about?"

Namarra did a quick laugh then shook her head. "We don't have that much at our disposal and a lot of the spare parts were welded to the damaged end of the _Kusanagi_."

"Hey, we made it work," Kuthra said, sounding offended by Namarra's lack of gratefulness. "We're not in an easy position out here and can't afford to waste both time and supplies buffering your mobile suits. Besides, the Meteors took most of the long-ranged weaponry once we shifted them over from close-quarter combat. Since they're going to be the ones we most rely on, we had to make sure they had everything they needed."

"Naturally," Namarra replied, but Eclipse just shrugged. Not only had she expected that outcome, but she hadn't wanted any more bells and whistles on her suit either. An armor upgrade would have been a plus, but it looked as if there were some mechanics fitting on another larger shield as they were talking. It seemed to dwarf her left hand, but seeing as she was relying on her defensive skills to keep her alive—well—a little assistance wasn't anything to frown at.

"I've got about the same amount of weaponry as you do," Namarra continued, breaking into Eclipse's thinking. "There was enough extra fuel to refill my INFNO-666 flame thrower, but its battery is shot so we had to reroute the whole thing to my main battery. A little less fun in the scorching area, but I guess I'll make due. Good thing is, they managed to fix my beam scythe. It's also connected to my main battery, so I think I'm going to have to rely mainly on the two beam sabers this time around."

"What about your sniper rifle?" Eclipse asked, vaguely remembering her suit had had one in the past. At least she had remembered something of the sort being loaded back in Orb.

"Destroyed when the _Reagan _went down." She shrugged. "I put my personal one in the cockpit just in case I wanted to get a little creative, but I don't think this battle is going to be as easy to pull something crazy in. A little more chaotic, I'm thinking." Kuthra gave her a sidelong look, not really knowing what she had meant, but Eclipse offered a smirk. It wasn't amusement or excitement for the coming battle, but merely a memory of their capabilities. Both had a repertoire they had yet to fully dive into and it had become a bit of a contest. Just a small competition between friends, but most likely it was going to get one of them killed.

Perhaps that was just the added bonus.

"Well, if we're all finished over here, I'm heading over to see if they need an extra set of hands on the Meteor OS." Kuthra gave a small salute and wave before heading off to the locker room to get changed for the transport.

The girls watched him go before turning back to their suits. "How did the hacking go?" Namarra asked. "You guys were there for a while, weren't you?"

"Haven't slept in over twenty-four hours if that's what you're implying."

The Natural nodded. "Get any headway?"

"We tapped into the transport registry as well as the loading dock records, but have yet to decipher which transports have the nukes. Even if we could figure out those vessels, however, I have a feeling we would never be able to stop the routes coming up from Earth. If we were to interfere, we could cause a lot more damage overall than if we just stayed back and monitored." She sighed and wiped two hands over her face, taking extra time to rub the sleepiness out of her eyes. "Lathan's looking for the ships taking the nukes _off _the base as we speak. Coffee Addict is assisting him." She pointed at her ear. "I still have the earpiece in, but I muted it. Basically, it's in two spots at once, Lathan's computer and my suit, but it can't do more than one function at one time. My brother said that's on the second upgrade."

"So, really, we still have nothing?"

"You can't expect much in twenty-four hours when it comes to a high security like the Lunar Base. Getting in might have been easy, but they're not about to just put the words 'nuke' and 'target PLANTs' in their military records. Finding those code words are most of the battle."

"Then maybe I'll go give him a hand. An EA-minded set of eyes might see something the CA can't relate back to him."

"Thanks." Eclipse smiled. "I'd appreciate that."

Turning she was about to head to the exit when she stopped. "Does he still not want to change his condition?"

It took the redhead a moment to figure out what she was talking about, but frowned in the end. "He thinks there are more things open to him now, believe it or not." She shook her head. "Before we both jumped into this military thing he had wanted to go into biomedical engineering, so making a device to replace his eyesight has been a goal of sorts for him. The only difference now is he is his very own test subject."

"So, he's going to use himself as a pincushion to repair the sight of all the blind? What a martyr."

Eclipse smiled that time, noting her distress. Namarra had come a long way since they had first met. While she was still her young, rambunctious—on the verge of sadistic—self, there was a bit of kindness in her. She didn't like to display that emotion often, but she saw it when they boarded the _Dominion_ and even in the many fights she had stepped in to coerce her old teammates to stop fighting. A lost cause, maybe, but it still showed she cared.

"What?" Namarra asked, contorting her face into something close to disgusted.

"Nothing," the redhead shrugged. "Just noting your humanity."

Scoffing, she left without another word, Eclipse covering a laugh as two soldiers from the _Kusanagi _bridge stepped to the side when she passed. The looks on their faces showed she was not at all happy with the teasing.

* * *

Eclipse finally got to the Stealth's cockpit after talking to a couple more mechanics concerning repairs. There wasn't much to talk about—just a lot of mechanical mumbo-jumbo she had come to get used to in the past year—since they seemed to have everything under control.

Opening the cockpit hatch, she slipped herself inside and closed the door. While the noise wasn't completely drowned out, she still enjoyed the muffled silence and found herself sighing in delight. Her eyes closed almost immediately, but she had to bolt upright, remembering Heine's half-decoded message. That was, after all, the real reason she had come to the hangar at all and despite her fatigue, it wasn't like her to fall asleep before finishing the task. Covering up a yawn, she reached to the side and grabbed the keyboard.

Yawning again, she was about to issue an order to Coffee Addict, but stopped. Talking to that system had become so second nature now she had forgotten everything she had been doing for the past twenty-four hours. Lathan needed that system more than she did and asking for a simple task to be done would only confuse the CA's priorities. Wiggling her fingers, she flipped a few switches then started typing a sequence on the keyboard. She still remembered the old-fashioned way of doing things and after surfing through the OS for about ten minutes she felt the rush of old familiarity. Smiling, she decided to leave her sidetracking for another time and found Heine's message.

_Lexi, I found as much information as I could for you and, I'm sorry to say, I won't be able to find anything more for a while. I've been red flagged by the military and am under surveillance. I managed to get out of this past scrape, but I don't think I'll be able to do it again. I'm positioned at Jachin Due for the remainder of the war. If we do_

And the message stopped. Frowning, she read it once more then put it back in the folder before shutting down the system. Heine had been compromised? _Of course he would be, idiot_, she thought, grabbing the blanket in the cubby before wrapping it tightly around herself. _After everything you were asking him to do, get leave to help you with FS—ask him to smuggle a ZAFT enemy into a PLANT, then look up some highly confidential information—there's a wonder why he hasn't had his head on the chopping block yet. _She frowned and curled tighter into a ball. No matter how close of a comrade Heine was, she kept forgetting the restrictions he was under as a soldier. Perhaps being away from the military, no matter how short the amount of time, has made her careless. Then again, the whole war had probably made her careless because she had never been under many restrictions. She had been allowed to chase after SIN-ED unhindered and now she had been pushing those expectations onto Heine.

Grumbling she closed her eyes. It was too much to think about when she was so tired and all of this self-loathing was pissing her off. She had better sleep then because she couldn't foresee many other instances she would get another chance.

_Sorry, Heine._

* * *

It took one more day to fully modify the Meteors as well as adjust the Mirage Colloid in each ship. The plan was panning out despite the time restrictions and—after a lengthy discussion on where they wanted to camp out and observe—they were on their way towards the PLANTs as inconspicuous as the stars thanks to the Colloid.

Lathan's, Eclipse's and even Namarra's Earth Forces hacking had moved from discovering the nukes whereabouts to figuring out where they were going to strike first. They had discovered the squads responsible for launching the nukes had been ironically named the "Peacemaker Force," but either their commands hadn't been issued yet, or it was flowing throughout the base on word-of-mouth only. Lathan had assured everyone there was no indication they had been compromised, but it still wasn't a good sign. He had promised to monitor the communication lines _only _just in case, but there was still no luck on a first attack.

Everyone was nervous; that really wasn't hard to decipher. The three Astray pilots had taken over personal comfort duties with the cooking staff—since their skills in mechanics were a bit limited—but even if they had been sure to keep everyone on a regular sleeping and eating schedule, no amount of prodding could make a person feel less anxious about the coming battle. Eclipse couldn't help but admire the three girls, however, each one positioning herself on a ship and planning game nights, birthday parties, and even giving the occasional massage therapy just to keep everyone from going insane.

Cabin fever had set in by that time too, the ships' corridors becoming much smaller than they had felt weeks before and the short fuses on many tempers igniting constantly over the smallest of details. Eclipse and Namarra would readily admit to being among the many to lash out at someone, although their nerves were directly tied to their other halves so they sort of had excuses. No one would claim it as an excuse, but at least it kept the girls from getting too lost in their emotions. Typically, they let off some steam by either doing simulations or hand-to-hand combat in designated training rooms or their own bedroom, just to mix things up once in a while.

Cabin fever also ignited a few unusual relationships throughout the Three Ship Alliance. While Eclipse never found herself in the gossip circle and knew everything that was going on with the crew, she did get whiff of a few in passing. Some she had expected, but others slapped her across the face. Sai had been involved with one of the Astray pilots and the other two were currently fawning over both Kira and Lathan. Kira was too washed up with his drama and Lathan too blind—no pun intended—to any advanced while working to notice Asagi's flirting. The expected pairs, Cagalli and Athrun, Kira and Lacus, Dearka and Miriallia, Mu and Murrue; but when Murdoch came up she had stopped listening. Rumors would be rumors, Eclipse figured.

The Three Ship Alliance was about ten minutes from their camp point, hoping they had chosen the right side of outer space to wait for the action to begin. The mobile suit pilots were either sitting in their respective suits or pacing in the locker rooms, waiting for the battle announcement to sound. Funny how some moments the alarm can come at the worst time and others were like this.

Waiting.

"I'm reading some curious activity by Boaz," Coffee Addict said, Eclipse seeing Namarra's hand move in the same motion to her ear.

"Activity?" the two girls asked simultaneously, this time making eye contact.

"Chicabo and I are trying to confirm it. Stand by."

"Forward it to the bridge when you know." Eclipse rushed to the communicator on the wall and called to Kisaka. The three Astray girls were startled to their feet and rushed to Namarra. Eclipse heard the Natural try to explain when Kisaka's face appeared on the screen.

"Lexi? What's wrong?"

"Our suits have detected activity near Boaz."

His eyebrows rose in surprise. "What kind of activity?"

She looked back at Namarra for any more information and she shook her head. Eclipse turned back to Kisaka. "That's what we're trying to confirm."

Kisaka leaned back from the screen and stared for a moment. A soldier muttered to his right and he nodded. "Let me know when _you _know. I'll relay it to the other ships and have Commander Waltfeld check his sources."

"Are we changing course then?" Asagi asked, her face a mixture of hope and fear. Eclipse had expected the fear, but the hope might have been from indigestion because the whole outcome was looking grim.

"No matter when we diverge from this course, Boaz is still a trek." Asagi's face drooped and Eclipse was pulled back to the screen when Kisaka uncharacteristically cursed. "Damn it, they chose power after all." The screen went black and Eclipse looked back at Namarra. The younger Berserker shook her head again and the redhead took a deep breath. Even without the official confirmation they all had the same feeling.

Boaz was under attack and there was no way they could make it in time.

* * *

"Has the attack already begun on Boaz?" Athrun asked. It was a strange transmission, actually, because Cagalli and Eclipse were standing outside their respective suits, the Strike Rouge and the Stealth. Eclipse had gone through the entire argument concerning Cagalli's reckless behavior, but—in the end—came up to the conclusion that Eclipse herself was no different. So, instead of talking her out of it, the redhead decided to support her as much as possible and make sure she didn't get killed.

"Hello, Lexi, you there?"

"Yeah, we're here," Eclipse announced, jumping into the cockpit with Cagalli squeezing in next to her.

"And?" he begged. Kira's face popped up as well to listen to the conversation.

"Commander Waltfeld tried confirming the information with his contacts, but many have yet to respond," Cagalli began. "One did respond with a negative, but that was before Lexi and Namarra's suits confirmed there _was _hostile activity."

"If that's the case, why are they waiting for confirmation?" Kira asked.

"'Hostile' can range anywhere from a full scale attack to a diversion," Eclipse explained.

Athrun finished. "If it's a diversion, we're probably on the right course."

"Besides," Cagalli added, "we're too far from Boaz to do anything helpful."

Athrun cursed loudly as the others frowned. No doubt he knew many positioned there and if this was a full scale attack after all, nukes were definitely in the cards.

"Does Dearka know?" Eclipse asked and Kira shrugged a response.

"We've been in our suits since Colonel Kisaka explained the situation two hours ago. Lacus is currently speaking to Miss Murrue."

"I'll tell him," Eclipse started, but Athrun cut in.

"No, I'll talk to him." And the connection broke.

"We should all head to the _Eternal_, I think," Cagalli suggested, much to Eclipse's surprise. "If any decisions are made, that's where it'll be."

"I think Athrun and I will go up there anyway. He's gonna want a more updated report." Kira nodded at Cagalli's suggestion, but Eclipse was already shaking her head.

"Namarra and I will stay here. We need a couple of pilots ready just in case something happens during the meeting. Besides," she continued with a shrug, "with so many mobile suits in one hangar we'd lose valuable time launching all of them."

"Fair enough," Kira said and ended the link.

"You sure?" Cagalli asked as she stepped out first.

"You'll forward me any important information. And I did well working behind the scenes before so why change a good thing?" Her cousin didn't see convinced and Eclipse sighed. "Fine, I'll listen in. Trust me, Cags, you don't need my input on this one. Hell, I don't even know why all these officers listen to us teenagers anyway. Seriously, what does our two years experience have against decades?"

"They value our input. I think that's why we're doing so well as an alliance."

"If you're saying everyone deserves to voice an opinion, I agree. Just remember that some opinions aren't meant to be acted upon." She thought of Le Creuset and FS as she spoke. While Le Creuset was still a bit of a mystery, FS had way too many unhealthy opinions and—unfortunately—had the authoritative charisma to pull them all off.

Cagalli left with a small salute and boarded her mobile suit. Instead of launching, she stepped out the open hatch, not even bothering to initiate her Phase Shift Armor. A wise decision seeing as it would have been a waste of battery. Erika had explained some other specs to her, but Eclipse had found it to be a hair better than the Astrays. The color wasn't a personal favorite, but since the pieces had been designed at the same time as the Astrays, the color scheme wasn't debatable.

"Where's she going?" Namarra asked, grabbing onto the railing to stop her momentum. Pulling herself down onto the lift, she stared up into the cockpit.

"The _Eternal_. Meeting, apparently."

"And we weren't invited? Pity." Sticking out her tongue childishly, she gathered herself to push off to her suit. "I'm sick of all those things anyway. I almost miss the days I did whatever, whenever I wanted."

Eclipse cocked an eyebrow. "I didn't know those days were gone."

They laughed.

* * *

"Nukes."

That was all the transmission had said. No matter who had sent the message, the word spoke volumes, almost flattering the Earth Alliance with the importance of the word.

They had used nukes.

Boaz was dust.

"Nukes." Eclipse rolled the word around on her tongue as she played the footage on the screen. Now that she had a visual to go with the diction she found herself fascinated by the sheer power in that one syllable. "Nukes."

Cagalli had made it to the _Eternal _just in time to see the final outcome of Boaz and relayed the information to everyone.

"Nukes. They really used the nukes," Namarra breathed, her face on the adjoining monitor mirroring the same look as Eclipse's. "Even with knowing Azrael's in charge I can't believe it. It's just—" She couldn't finish.

Waltfeld's grim face popped up on both screens, bringing the girls into the conversation. "I guarantee you the PLANTs aren't going to take this lying down." Others joined in, much the same dire expression on their faces.

"Yes, I doubt holding back is in their repertoire," Lacus replied quietly, sitting in her seat above the commander's.

"And the PLANTs already have the N-Jammer Canceller technology," Athrun continued.

Kira put a hand on Lacus's chair. "Do you think the PLANTs will use nuclear weapons?"

"Normally, I'd say no if my father were himself." Eclipse saw Cagalli turn toward Athrun, no doubt matching the sympathy in everyone else's eyes. "But right now, I'm not sure."

"Why do things like that exist in the first place?" Kira wondered, his tone sharp. "Nuclear weapons. Well, for that matter, why are there even mobile suits and guns?"

_I know a very capable pilot who wouldn't mind having his suit returned_, Eclipse thought bitterly, but instead voiced a less damaging response. "We all know mankind's making mass murderers look like innocent babes, but right now those weapons are our only hope at bringing this insanity to a close."

"After we'll worry about locking things away," Namarra finished even though Eclipse was sure they were both on the same page. While total pacifism was an attractive world government, it was nearly impossible to accomplish, at least not without a little bloodshed. Looking at the people on the _Eternal _bridge, Eclipse knew the world was about to come as close to that total pacifism as it possibly could. Glancing then at her Berserker teammate, the redhead could also tell who were going to be the individuals painting the path in blood to reach that goal.

"Agreed," Waltfeld said, his eyes shifting to see the girls. He cocked an eyebrow at Eclipse, probably noticing the contemplative look on her face. She must have been displaying too much since he paused, but she held up a hand and shook her head. "So," the commander continued, "are we in agreement that they will most likely be unleashing a full attack on the PLANTs next?" Everyone nodded. "Mrs. Simmons, did you get a chance to configure another possible target?"

Erika looked up from her keyboard on the _Kusanagi _to see the bridge. "Yes and no. We all know the area is large, so we might as well continue on our same course and be prepared to launch the Meteors to play catch up. Splitting up is still _not _an option," she stressed and the others could only agree. "We'll have to do our best this time. Athrun."

He looked up at her when she spoke, his face just as surprised as the rest were to hear him picked out.

"I have to ask you because you would know him better than the rest of us." Athrun's face fell at the mention of "him", the pronoun speaking volumes despite its vague properties. "Where would he place a massive weapon like GENESIS?"

The former ZAFT soldier thought on it, his breathing slow as he sorted through places in his mind. The concentration was evident on his face, but there was just no telling how successful he was going to be. Finally, he let out a deep breath. "Jachin Due is the next biggest ZAFT base that would have any kind of technology and resources able to pull off that kind of weapon."

"You're confident?"

"In that? Not really, but that's where I'd put it," he finished, his voice gaining confidence towards the end despite the sensitive subject.

"That's good enough for me," Waltfeld and Erika said at the same time.

Erika proceeded, however. "Lexi, can you loan Lathan your CA again? I need him to hack Jachin Due's system to try and find _any _indication of GENESIS."

Eclipse hesitated at losing her suit once more, but ended up shrugging in the end. "As long as I get Coffee Addict back for the next battle I have no problem with the two of them working together. Really, it's his creation anyway. I don't have any rights to it."

"With a name like Coffee Addict, you have all the rights in the world," Waltfeld commented and the meeting came to a close.

Eclipse sent the CA over to Lathan as discussed, but not without having it decode the rest of Heine's message.

_If we do meet on the battlefield—I have the ugly suspicion we will—a low profile may be best, but I can't guarantee anything. After all, when have I been one for low profiles? I'm just worried about what nonsense I've gotten myself into this time and hope my association with you hasn't dragged you into any unnecessary drama._

Seeing as she was the one to call him from his team, she wasn't sure where he had gotten the idea it was all his fault. Frowning, the message made her more upset than content and it sounded as if he was in some _really _hot water to say anything like that. Not to mention, the message was encoded. _We'll discuss this later,_ she told herself, making a mental note to corner Heine on the mater at another time. Then, however, she had to start focusing on what was coming next. Soon she was about to be smack dab between nukes and a high-powered gamma ray. Either way, it was two very dangerous evils and she had to pick the lesser of the two.

Or just destroy them both and that sounded nearly as impossible as picking.

* * *

"All ships prepare to move out. All personnel to emergency posts."

Eclipse was already sitting cross legged in the Stealth when the announcement sounded. Opening one eye, she stared through the open cockpit. Unlike her physique, she hadn't been dozing. In fact, she had been listening to Lathan and Coffee Addict bickering back and forth concerning GENESIS. As of that moment, there was no exact location for the weapon, but they had run across a couple curious codenames that might have hinted at it. If they could narrow down where it was located, they could get there first and possibly stop it.

"Pff, wishful thinking," Eclipse muttered.

"I repeat. All ships prepare to move out. All personnel to emergency posts."

Namarra had been down in the locker room for one last bathroom break and she gave a mock salute to the redhead as she crossed in front of the cockpit on the way to the Decay. Eclipse returned the gesture and shut the hatch.

"Coffee Addict, you coming with me now?"

"Affirmative, Lathan can handle things on his own."

Eclipse nodded and put both feet on the pedals, reaching around her back to grab the seatbelts and buckle herself in. Shifting her shoulders, she found a comfortable spot and stretched out her arms. Shaking them a couple of times, she grabbed her helmet and locked it in place. Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes.

"Stealth, you're clear to launch," the _Kusanagi_ soldier said.

"Roger that. All systems green; approaching catapult."

Even with the limited amount of adjustments, the Stealth still moved as fluidly as it had the moment the machine had been given to her. Well, even a little better seeing as the first test run with the Stealth had resulted in a nosedive straight into the ocean. Making one last check with oxygen and power levels, she fitted the machine's feet into the launchers.

"Go for Stealth."

"This is the Stealth. Launching!"

The battle had already begun by the time the Three Ship Alliance had even reached their final destination. There had been a debate on whether or not just to launch all the mobile suits and hope they got there before all the real action started, but, in the end, the decision was made to have the ships go full speed and wait to launch the suits in order to conserve battery life. That meant a lot of nervous sitting and—in Namarra's case, among others—a couple trips to the bathroom.

Eclipse stared out at a mass of mobile suits and battleships alike, the intermingled chaos on the verge of mind numbing, but she shook off the feeling and took another deep breath before flipping the switch to ignite the thrusters and deciding to join the fray.

Namarra, her and Dearka had been ordered to secure the farthest end of the PLANT Homeland since their suits were equipped with the best amount of power for the furthest distance.

The Meteors—along with Athrun and Kira—were ordered to the front not only because that was where the main attack of the Earth Alliance had been taking place, but there was an obvious canal created and no doubt that meant the nukes were on the way next. With the Meteors' capabilities, the Justice and Freedom should not only get there in time, but be able to take out the nukes from a long distance away.

Mu, the Astray pilots, the Strike Rouge and the ships were to come in at the closest flank and make their way to the middle. Neither Athrun nor Eclipse were too happy about Cagalli's placement in relation to theirs, but at least she was next to the ships if anything was to go wrong. They had to live with that.

In the end, their main targets were to stop any kind of nuclear attack, whether it be from the Earth Alliance or the ZAFT army and keep from anyone else killing them in the process. While they might have sounded spread out at first, looking at the digital image of the whole battlefield Eclipse realized the battle area wasn't that large. In reality, the Justice and Freedom could give her support as often as she could give them hers. It would take a while for the Stealth to reach the Strike Rouge at the beginning of the fight, but if they all bottle necked like originally planned, they would all have each other's backs soon enough.

They just had to stay alive until then.

"Everyone, please," Lacus announced once the pilots had all gathered in their respective teams. "We cannot let even one nuclear weapon hit the PLANTs! If the blade of light strikes down on those who are innocent, it can only lead to never-ending tears and hatred."

Eclipse nodded and established her com links. Dearka, Namarra and her shared a nod before being the first ones to enter the battle fray.

Knowing they couldn't get caught up in the fighting before their reached their station, Eclipse unsheathed two beam sabers and urged her suit forward. She passed a couple of fatal duels and turned away, knowing she couldn't do anything for those particular soldiers. One faceoff she did intervene, chopping off a GINN's arm before it could fire its beam rifle at a Strike Dagger. The mobile suit moved the wrong way at the last moment and she cut the arm off too high, the damage most likely sinking down into the cockpit and causing some injury to the pilot. At that point, there was really nothing she could do beside keep the Dagger from taking advantage of the situation. Spinning, Eclipse brought the Stealth around to slice through both legs. The Dagger spun with the force, dropping its beam saber in an attempt to right itself. Eclipse sped off before seeing the final outcome, but no matter how hard she had tried to save the pilots, they were now sitting ducks.

Existentially, she liked the idea of saving every person she could. Sure, that might go against her Berserker code, but she wanted to hold onto any trace of humanity she could. In moments like this, however, even if she had saved a pilot—much like she had just done—there was no guarantee that pilot was going to live for the next minute or two. And that would be a _scary _couple of minutes as well. No only was that person stuck in an unmovable piece of metal, but Eclipse had no way of telling if their communication lines weren't damaged, or if they had any way of getting help.

Her philosophy differed from many on her team whose goal it was to save any and every person he or she could. Noble, yes, but probable? Probably not.

To prove her point, the Strike Dagger self destructed behind her, taking the GINN with it.

"Lexi, the guys are here," Namarra announced, and Eclipse pulled them up onto her screen as she dodged a couple shots from a beam rifle. She lowered her beam saber for a direct shot at the GINN's cockpit, but dropped it completely as she passed, searing off a leg instead.

"You know our orders, Nam. Have a little faith in them."

"But against the Meteors? The Justice and Freedom were already on the verge of overkill and now you add those monstrosities? Lexi, if they die—"

"Hey!" she shouted, taking off the head of another Strike Dagger only to see a GINN shout a thanks and slice a beam through the cockpit. "I can't promise you anything at this point, but you have _got _to trust them. Whatever happens will most likely be in their best interests. At least believe in that." They had had a similar conversation before boarding their mobile suits before the fight. Eclipse was certain the guys were wishing for death at some point in their cycle and no doubt rooting for Namarra to have some sense of a normal life. Why else would Orga have contacted her about the nukes? He had wanted us to have an upper hand and at least know what we were up against. Eclipse didn't think Orga expected to get out of the battle alive and while Namarra was struggling with that fact, Eclipse had at least convinced her to just let life take its course.

"I won't just sit here and let them die if I can _do _something about it!"

"But sacrificing yourself for their sake is a waste, Nam, I'll admit it. The withdrawal would be a far longer and more painful death than here. Please, just think about them."

"I _am _thinking about them."

Eclipse sighed and evaded a stab by a Strike Dagger, countering with a slash across its body, taking off the left arm and leg. Spinning, she managed to bring up a buckler in time to block two shots from a beam rifle, but her suit was already alerting her to the mobile armor coming up on her rear. Cursing, she thrust upwards and let the GINN's shots hit the mobile armor. The Earth Alliance machine exploded and Eclipse brought her buckler back around just in time to have a piece ricochet off the metal. The GINN, however had not been so lucky, another Earth Alliance machine coming up behind it and stabbing a beam saber through the cockpit. Eclipse sliced off the Dagger's head and main arm after that.

They were just too few to account for every life on the battlefield and even though Dearka and Namarra were having the same upward battle, the armies weren't depleting. The PLANTs were unleashing two mobile suits to one downed machine and the Earth Alliance was releasing three. Taking a quick glance at her battery level, she sheathed one beam saber. It was going to be a long fight and even if she felt more comfortable with a weapon in both hands, she had to think of the long run.

She was in the middle of slicing at one of the newer GINN models, a GuIAZ, about to attack Dearka when a blinding light shown through the sky. More accurately, it was a series of bright lights that were nothing more than nuclear explosions. The whole battlefield was stunned for a couple minutes, the ZAFT military more so than the Earth Alliance because they had recovered first, taking advantage of the immobile suits and battleships by attacking as quickly as possible.

Eclipse looked immediately to the PLANT Homeland, unsure where the lights had come from and whether or not the Homeland had been hit. Sighing, she realized they were intact and the Justice and Freedom had managed to get most of the nukes in time. Some of the other ZAFT soldiers had taken out the stragglers.

The Three Ship Alliance battleships had come into range by that time, Lacus's voice sounding over the transmissions. "Soldiers of the Earth Forces, please cease your attack at once!" The battles did stop and any still moving, the Three Ship Alliance suits crippled. "Are you _truly _aware of the consequences of what you're about to do? I repeat, soldiers of the Earth Forces, please cease your attack at once!"

The introduction wasn't what the Three Ship Alliance had expected, however, the entirety of the Earth Alliance focusing their force at them as well as the ZAFT army. More of the Peacemaker Force were launched at the _Archangel, Eternal, _and _Kusanagi_, the nukes getting shot out the air by the Three Ship Alliance suits.

Eclipse watched the scene unfold as best she could, the Earth Alliance forces enraged by Lacus's statement and beginning their assault. The redhead dodged three well-placed stabs and got one in the left leg. The blade came out cleanly, but she had to do some quick work on the Operating System to properly reduce the damage done.

After disarming the Strike Daggers around her, that was the last thing on her mind, however, Yzak's unmistakable voice shouting above the dying wails. "Get out! Freedom, Justice, they're gonna fire GENESIS!" Her breathing stopped as the giant, dome-like object appeared to her right, just behind the ZAFT base, Jachin Due. It looked exactly like the pictures in the file, just the sheer size of it was alarming. Numbers on a page were one thing but to see the massive weapon in front of her—the dome turning red with power—and to even feel space vibrate with energy was daunting. The worse feeling, however, was to realize she and her team were in the line of fire.

And Namarra was nowhere in sight.

* * *

"Nam, do you copy? Namarra!" Eclipse had just seen her moments ago and even with the various nukes getting destroyed and chopping down the mobile suits, there was no way she wouldn't be able to see where the Decay had gone.

"Lexi, we have to go _now_," Dearka hissed over the communication line.

"I can't find Namarra."

"She's a big girl and can take care of herself. Have a little faith!"

Ironic that he should use that phrase since she had just used it on Namarra minutes ago. He was right though and she swallowed. The ZAFT forces had retreated quickly, many already back near the PLANT Homeland. There were stragglers picking off the Earth Forces following, but there was a definite line of fire they were creating.

"Lexi!"

"Fine!" she shouted, and the two machines darted off towards the _Archangel_.

It fired.

Eclipse saw the monstrous beam of light out of the corner of her right eye, the radiance breathtaking despite its destructive power. Combinations of reds, blues, and yellows were all mixed together to form a rainbow. It frayed out at the sides, as it expanded from the weapon, light particles sparkling to the sides, but Eclipse knew better than to think those were harmless accessories. When one of those particles touched a machine or ship, there was an immediate reaction. The metal twisted as it melted; contorted into something unrecognizable before the heat connected with the oxygen inside and caused a chain reaction.

That, however, held no contest to those in the line of fire.

Eclipse stopped breathing the moment she saw the beam connect. It took no more than milliseconds, the beam searing through the battleships, a small explosion and then the whole thing was just gone; vaporized along with everyone inside. Machines popped like popcorn and were gone, leaving no trace that they had even stood there. Even the mobile armors holding the nukes contorted then popped like ants under a magnifying glass, the nukes not even making a flash compared to the pure beauty of the gamma ray. Fleet after fleet of Earth Forces personnel were disappearing in seconds and the ones standing watch could only stare on breathlessly, grasping their controls as if the harder they held on, the less likely they would get sucked away.

The beam was nothing more than a quick blast, but there was nothing left in its wake; a pure version of space the universe hadn't seen in centuries. Outside of that firing lane littered mobile suit and battleship debris, so many half destroyed, but still on the verge of death from being so close to the tragedy. Eclipse watched a couple waver and willed her hands to move the controls over to help, but by the time her brain even registered what she was looking at, the metal contorted in and they exploded in a series of lights.

"Oh, God," Eclipse breathed, her ears deaf to the screaming transmissions. "Oh, God oh, God, oh, God." Her mind was silent, a mixture of awe and utter horror clouding her from both Coffee Addict and the _Eternal_'s transmission. "Namarra!"

"Lexi Rymyr!" Waltfeld shouted, Coffee Addict having to shock her for a second to bring her around. "Fall back. Regroup at the _Eternal_."

"But Nam—"

"We have her on route."

"R-roger," she replied, hearing Dearka do much the same thing. While she had expected a large scale attack, she could never have anticipated something of this magnitude. Even with Erika's description of the weapon, Eclipse doubted even a highly skilled engineer like that wasn't rendered speechless.

Out of all the appropriate stunned reactions, however, there was one man more proud of the destruction than any army combined, Eclipse knew.

Chairman Zala.

"Courageous soldiers of the ZAFT forces, we can no longer tolerate the aggression of the arrogant Naturals. Once more, the PLANTs have come under nuclear attack. This is no longer a war, it is a campaign of extermination! We can no longer forgive the Naturals who made these terrible acts without remorse!"

The Stealth steadied herself on one of the Meteor docks as the Justice came into view. She could only imagine the pain on Athrun's face then and no amount of comforting from anyone was going to make that go away. His father had just declared an attack on the Naturals as a _race_ and that meant _every_ one of them. The war had no longer become a few skirmishes over territory, or minor beliefs. No, it had become a war over genetics; the very fabric of every human being.

"Our new future, for the light of creation, is with us!" the chairman continued. "This is a day of history marking the advent of a bright new world of Coordinators! The _new _Mankind!"

One man believing in such heresy was hard enough, but when Eclipse heard the whole bulk of the ZAFT army chanting, "Victory," after the speech she felt herself grow ill. How were they supposed to stop _this_? The Earth Forces were most likely on the verge of utter panic and what chance did they have against a weapon like GENESIS? Their nukes were limited, exploding upon impact and not searing through objects like the gamma ray. And all GENESIS had to do was power up in order to fire again. There was no need to wait for more shipments or for the missiles to even be made.

"How are we supposed to stop _that_?" Athrun asked, his voice a mere whisper over the transmission.

"We never said it was going to be easy," Eclipse replied, but she had no force behind it, the velocity of the statement not even holding up in a mere book club. Neither of them saying nothing more, he hooked up the Meteor then headed to the hangar while Eclipse followed. Her suit didn't need many major repairs, but her battery could use a little charging. Since most of the suits had gone to the _Kusanagi_—that worried her for a second because she thought the _Archangel_ had been severely damaged, but all seemed well—she ushered herself inside and hooked up the Stealth.

"Lexi, I can't find the guys," Namarra said, her transmission coming in amid static.

"Nam? Oh, Jesus, Nam, where are you?"

There was a pause. "I'm heading back as ordered. Mu's following."

She gave a long sigh. Even though Waltfeld had said she was returning, no doubt she had needed a little prodding, but Mu was always the parental sort and knew what he was up against. "I'm at the _Eternal_."

"Heading to the _Archangel_."

"I'm sure we'll all be able to communicate with each other somehow."

"But, the guys—"

"I'm working on it right now," Eclipse said, pulling the keyboard down in front of her. "I'll infiltrate the _Dominion_'s database and see if I can get any information. If anything, they'll have an updated listing of head count."

She half expected Namarra to help her, but she was still shaken. A lot of it could have been from her proximity. While Eclipse hadn't seen where she had ended up, the direction she had been heading couldn't have been towards an absolute safe haven. And with Mu escorting her, she could have been anywhere in the battle zone. And probably damaged.

"Nam, how's the Decay?"

"My machine's fine. I'm missing an arm, but that's a minor fix. The _Archangel_ has promised to let me use one in their storage."

"Good."

Their transmission ended and Eclipse sat down to work, making sure to keep a sound transmission open from the bridge. She didn't want them to see what she was up to, but still wanted to listen in.

Cagalli had started talking first, probably the first one to arrive from the _Kusanagi_ given they were the two closest ships. "Mrs. Simmons, did we _know _that weapon could to that much damage?"

"Given the schematics, we had expected a large blast, but I didn't even think it would get to be over four hundred miles wide. Looking back at the information, it calls for three hundred miles and doesn't even factor in, what I like to call, the 'mesh on the dress.' Basically, it's the particles projecting off the main beam, causing the destruction area to double. Seeing as it's a nuclear explosion," she went on, as Eclipse finally managed to break through the first wall of security on the _Dominion_'s files, "I had expected the original specs to be off a little bit because that kind of a reaction is hard to control. However, _double _the destruction zone wasn't what I had predicted."

"Do you think their next target will be Earth?" Murrue asked.

"Essentially," Waltfeld began, "the role of any long distance weapon of mass destruction is to serve as a deterrent, but that doesn't matter anymore because they've both been used at this point. Nukes and _that _thing. Somehow, I don't think either side is going to hold back now, especially after the chairman's declaration."

There was another pause and this time even Eclipse felt it. She had gotten past the second and third wall of security, but she was losing focus. Trying not to get too drawn into the conversation, she quickly went through the soldier roster and came across Namarra's three brothers. Giving a sigh of relief, she had Coffee Addict send Chicabo the okay just in time to hear Waltfeld break the silence.

"It seems evident that neither side will hesitate to use those weapons again." He sighed and she could just imagine the sorrowful look on his war-weary face. "The first time that I actually had to shoot someone, it churned my stomach."

Eclipse felt her heart skip a beat. Her own first experience with murder had been just as unpleasant, the memory of her vomiting over MR's death giving her a sour taste in her mouth.

"They told me that I'd get used to it in time, and after a while, that's what happened."

Eclipse frowned again, pushing the keyboard to the side and curling up in her seat. She had come a long way from that moment, from abhorring that feeling of killing, to tolerating it, even enjoying it as she went berserk, and finally to a vague acceptance. It was just something that happened in her life now. Even on the battlefield, she had seen people die—even had been the cause of most of them—but had reserved herself to thinking it was a fact of life. Did that make her a bad person? Was the commander speaking as if that way of thinking was inhumane? Or was he just commenting on the way that the militaries were thinking?

Murrue seemed just as confused although, her tone of voice indicated she was coming to much the same conclusion. "Are you saying it's the same way with nukes and that weapon?"

"Isn't it the same thing? People can get used to _anything_, even fighting _and _killing each other." There was another pause before Waltfeld continued. "Is it weapons that are the cause of all this fighting? Or does the real cause lie within the human heart?"

_Then how do we fight that?_ Eclipse thought sadly.

Kira spoke up, "Whether it's the nuclear weapons or that light, we _can't _let them use those things on each other. If that happens again, it'll be too late for anything."

It was distant, but Eclipse heard Athrun agree and that made her smile a little. She was happy to hear he had joined them on the bridge despite his personal dilemma. And being there seemed to have an affect on his confidence, because no matter how far he had sounded, there was authority in that answer. He had remembered why he had chosen this path in the first place.

Lathan jumped in this time after a couple moments, probably in the same area as Erika. He was grounding everyone back into the reality of the situation, it seemed. "The only thing in our favor is it can't fire consecutive shots. My guess is that they need to change the mirror every time they fire it."

"But the main section is made of Phase Shift armor," Waltfeld said, "and we have to get past Jachin Due _and _all of the defensive lines they placed around it first. The Earth Forces _will _be coming with a full scale attack, but it'll still be hard to get past those defenses."

"How much time does it take to replace that mirror?" Murrue asked.

"About an hour, maybe a little more," Lathan replied and Erika added in her agreement. "With the Earth Forces taking that amount of damage, the mirror would be aligned and ready before they could even mount another attack."

"Is the second target going to be the moon? Or are they actually going to attack the Earth?" Waltfeld's question held a lot of weight. They were in much the same predicament earlier when they weren't sure where the Earth Alliance was going to fire the nukes. GENESIS—as compared to the nukes—seemed like such a bigger threat, however. It was interesting to see how much the tides had turned.

Kira broke the silence that time. "The Earth Forces are going to be attacking with nukes, aren't they?"

"Yes," Murrue said.

"So, we'll have to stop both of them," Eclipse heard Cagalli say, probably sounding a bit more confident on the bridge than it did through the transmission.

"So, how much time until the mirror is replaced?" Murrue asked, her voice quivering for only a moment.

"According to our notes, we have about thirty-two more minutes," Lathan announced.

"Then my next question is, are we to go look for survivors?" Eclipse asked, breaking her silence and jumping into the conversation.

The adults seemed to think about it, and—surprisingly—Murrue was the one to give an answer. "As we were coming here to meet up, ZAFT had already released some teams to either grab the ZAFT stragglers or take care of the Earth Forces leftovers. After the chairman's speech, I doubt they'd go easy on them."

"They _were _attacking the retreating Earth Forces mobile suits," Athrun mentioned. "I agree with Murrue and there won't be any left no matter how much we'd like to save them."

Eclipse listened for Kira, expecting him to argue the comment, but he said nothing. Surprised, she opened her mouth to remark on his uncharacteristic, but the announcement from Miriallia startled them all.

"Attention, the Earth Forces fleet has begun its assault."

"What?" Murrue shrieked. "Already? There's no possible way—"

"Probably trying to attack before GENESIS fires again. Rash, but not unwise." Waltfeld paused. "Miss Murrue and Miss Cagalli, you should both be getting back to your ships."

"Yes, sir," they replied.

"All vessels, prepare to move out!" Waltfeld announced. "I repeat, all vessels, move out!"

Eclipse turned off the transmission and straightened in her seat. "Stealth heading to the catapult."

"Roger that, Stealth. You're clear for launch."

Eclipse wasn't quite sure what to make of the battlefield this time. ZAFT had its army surrounding Jachin Due, facing the oncoming EA army. It was like an old town brawl, waiting for the clock to chime noon. The redhead took a breath.

"Lexi, you're going to stay by the ships. Our main target is going to be GENESIS, but we're gonna have to get through both armies to get there," Waltfeld said, sounded exhausted. "The Justice and Freedom will keep an eye on the EA's three machines as well as the nukes. We'll make a path for them through the ZAFT military."

Eclipse nodded. "With that Phase Shift armor, it's gonna take every bullet and missile we have to even scratch the thing."

"I know. Unfortunately, our best bet may be to wait until they fire the next shot."

"It might be the best moment, but if they fire on Earth, we're done for anyway."

"Tight spot, isn't it?" Waltfeld sighed.

"Y'know," Eclipse started. "Ever since I've met you, this whole war thing has become terribly complicated."

He just laughed. "Funny, I could have said the same thing, except about Miss Lacus."

Eclipse heard him twist in his chair to look at his younger companion, but she either didn't hear him or wasn't in the mood to reply.

Neither of them wanted to pry either.

The Strike, Decay, Buster and the three Astrays launched seconds later, mobilizing near each other while waiting for the final three suits: Justice, Freedom and the Strike Rouge. From one mobile suit to the other, they shared a few words, wishing each other luck, among other things. Looking at the vast armies ahead of them, each had some feeling or another, this was going to be the final battle. Or, at least by this time, they _had _to make it the last fight. With the two armies wanting to attack each other with nukes mankind couldn't afford any more large scale attacks like this one.

Finishing up on last remarks, they all silenced. Eclipse felt the weight of the unsaid conversations, but bit her tongue and waited for the Justice and Freedom to get attached to the Meteors.

And so the battle began.

Eclipse and Dearka formed a team while Namarra went to accompany Mu who guarded the _Archangel_. With Eclipse's good close quarters combat, Dearka was a good foil, his long range shooting keeping many stragglers from picking her off. Mu and Namarra worked much the same way and since the _Archangel_ was the prime target of the _Dominion_, Namarra's team change made perfect sense. The redhead just hoped she didn't go overboard and cause harm to anyone else because of her selfishness regarding her brothers.

It was a matter of not having enough time to gather up themselves and try and factor in what the Earth Alliance was going to do. Coffee Addict announced GENESIS's attack after she had seen the weapon begin its countdown. With no solid plan of how to destroy the thing, it was easier for the Three Ship Alliance mobile suits to just linger before jumping right into the line of fire. The familiar glowing red growing in intensity was the sure sign that the ZAFT military had chosen its target and was ready to make that next step. While the Three Ship Alliance had been afraid ZAFT was going to aim and fire on Earth, the obvious trajectory had been the Ptolemaeus Base on the moon. The devastation was much the same, however, the magnitude of the attack nearly putting a crack in the orbiting rock and securely demolishing the base underneath. This time they must have had more control over the blast because the aim was dead on, even moving up the crater to capture the whole base in the destruction.

Eclipse felt ill once more after seeing the final demolition.

"Damn it, that _had _to have taken out half of the remaining Earth Forces at _least_," Dearka hissed, adding in his own versions of cursing.

"We must never allow them to fire that device again," Lacus said, more emotion behind that statement then Eclipse had heard from her in the past couple of meetings. The sheer magnitude of the battle must have really sunk in and not only that, but some parting words with loved ones puts everything into perspective. Who was going to come out alive this time? Would any of them?

"The EA's not going to take that sitting down. There must be a separate force carrying the nukes. Find it!" Waltfeld ordered and Eclipse had no more time to digest her morbid thoughts.

She dodged a puny mobile armor coming towards her. As it went past, she drew an EARP dagger and threw it at the missile launchers on the side, scraping over both of them as it went past. She didn't know where the dagger finally rested, thanks to another mobile armor speeding her way. Using her beam saber this time, she sliced off the right missile tube and watched it spin away from her.

"Well, wait a minute," she heard Dearka stutter and her attention was immediately drawn to him and a Strike Dagger. "We're trying to stop GENESIS too!" Aiming, he tried to disable the suit, but—in the end—had no choice but to put an expert shot through the cockpit. "This is nuts! Is _anyone _on our side?"

"Optimism isn't apparently," she replied, cutting a beam rifle in half before slicing the legs from the GINN. "Apparently, you're not recognized as a ZAFT mobile suit anymore." Spinning, she clipped the arm of one Dagger before searing off the head and arm of its partner. One Dagger managed to get a good strike in, however, the beam scraping against the Stealth's left leg. It wasn't a deep enough wound to cause major damage, but Coffee Addict still wasn't pleased.

Dearka shot through the head and crotch of another Dagger as Eclipse kicked one away and into its comrade. When the two suits collided, the beam saber slipped through the cockpit of the one on top and it exploded, leaving Eclipse behind to frown about the unfortunate circumstances.

"_Nazca_, nine o'clock," Coffee Addict announced and she spun. There were actually two ZAFT ships coming in their direction, one already letting loose a string of missiles.

"Dearka!" she shouted, sheathing one beam saber and grabbing her beam rifle in one motion. Aiming, she managed to snipe two missiles out of the air cleanly, giving her comrade enough time to turn and dodge the next two, only to have the missiles target and ignite on two Daggers behind him.

Two GuIAZs came at her next, one distracting her with some shots from its upgraded rifle as the other pulled out a beam-edged sword. The redhead had seen such a model on earlier mobile suits, but had no idea they were still being produced. Last she had heard, the weapon had drained too much of the battery and usually left the mobile suit vulnerable since the metal was unable to deflect beams. Everything was thrown into the mix for this battle. Dodging its downward strike, the Stealth pulled upwards, bringing up the buckler on her left arm just in time to skim one shot away from the rifle on the other GuIAZ.

Recovering quickly, the GuIAZ with the beam-edged sword thrust upwards as she was defending, trying to cut her legs out from under her. Anticipating the danger, she reversed her momentum and scooted backwards, avoiding the attack from below and forcing the GuIAZ with the rifle to stop firing just in case he hit his comrade.

Eclipse smirked. Pressing the button down on top of one joystick, she spitfired her CIWS at the GuIAZ with the sword, forcing him back. A couple bullets chipped his armor before he brought up the shield, but she knew one had managed to take out his camera. The memorable red eye at the top of the suit was black and the glass cracked. For a second, the suit just floated, Eclipse wondering if he had even had the reflexes to close off the area before the oxygen had leaked out, but didn't have much time to wonder as one of the _Nazca_s let loose four missiles in her direction.

"Seriously?" she hissed, spinning to send Gleipnir bullets at two of them—accepting the loss of two grapples instead of throwing a beam saber—and twisting to unleash CIWS at the other two. All four exploded with a hiss and pop before a beam clipped the back of her suit just under the HiMAT wings.

The momentum shoved the redhead forward in the cockpit, making her stunned for a second, but nearly a second too long. A second shot had gone wide and since she had recovered before the third one, she dodged it just in time. Her HiMAT wings screamed in anger after the movement, the damage close enough to rattle the system, but not enough to put it out of commission just yet. Cursing, she decided to try a different approach.

Twisting, she dove down towards the _Nazca_ below her, bringing her left buckler up to ricochet the CIWS up and away as her right arm contorted to slice the barrel of the other machine gun next to her. Knowing battleship makers didn't want to make the turrets so mobile on the nose of ships that they could turn and fire on each other, Eclipse stood on the ship's nose and stared at the two GuIAZs she had just been fighting. They were rushing in her direction, but doubted her reasoning for standing there. Pointing her beam saber at the bridge window, she waited for them to come closer.

And right into Dearka's line of fire.

The Buster fired a shot that took off the legs of both machines, the momentum sending them spinning away from the ship. Offering a thanks, Eclipse turned to the bridge just in time to see many soldiers scrambling away from their positions in some desperate attempt to get away from her point blank shot.

Grumbling a word close to "cowards," Eclipse holstered her beam rifle, drew her second beam saber again, spread her arms out wide and crouched low. Thrusting forward, she seared through the remaining turrets and twisted down under the ship to disable the missile launchers. Done with that, she flew back up towards Dearka and cut the arms off two Strike Daggers before they could get in an attack against the Buster.

"Show off," Dearka said with a small laugh and let loose another shot to take out three Daggers.

"Me?" she asked innocently and fired a barrage of CIWS down at a coming GINN. It blocked her shots easily. Eclipse was bracing herself for the close quarters combat when the Buster's cannon appeared over her shoulder, Dearka taking off the GINN's head.

Eclipse frowned. "Clearly, _you're _the show off."

They shared a moment before the Buster's left foot was cut off. The blonde cursed loudly while Eclipse spun to find the culprit. Apparently, a Dagger had thrown its saber towards the two of them. Either that pilot had impeccable aim, or a terrible one since he missed anything vital.

"Hey—" she began, but was cut short when the suit exploded. It was anticlimactic, in a way, mainly because no mobile suit stepped up to claim the kill. Most likely, the Dagger had had its moment of glory before it was taken out by a different suit.

Ah, the chaos of war.

"There's the nukes!" Kira announced, bringing up his visual for everyone to see. He was right, there was a squad of mobile armors with nukes strapped to their missile launchers followed closely by the _Dominion_ and about four other _Agamemnon_-class battleships. And the kicker was, Namarra's three brothers had fallen back to join them as well.

"We can't let them get to the PLANTs!" Athrun shouted, following Kira over to the Peacemaker Force.

Murrue came up on the communication. "The _Archangel_ is going after the _Dominion_ and giving support to the Justice and Freedom."

"Roger that," Waltfeld agreed. "The _Kusanagi _and the _Eternal_ are going after GENESIS."

Dearka, Cagalli and Namarra chased after the _Archangel_ while Eclipse had decided to stay with the _Eternal_ and _Kusanagi. _She watched them all go with a small amount of remorse, but knew she couldn't just leave the two ships to go alone to face the entirety of the ZAFT military. Yes, there were a small number of M-1s and two of the three Astrays left to make a little dent, but Eclipse wasn't naïve enough to think that would be enough power to break through to Jachin Due.

Two GINNs came after her in particular as they neared. Even the other suits seemed to be aiming at the mobile suits instead of the battleships right off and Eclipse understood why once the remaining Astrays were outmatched and destroyed.

Cursing loudly, Eclipse went into a frenzy. The first GINN she dodged, thrusting quickly under the attack and slicing upwards from crotch to throat. Spinning, she kicked it into a coming GINN and threw an EARP dagger at the one behind, blinding its cameras just in time for the top GINN's battery to explode. Eclipse knew they were dead long before she heard the wails and went to get the two GINNs that had killed the Astray pilots.

The first one she forced low and into the _Eternal_'s line of fire. A few quick and damaging slices to the mobile suit's exterior forced it to spiral out of control and into a barrage of the _Eternal_'s CIWS.

"Hah!" she laughed and dodged a GuIAZ attempting to come up from behind. The pilot was spewing some kind of curses over the communication line, but she just blocked it out. It wasn't until that moment she had noticed the grapples under each arm. They hadn't been the same as her Gleipnir bolts, however, because these ones launched and exploded upon impact, more like small grenades with guiding wires.

It let loose three of them, the Stealth's HiMAT system stable enough to dodge and allow her to get in a downward slice, dislodging the grenades. Before they got too far, however, Eclipse grabbed the straggling wires and threw them back at the GuIAZ who shot them. The ZAFT pilot must not have been expecting that turn of events because it froze despite the ample amount of time to get out of the way. Two grenades hit the head and right shoulder while the other hit the crotch, the combination of all three explosions leaving the pilot a grotesque paint stain on the cockpit.

"Lexi, don't stray too far," she heard Waltfeld order.

"Roger that," she replied and rerouted herself towards the _Kusanagi_, noting more M-1s were falling to the sheer amount of enemies.

* * *

While Namarra had faith in her Berserker counterpart, she knew the _Eternal _and _Kusanagi_ couldn't hold on against that large amount of ZAFT mobile suits for long. Letting loose two precise bursts from her CIWS she took out two launching nukes, speeding away just in time to avoid the attack from another and giving a quick thanks to Dearka when he took out the missile as it moved past her. She had no other long distance weaponry than her CIWS and that was supposed to be for close range anyway. Why she had chosen to join the _Archangel_ was beyond her, but as soon as she saw the Justice and Freedom dueling with her brothers she knew better than to second guess her instincts.

Taking a breath, she had an internal debate. Should she go over there and help? Watching the two mobile suits with the Meteors sway and waltz through the sky made her feel inferior for a moment and not only inferior, but made her feel like a mere sprinkle on the grand scheme of a wedding cake. She didn't want to just go over there and cause someone to die, Kira and Athrun included. So, she swallowed her pride and went over to help the _Archangel_, aiming for the Earth Forces ships flanking the _Dominion_.

The first battleship must not have been expecting to see such a small mobile suit attempt to destroy it because it rarely even targeted her. The mobile armors surrounding the ship were a little smarter because they saw her as a threat immediately. The only problem was, they had nowhere near the strength and ability they needed to take Namarra down.

Slicing through the first mobile armor, she had a little trouble dodging the minor attacks of the second one before stabbing a wrist blade in its cockpit and kicking it down at a turret on the Earth Forces ship just in time for it to explode. Touching down on the nose just after the explosion, she stared at the bridge. What she would give to have her flame thrower be connected to another battery. To conserve energy and save the flame thrower for a last ditch effort, she would just have to make due with her second favorite, her beam scythe. It had barely made the final cut, but if she didn't have that, she would have been practically useless.

And would have felt a little naked.

The curved beam grew from the rod as she brought it back around her back and swung out in an arc. First, she took out the remaining turrets then twisted her grip and slashed the weapon down into the nose of the ship. The explosions started immediately and Namarra jumped up from her handy work. There was no time to admire it since two Strike Daggers raced in her direction after she jumped ship.

"Damn Coordinator scum!" one shouted, but Namarra didn't have the patience to correct him. Ducking under his lazy stab, she reversed her suit and swung upwards, cutting the mobile suit in two. Spinning, the other Dagger had rushed blindly and got caught in her side swipe, the beam searing right through the cockpit.

"_Namarra_?" she heard a male voice spit through a transmission. There was nothing more to the message, but that one word was familiar enough. Turning, she saw the _Dominion _closing and knew Azrael had been watching her closely. Smirking, the Decay made a mock salute and curled the same palm together to leave one, middle finger sticking upright.

The _Archangel_ called her off after her pleasant conversation and took over as main target for the _Dominion_. She went over to support Dearka instead and found herself facing three mobile armors. Deciding to save her battery life, she sheathed the scythe and pulled out her two beam sabers. The mobile armors managed to get a short barrage on her, but she dodged and blocked, slowly forcing her way closer. One mobile armor actually ran out of ammo and she made quick work of him first, ducking under the flimsy grappling arm and cutting the machine in two. The other mobile armors became cautious after that, driving the Decay back towards their battleship to gain support, but Namarra caught onto their game and reversed directions, spinning and twisting through the two mobile armors. The machines panicked and started firing rapidly, following her path through the two of them and ending up riddling themselves with bullets.

Turning, she noticed Dearka just in time to see him put two expert shots through the hull of the ship.

"Nice shot," she complemented, her breath coming out in short rasps.

"Not too shabby yourself, youngin," he replied, a smile sounding through the statement.

Their chat was short lived, however, the Duel passing between them both and followed quickly by the Raider.

"Clotho!" Namarra shrieked, but there was nothing she could do at that distance. Without getting up close and personal, she was practically useless. Glancing over at the Buster, Dearka was already two steps ahead of her. Instead of targeting the Duel, however, he had his sights set on the Raider. Really, she shouldn't have been surprised, but she still felt a twinge of remorse.

A Strike Dagger thankfully pulled her attention away from Dearka's shot, the Decay speeding down to catch the Dagger before it could do any damage to the Buster. Grabbing her one EARP dagger, she threw it at the suit. The throw went too wide, but it was enough to distract the one-track soldier. It saw her immediately and charged towards her, shield and beam saber outright. Gripping both beam sabers, she waited for it to cross the distance and blocked its first attack.

The beam sabers hit in a series of sparks. Namarra's initial plan was to slip her other saber through a leg as they grappled, but the pilot was good, placing his shield in a way that kept her from doing just that. Cursing, she let loose her CIWS bullets and blinded her opponent, indenting its face and hearing Chicabo's complaints as some of them bounced back onto the Decay.

Namarra debated making some kind of inappropriate comment, but bit her tongue and felt the Dagger's attack lessen. The sabers slipped enough for Namarra to get close to its left shoulder, the heat from the beam searing through the wiring and causing the arm to lose both strength and mobility.

"Hah, checkmate," she spat after a couple more seconds and kicked the suit back, slicing through its middle as it floated in front of her.

It was a shallow victory, however, one of the Earth Forces ships having gained ground during her skirmish and already aiming in her direction.

* * *

Eclipse cut down one more GINN on her way to the _Kusanagi_. The second one she came across gave her a little difficulty, probably a really good friend of her first victory seeing as his fierce attacks were wildly unexpected, but terribly dangerous. He shot at her once with his rifle then continued to chop down at her with that same weapon. At first she didn't know what to make of it, but eventually blocked the rifle with a beam saber and used her CIWS to damage both the weapon and the mobile suit wielding it. Her puny bullets did little more than damage the cameras, but that still didn't stop him from advancing. Swinging out wide with his arm, he tried grasping the Stealth, but she was too fast.

_What are you doing?_ she asked herself, trying to avoid another couple stray shots from the _Nazca_-class battleships. _You can't hope to beat me without a weapon._

She heard Kisaka call her back to the ships for support and brought up the _Eternal _and _Kusanagi_ on the screen. Most of the M-1s were either destroyed or too damaged to do much of anything to the ZAFT military. Cursing, she turned back to her adversary as he tried to grab her once more. "Get a hold of yourself and realize when you've been beaten!" she shouted and sliced off his right arm. His left hand spun around to finish the attempts, but he got an unfriendly blade slice through his forearm. The hidden sword under Eclipse's right wrist swung out, cutting through the metal and wiring. Using her left beam saber, she seared the remaining arm off at the shoulder, tossing it at the torso to force the machine even further away.

"Go save yourself!" she yelled through an open transmission, but there was no immediate reply from the pilot inside. Thrusting forward, she cut off both legs before circling back around. She didn't get far, however, surprise making her pull the Stealth short. The cockpit was open on the GINN and the pilot was firing a handgun in her direction. The bullets did nothing more than tickle her armor, but the sheer determination mixed with desperation in that bold move alone made her frown. Sheathing both beam sabers and the sword at her wrist, she aimed her beam rifle at the unfortunate Coordinator and fired. The shot wiped him out completely and straight to the GINN's battery, the machine exploding and adding its metal to the debris.

Frowning, she made her way back to the _Eternal _and _Kusanagi_. What was that pilot fighting for anyway? Some sense of honor? GENESIS was built to wipe out the whole Natural race and he thought he was fighting for something noble? Suddenly, she understood how the others felt when they were trying to explain her own captivity. Had she really looked that pathetic?

"Lexi, new plan," Waltfeld began, a grunt slipping through his lips as the _Eternal _got nicked from the side. "We need you out of the line of fire."

"On the contrary," she began, dodging and destroying a string of missiles as they came at the _Eternal_. "You need me out here to keep these missiles off your back."

"You're wasting too much energy. Stabilize yourself on the bow and have the CA link with our power source." He grunted again and shouted a firing order to one of his soldiers. "Snipe from there."

"I'm gonna need a bigger gun than my beam rifle."

"Then get one."

She shrugged. "Roger that. Stay alive till I come back." Leaving the immediate battlefield, she did a little pillaging. Finding an intact—and functioning—GUIAZ rifle, she brought that back along with three other shields she had found from some Strike Daggers. The shields might not have been of the best quality, but she needed something at her back if she was just going to be a standing target.

Returning, she wove her way down onto the _Eternal_'s nose, away from the turret fire and far enough away that the enemies wouldn't hit the bridge when aiming at her. The first thing she did was wedged the three shields into the gap where a turret used to be. She lined up two in front of her and placed one behind her.

"Cover me," she said and crouched down to pull up the _Eternal_'s outer paneling so she could reach the same battery line that turret had been using. Instead of connecting the GINN rifle to the Stealth's battery, she linked it into the _Eternal_'s and let Coffee Addict handle the specifics as she watched for any coming enemies. One came close enough to throw a beam saber at, but no others were immediate threats.

The _Kusanagi _fired its Lohingrin cannons as she lifted the rifle and watched the ZAFT ships shift away from the blast. Many dodged the attack, but the heat alone had caused some major damage to the armor. Lifting up the weapon, she aimed and smiled.

"So this is why Namarra loves her sniper rifle so much."

* * *

Namarra dodged as quickly as she could, but not even her advanced reflexes could keep the Decay from coming out unscratched. Two beams went through the right leg, the one at the knee taking the bottom half off completely. Given what the damage report was going to be if it had stayed on, she was thankful for the amputation, but was still not happy about the circumstances. Drifting to the side, she managed to open a lane and dove towards the Earth Forces battleship, grasping her scythe as she descended. Dodging one barrage, then two, she managed to sideswipe the ship and take off two turrets, but was forced away when three Daggers aimed in her direction.

Flying away, she nearly ran into Mu in the Strike. At first she thought he was caught in some kind of mess—not like they weren't all caught in a war or something—but his suit displayed purpose and direction. "Hey, where you going?" she asked just as Chicabo brought up three battles onto the screen. It was Shani fighting three suits, the Strike Rouge, Buster, and the other Chicabo named Duel.

"It's _him_," the older pilot hissed. "He's finally shown his face."

"Le Creuset?" she asked, but barely got the words out in time to see a bright flash monopolize one of her screens. Turning to that one immediately, she felt her chest tighten and the whole battlefield went mute. _That wasn't him_, she told herself, staring at the screen in denial. _There are so many others_—

"Shani!" Orga shouted and Namarra knew better than to second guess the agony in that cry.

"Sh-Shani?" she echoed, her voice a mere whisper. Her hands slipped from the controls to shake up near her chest. "Shani!"

"Namarra!" someone yelled and after an abrupt pull, she realized the Strike had just pulled her away from an attacking Dagger. "Pay attention!"

The numbness quickly vanished with that one jerk, her emotion skipping from shock to rage. "You son of a bitch!" she screamed and flew at the Earth Forces' machine.

Hacking once, she took off the machine's head with her scythe.

Hacking twice, she took off its right shoulder and side near the cockpit.

Sliced through its waist.

Skimmed the front of the cockpit.

The back near the battery, but still not destroying the suit.

Her last attack she screamed, cutting the scrap metal from neck to stomach and even twisting to make a slash from side to side.

"Namarra!" Mu shouted again, but she was past listening.

Looking up at the screen, she saw Kira slash down at Orga's suit, but miss.

"Namarra, stop it!" Mu shouted again, this time pulling the Strike in front of her. A bit gutsy considering what she had just done to the puny Strike Dagger.

Orga's suit exploded.

She screamed.

* * *

**A/N:** So, this is another chapter long overdue. Between work and getting ready for school, editing has been a bit slow. I've already started on the next bunch and am debating whether or not to just put it out all at once. Hm, you'll have to see next chapter, I guess.

Also, I'm no sure whether or not I want Heine showing up in the final Jachin Die battle. Thoughts? Coincidences concerning Heine are getting a bit old so I'm on edge. Let me know!

Special thanks to my Betas who brave a lot of odds to get these chapters back to me. _Death-Scimitar, CSSStravag, _and _Maderfole, _I couldn't ask for a better crew! Also, a thank you should go out to the many others who both keep me writing/editing and are always willing to help.

* * *

**Corrections to the Narrative:**

****More info on GENESIS earlier in the battle. Made more sense given the many contacts these people have.

I tried to keep the major moments in order, but I also did my best to keep the story my own too. So, if anything's off, please don't hound me too bad.

There might be some technical things people are going to have issues with, but this is easily the biggest MS battle I've written. Give me a little credit maybe? :P

* * *

**Questions/Gripes:**

Yes, _Waltz_ is finished and if there are any fun moments or stories you want to have me write, let me know.

* * *

Alright, a small note this time, but I'll see you all next chapter!

_Strata_


	58. It's Not Over Yet

It's Not Over Yet

Eclipse screamed in frustration, wishing she could just go out and hack them all, but with both ships now gaining ground with their big guns, there was no way she could fly out and start being a hazard. Turning, she aimed at the mobile suits coming in from her left, but the shot went in between the group, making them all scatter. Seeing as her job had shifted from blood boy to number one superfan with a gun, she was doing more distracting than attacking.

Cursing, she felt another beam cut through her left leg. That had been the second well-placed shot within the past ten minutes and she could only cuss as she felt her suit crumple with the damage. Grabbing onto the shield in front of her, she kept the weapon upright in her left hand as she swung her torso forward. The remainder of her left leg propped itself up on the remainder of the shield in front of it. Really, it looked more like a crutch given how thin it had gotten over the past attacks, but she wasn't about to be picky.

"Addict, increase power to the HiMat to stabilize the suit and increase rotation degree for the waist."

"Roger that," Coffee Addict replied as Eclipse brought the weapon back up in time to distract another GINN from getting off a shot at the _Eternal_'s wing.

"Adjustments made," the CA said.

Just in time for another shot to take off the head.

* * *

"What's the matter, Mu?" a deep male voice asked, Namarra barely hearing it over the blood rushing to her ears. "Playing babysitter?"

"Rau Le Creuset!" Mu shouted, but didn't leave Namarra's side as she had predicted. He still swept her suit from side to side, aiming and taking fire at the many mobile armors trying to take advantage of the damaged suits.

"Maybe I should just leave you to these rats," the male continued, Namarra recognizing him by name and reputation alone. Funny how this was the first time she had met him and she wanted nothing more than to tear out his Adam's apple.

Mu didn't respond that time, but Namarra had heard enough. Letting loose a frustrated shout, she tore the Decay's arm from Mu's grip and spun on the Strike. "If you won't get him, I will," she spat, the Berserker more than happy to make a little carnage. "If his tongue's going to be flapping that much it should be on a flag pole."

"Can I, please?" he asked, adding to the mockery and almost making the Berserker think Mu had a split personality of his own. An Earth Forces ship started firing in their direction, letting loose the last—well, that was what Namarra figured—of the Peacemaker Force.

She smirked. "I'd rather play with the big boys." Without waiting for an answer, not like she had a doubt Mu wasn't going to attack Le Creuset, she sped towards the battleship. Her scythe was the first thing out, cutting down two Daggers as her speed surprised them. The Berserker made sure to aim for the cockpits that time, angry at an individual willing to come at her with a gun. While they had no direct link with her two brothers' deaths, they were breathing and that was enough of a reason.

"Go to Hell," she hissed as she sliced through one more, managing to grab its beam rifle before the explosion caused it any damage. With the scythe in one hand and the rifle in the other, she did quick work with the CA and aimed at the mobile armors slipping out of the ship with the nukes. She took two shots, hitting the nuke on the second one. Blaming the miss on the lazy calibration, she just shrugged as debris and aftershock hit her suit. Despite bracing herself got the impact, the aftershock was much more powerful than she had anticipated. Even in her Berserker mindset, she found herself battered around the cockpit. Her side hit the controls to her right, joysticks and levers jabbing into her ribs as her head knocked itself silly against her seat. Adrenaline served her well, however, the Berserker propping herself back into the seat with nothing more than a headache and the faint metallic taste in her mouth.

Her suit, on the other hand, didn't fare as well. One metal piece of debris wedged itself in the Decay's head, forcing the appendage to tear halfway off. Another piece sliced off the remaining foot and still two others—albeit small pieces—buried themselves into the Decay's hip.

The Berserker just laughed. "Please run, little mobile armors," she cooed at the three trying to get away after the blast. "I always enjoy a game of cat and mouse."

It was a short chase, to be sure. Namarra realized after the first couple times of trying to surge the Decay forward that her thrusters had been damaged by the debris. Cursing, she took aim instead and just sniped them off. Three nukes and mobile suits remained. One she hit with a well-placed beam and that one exploded into one other. The third was slowly getting out of reach, however, and no amount of immediate prodding would make her suit change its mind. Looking up at her damage report, she realized one thruster was still functional and gave a small cheer in her mind.

"Chicabo, bypass the damaged thruster and reroute all propulsion power to the remaining one."

"Roger that."

Bringing up the operating system, she stared out her flickering cameras and saw the mobile armor getting further and further away. Cursing loudly, she brought up the beam rifle to take aim despite the distance, but held off on the shot when the mobile armor and nuke exploded. Looking around, she saw the Strike Rouge fly away to chase after the Justice and frowned. The Berserker had let a rookie pilot make the kill.

"Ah, shit," she muttered and continued tweaking her mobile suit as the battles around her died down. Despite the pure chaos before, she was suddenly surrounded by an eerie silence. The only sound came from the clashes between Mu and Le Creuset and that was nothing more than their bickering over the radio. Bringing up their battle, she finished up the adjustments and looked for a way to help out her older comrade. While the Berserker wasn't known for her sense of camaraderie, she didn't want the skilled pilot to just get killed.

Getting the A-okay from Chicabo, Namarra was about to head into the fight when it finished. Le Creuset unleashed an attack that even impressed the Berserker. The mobile suit Le Creuset was piloting had an odd system, one Namarra had never seen nor faced before. While it still had a humanoid body, the mobile suit had an additional system to its typical weaponry. The back of the suit housed a giant shell, one reminding her of both a turtle shell and the HiMAT flight system the Stealth had. The only difference being, the spokes of the flight system were actually mobile and could fire on their own. Namarra had a chance to see that system at its deadliest as it cut the Strike to ribbons. The separate pieces circled the already damaged Strike and all shot at once, the pieces so expertly placed the beams never crossed nor did they hit their fellow weapons on the other side.

The Berserker almost shouted out Mu's name in defiance, but—for whatever reason—the smaller weapons didn't destroy the Strike, merely made it both nonfunctional and on the verge of explosion.

"Le Creuset!" she yelled, but he had already sped out of sight to his next target. The speed of his mobile suit was also impressive and given the Decay's current status, there was no way she could catch up to him.

"D-damn," Mu stuttered, Namarra bringing him up on her screen. He looked as bad as his suit, blood racing down his cheeks from inside his helmet. Holding his side, she saw him sputter a little, red liquid trickling out the side of his mouth.

She frowned. "You're not going to last long."

Looking her in the eye, he matched her frown before his lips curled into a sheepish grin. "Through your Berserker eyes, I'm sure I look like shit. Remember though," he coughed, "your other half has a lot more faith in me than that."

Namarra gave a "Hmpf," and moved one joystick forward, the Decay's hand reaching out to grab the Strike's remaining appendage. "Then we'll get you back to the _Archangel_."

He gave another cough. "T-thank you."

* * *

Eclipse was blind. Her cameras had been shot through and she was little more than a wounded sitting duck, instead of the healthy one she had been before. Really, there didn't seem to be a major difference, but feeling another shot hit the _Eternal _deck next to her, she begged to differ.

"Le…status?" the transmission asked, the link too full of static to recognize the voice. Since the buzzers were wailing in her suit as well she was lucky she had even heard a word.

"Not good!" she shouted back and pulled up her operating system as a couple more shots hit nearby. "Damn it, my only option is to use my own eyes." She cursed once more as her hand hovered over the lever to the cockpit door.

"You're kidding, right?" Coffee Addict muttered, but the redhead ignored it and flipped the switch. The door flew off with more force than she had anticipated. The suit wavered in the momentum, but still stayed steady, at least steady enough for it to crouch a second later and cover up the new hole. "At least use the targeting equipment!" the CA added and a side panel opened to reveal a cord. Looking at the one end, her suit mentioned something about her helmet and she plugged it in to the side near her neck.

The front of her helmet glowed green for a moment before it turned into a computer screen of its own, target crosshairs alighting and moving in front of her vision to follow the mobile suits they were targeting.

"Y'know, this is probably better than the other system." She didn't wait for a reply and took aim with the gun still on the Stealth's shoulder. Firing once, she was forced to adjust the calibration when it went wide, but that was a minor fix compared to the insanity they were trying to contain at that moment.

Two more shots missed and Eclipse had to shake the sweat out of her eyes. She was exhausted and they hadn't even broken through the ZAFT defense line yet. She could only hope that help was coming soon.

One of the GINN's fired its beam rifle. Eclipse saw it on the screen, but couldn't do anything about it in her condition. Staring, she just watched the beam get closer to her little fox hole and knew it was going to hit the shield right in front of her open cockpit. With little to nothing left to protect her from such a high intensity beam, she cursed. The Stealth surprised her, however, its left hand reaching over in front of the shield to block the beam with the forearm. The armor remaining on the Stealth still wasn't enough to keep it from getting severely damaged, but even if parts chipped off the appendage, the shield between her and the attack remained intact to block the debris.

"You son of a bitch!" Eclipse spat, her Berserker half breaking through and forcing back the survival panic rushing through Eclipse's body. "Go fuck yourself in Hell!" The Berserker aimed and fired two bursts, one going right through the cockpit and another to take out its companion next to him. "Or better yet," she added, shaking the sweat away again, "go fuck each other."

* * *

The Decay and Strike couldn't move too fast given the state of each mobile suit. It was amazing, actually, that they could even truck on their own and not get aimed at. It was still desolate, the fighting having moved over towards Jachin Due and GENESIS. The only other fighters left were the _Archangel_ and _Dominion_, still on their warpath towards destroying each other. As they came closer, however, both pilots could see the fight was at a ceasefire and the _Dominion_ looked to be—"Evacuating?" Namarra asked. "But why?"

Mu didn't reply, but she could see him crane his neck up to see. The man was pale, that was the most cliché and appropriate way to describe his state. The blood on his face looked black with such a ghost-like complexion and knowing his only salvation was aboard the _Archangel_ the Berserker gave a little ironic chuckle.

"We're lucky they aren't fighting, actually. Maybe they'll let you back on without a fuss."

"We can only hope," he replied breathily. "Damn it, here."

Namarra felt the Strike shift its weight off of her and start warming up its thrusters once more. "Should you be doing that?"

"The propulsion system's fine believe it or not. And if we want to make it to the _Archangel_ before all hell breaks loose, I suggest we book it."

Namarra didn't complain and added as much power into the thrusters as she dared, Mu opening a line to the _Archangel _as they neared. The Berserker didn't hear any of the conversation, but saw the ship opening the side hangar hatch. It was mostly for emergency landings and given the extent of their desperate journey—well—emergency was a good word to describe the predicament.

The Berserker saw it first, but Mu was the only one to react despite his fatal injuries. The _Dominion_ had dropped the hatch for its Lohengrin gun and the _Archangel_ seemed none the wiser. Mu was gone before Namarra could even reach out to get him. The Berserker wasn't sure if letting him go was some sense of mercy for the older pilot—seeing as she didn't even think he was going to survive his injuries—or just some bad reflexes on her part. For the most part, she was injury free, so her reflexes should have been as quick as they normally were and despite her exhaustion, she had never failed in the past to make a quick judgment. This time, however, she was frozen as she watched the Strike race over to the _Archangel_.

"Mu, stop!" she shouted, but he was too focused to give an answer.

The _Dominion _fired.

And the Strike stopped in front of the _Archangel_ bridge to stop the blast.

"Didn't I tell you I could make the impossible, possible!"

The Strike exploded.

Namarra froze. It was one thing to see her brothers die and another to see the man who was a father figure. At one point, she had come to accept her brothers' death, but Mu's? Why did he die? Did he really have to? In the grand scheme of things, could that man have angered the gods enough to deserve that?

"Mu?"

No response.

"Mu!"

Faintly, another voice was added to her distraught cry and she recognized it right away. Narrowing her eyes over the tears, her body shook with more rage than sadness. No, she was sick of it; all of it. She was tired of watching her loved ones die.

Even the Berserker screamed this time. "Murrue Ramius, fire!"

The distraught _Archangel_ could do nothing else.

* * *

Eclipse couldn't see much of what the _Kusanagi _was doing, but she could feel the _Eternal_ every time it shot its beam cannon. This time she wobbled back and forth, the biggest jerk happening just as she was firing at a GINN. The shot missed, as expected, but two more mobile suits appeared on her screen as blue crosshairs. After a moment, names formed underneath, the Justice and the Strike Rouge.

"Hey, took you long enough!" the Berserker yelled, having to readjust her operating system again after the rocking tipped her off center. "You'd better have done more than dilly dally!"

"So says the person sitting on the job," Cagalli replied, setting the Strike Rouge right down next to the Stealth on the _Eternal_'s bow. "Damn, rough time?" she mocked.

"You think?"

"I demand that ZAFT cease firing GENESIS immediately," Lacus ordered, her voice straining over the universal communication line. "We've experienced the pain and sorrow of the nuclear attacks, yet we're inflicting the same suffering on others. Will anything be made right if we fire it? Or will more innocent men, women and children lose their lives? Is this justice?"

Cagalli helped prop the Stealth up straighter. Since the Berserker had refused to retreat to the _Eternal_ hangar as ordered, the only thing she would let the Strike Rouge do was help her aim.

"Don't you realize yet what these attacks on each other are giving birth to?" Lacus continued, but Eclipse doubted anyone else had even heard what she was saying. "Do you want even more sacrifices?"

"Rouge, Stealth!" Waltfeld shouted. "We're going to fire on GENESIS. Brace yourselves!"

"Roger that," the girls replied, the Stealth reaching out and grabbing onto the Strike Rouge as the pink suit did the same.

"This had better work," Cagalli muttered, but the Berserker had no time to respond, the _Eternal_ rocking as its Gottfried cannons fired.

And didn't even make a dent in the GENESIS Phase Shift armor.

"Nothing," Eclipse breathed. Cagalli jumped from the _Eternal_ deck to better see the damage, but the Berserker hadn't been wrong.

"We'll have to push our way into Jachin and destroy the controls," Athrun said, his resolve indicating he had come up with that decision a while ago.

"Athrun!" she heard Lacus yell and was about to add her own two cents when Cagalli changed course and joined the Justice near the _Kusanagi_. No doubt, she was going too.

"There's no time," Athrun said, disconnecting the Justice from the Meteor. "Let's go."

"Athrun! Cagalli!" Lacus yelled, but even Eclipse knew nothing was going to sway their determination.

"We'll be fine. Trust us," Cagalli said, but trust wasn't the problem. The Orb Princess was a novice fighter and even more amateur when it came to infiltrating enemy bases. If the Stealth had been up and functional, there would have been no doubt in her mind that Eclipse would be the one following him in. Instead, the two machines took off, probably not thinking beyond the instant adrenaline and Athrun's sudden urge to stop his father before he did anything drastic.

As if what he had done thus far wasn't bad enough.

"Athrun, no matter what happens in there, it's _not_ your fault. Got that?" Eclipse added a little more force into the last two words, but he just gave her a quick salute and they left. She sighed. "I don't think he got it."

"Athrun will be Athrun," Lacus muttered, apparently listening in on their conversation.

"Yeah, and you youngsters will never change either," Waltfeld grumbled, grabbing the water bottle offered and taking a long swig. The fighting hadn't stopped completely, but there was a slow enough lull that the ships could update each other on statuses.

The _Kusanagi_ had three M-1s left, one playing sniper on the _Kusanagi_ bow much like Eclipse and the other two had made it to the hangar. The suits were no longer functioning, but at least the pilots were alive. All three tester pilots had been destroyed early, the girls' deaths leaving Eclipse with a sour taste in her mouth.

The _Eternal_ was functioning at about seventy percent. The Justice was with the Strike Rouge and the Freedom was still strong with its Meteor. The Stealth was practically wires and scrap, but rather stubborn.

She didn't know Namarra's condition exactly, but Eclipse had already been relayed the bad news about Mu. If she hadn't been berserk, she probably would have shed some tears, but no amount of death could make her battle worn body do anything other than stay alive.

Dearka was injured and sitting in the _Archangel_ hangar. At first, she wasn't sure how the Buster could get massacred enough to send Dearka to the infirmary, but one good look at the monstrosity of a new model lit a few light bulbs. The Stealth flashed the name Providence. No pilot information was given, but on transmission and Eclipse knew right away.

"But the real world isn't as kind as the one in pop songs." Knowing Le Creuset, he had been having his own conversation and she had heard the end snippet.

"No matter," the Berserker muttered and aimed. Her shot didn't get too far, however, a smaller beam cannon coming up on the Stealth's left side. At first she thought it was a piece of debris, but as the tip began to glow a light green, her eyes widened.

"You made a good run, Berserker, but its time to share the spotlight."

It fired, a beam melting through the arm holding the upgraded beam rifle.

The blast and bright lights made her shout. Cowering as deep into the cockpit as she could, she felt the heat melting her space suit, but could do nothing to get away from it. Even Coffee Addict was screeching, probably more concerned about the cockpit's inner heat system overheating. A couple controls popped, sending both sparks and levers into the trapped pilot. She wasn't sure how it happened, but something must have tripped her life support system on her pilot suit. It made a popping sound than an audible hiss before she slowly started to feel the frigid space air biting at her skin. At that rate, not even the Berserker's hot rage could hold off space's lifeless temperature.

"Transferring all data," her CA said, repeating the action a couple more times. The arm and gun were out of sight, but that was the least of her worries as she noticed her warming blanket had fled along with the rest of her suit in the chaos.

It was a strange thing to not hear anything going on outside. Even though there was a battle going on, her ears felt deaf. Her communication equipment was gone so there was nothing she could do but sit there and enjoy the fact that she was going to freeze to death soon.

"S-seriously?" she stuttered, her body's survival methods making her shiver to keep warm. "D-death by ice-ice cube?" As if to add to the poor irony, a large blast hit the _Eternal_ sending her dead suit flying to the other side of the deck. It hit one turret and rolled over, tumbling out into space. Eclipse held on as best she could, the adrenaline rush giving her body a small amount of heat, but she was forced to spread out to keep herself steady.

Her first thought, ironically, wasn't nausea, but when was she going to stop? No gravity meant she would never slow until she ran into something and was there really that much debris this far out? The Berserker was determined not to panic, however, her brain always thinking of a way out. Concentrating, she listened for _anything_, but couldn't hear anything outside the blood rushing to her ears. She was spinning so much she couldn't even make out a distance. Did the _Eternal _notice?

Did _anyone _notice?

"Addict."

No response.

"Coffee Addict!"

Nothing.

"God, damn it, Coffee Addict, respond!"

Her breath quickened, fogging up her helmet as her adrenaline rush started to fade. She was alone and who knew how far away? With no communication and no CA she was as good as dead.

Dead.

Die.

Die?

"Coffee Addict!" she shrieked, but that last ounce of effort took her body heat with it.

"I'm gonna die." It was hard to remember when she started to care. There was no one out there who wanted her to live for him or her. No victim with a last request she had to fulfill. So, it had to be for herself. Over the course of the past months, she had come to that conclusion and it had taken the moment of her death to realize it.

Crash.

She stopped.

Eclipse's body crashed into the right side of her suit, her frozen limbs groaning with the abuse. If she didn't break anything she would be surprised.

She had no idea what she had hit because all she could see was open space. The battle had to be a _long _ways away. Then the Stealth turned again. Blinking, it took her a moment to make out the grey and blue-armored mobile suit. Most likely, it was holding the Stealth in its hands, but she couldn't make out much.

Instantly, she curled into a ball best she could, one hand grasping a loose lever to keep her body steady. If she had a savior, she wanted to make sure she was still warm and conscious to thank him.

The mobile suit's cockpit opened.

Her initial reaction should have been to grab a gun, but at that moment it was just a quiet reminder, like a minor back spasm that she couldn't massage away. No matter how strong her will was to live, she couldn't deny the truth that she would be helpless to stop a bullet.

Watching the hatch flop open, she just focused on breathing, determined to go down seeing her savior or killer, depending on the soldier's agenda. There was a ZAFT redcoat in the machine, but after a short moment of confusion, she realized he wasn't aiming anything at her. In fact, he seemed to be shouting something as his hand beckoned her forward.

Her whole being was sluggish then, her brain just registering his last mouthing before the pilot leapt from his cockpit into hers.

"Oh, God, you're half frozen! Your life support—"

She recognized the voice, didn't she?

"Y-Yzak?" she said, but it came out a whisper and her lips barely moved. He must have been too busy to hear, his hands working carefully at the fingers grasping the lever. Finally loose, he wrapped her up and carried her into his suit.

"Oh, God, oh, God, oh, God, oh, God," he chanted, closing the cockpit and rubbing his hands fast over her arms. Some ice actually chipped off into the cockpit and he reached over to turn up the internal temperature. Unclipping her helmet, he tossed it to the side and started unzipping the top half of her suit in order to get the cold material away from her body. "Fuck! _Eternal_!" She didn't hear much of the conversation, the heat from the cockpit and Yzak's efforts bringing her body temperature back up to shivering. At least her body had regained enough will to keep itself alive.

Still talking, his body collapsed forward to grab the blanket under his seat. "Damn it, Lexi!"

"L-Lexi?" She took a breath as he tucked the blanket around her. "Y-you c-called me L-L-Lexi."

"Well, that's your name, isn't it?" he shouted at her. "Damn it, you ask such stupid questions. Just shut up and concentrate on getting warm!" Squirming, he grabbed both her gloveless hands and rubbed them between his, her fingers slowly—but painfully—stretching out again. Watching him, she missed another transmission from what sounded like Dearka, but she was more amused by his shouted response.

And impressed he hadn't noticed she had been berserk the whole time.

"Damn it, Athrun's still in Jaqchin Due, the _Archangel_, _Eternal_, and that Orb ship are breaking through our defenses and the commander's fighting the Freedom." He paused to start rubbing her calves and shins, trying to get the blood pumping. "And I'm here keeping the enemy alive? Well," he added quickly, "who ZAFT dictated as my enemy anyway. And then Dearka just had the nerve to tell me Jachin Due is about to explode and GENESIS will fire." After a couple more minutes of grumbling he sighed.

Eclipse felt the Berserker fade away, its survival instincts no longer needed. "Th-thank you," she said but was still too cold to smile. Actually, she wasn't even sure if she was saying it solely to Yzak or to the Berserker too.

Startled, Yzak looked down and they made eye contact for a moment before he cleared his throat and put his hands back on the controls. "C'mon, you have to get to the infirmary and I have to make sure no ZAFT personnel are near GENESIS if it fires."

Wincing, she sat up further so Yzak could have a little more mobility and curled far enough into the blanket that it covered up to her nose and ears. Still sitting across his lap, she tried to contain her random shivers and looked over at what was left of her Stealth. Her CA had been in the process of transferring so she knew the system would be fine, but she would never see her chimera again. And after all the effort it had gone through to keep her alive, she felt a bit of remorse.

"This is going to be interesting," Yzak muttered, flexing his hands on the controls. Eclipse felt his arm muscles twitch, knowing her position was going to make things difficult, but there was no where else to go.

"I c-could—"

"No, now grab onto something _not a weapon_ and make sure you don't flop around."

She gave a brief chuckle and winced, feeling the pain in her chest through the motion. Apparently, her lungs had frozen a bit more than she had anticipated. Still, she didn't want to make him worry more. "Yes, sir."

* * *

Namarra shook her head sharply, determined to make that tear move from her vision. She had thought watching Orga and Shani die had been horrible, but merely hearing about Clotho's death seemed worse. The best words Dearka had used to describe Clotho's mental state at the end was, "nervous breakdown on crack." Not the most poetic way to put things, but at least the pilot had enough decency to contact Namarra directly and tell her what had happened to Clotho and Shani.

No matter how many apologies she would be given, however, she was still pissed. Why after spewing so much nonsense about wanting to save everyone did Kira decide to kill _them_? She would have to talk to him later.

"Namarra, I need you to try and damage that mirror as best you can," Murrue ordered, her voice calmer than she had expected. Perhaps she was focusing so hard on finishing the battle that she could bury the pain of losing Mu. Namarra, on the other hand, decided anger was the best method.

"Roger that," she replied and drew her scythe. The blade flickered at first, her suit complaining about its lack of energy. Even Chicabo had mentioned something, but the system was just a faint voice in the background. "Oh, get over yourself!" she yelled, hitting the console and throwing the weapon off to the side. Glancing around, she noticed a rifle much like the one Eclipse had been using on the _Eternal_. Grabbing it, she checked the condition then looked at her battery level. She would be able to get off one good shot and then exhaust herself. While it wasn't a promising end to her involvement in the fight, she really had no other choice.

"Technically," she began, "the Earth can just suck it. But then again." Connecting the gun to her main battery, she sped off towards the triangle mirror in front of GENESIS. "I don't think even I would like to live in space forever."

She relayed her plan to the _Archangel_ who promised to swing over and pick her up after she fired. Realizing that was the best service she was going to get, she stopped out of GENESIS's blast radius and aimed. "I'd better get a fuckin' medal or something for this."

She fired.

* * *

Yzak was relaying orders while she sat there staring at the screen in front of her. Yzak had put GENESIS up and she watched Namarra aim and fire at the mirror. The weapon itself hadn't been high enough caliber to cause much damage, but it might have changed the trajectory enough that the Earth wasn't in the direct line of fire. Mission accomplished as far as Eclipse was concerned.

Her shivering had stopped a couple minutes ago, the warmth in the cockpit bringing up her body temperature enough so she could relax. If there was one thing she didn't like about shivering, it was how tense her muscles got and stayed throughout the whole endeavor. Even if she was warm by that point, she now had other aches to be concerned about, the biggest one being in her chest. All the rattling inside the cockpit must have bruised a couple of ribs, as well reminded her she had two very sensitive organs called lungs. She had yet to take a deep breath because it hurt so badly, so she took many shallow ones. Knowing Yzak had a lot to concentrate on, she didn't expect him to notice and she didn't try to flaunt it. She would be fine soon anyway.

"How much time is left until the base explodes?" Yzak asked, the Duel still on course to the _Eternal_.

"We're guessing under two minutes, sir," the soldier replied and both pilots in the Duel tensed.

"_What_? And GENESIS is just going to fire?" Yzak hissed.

"We have no way of stopping it, sir."

"So you're just going to give up and let it wipe out life on Earth?" The soldier didn't reply right away and Eclipse could feel Yzak's dilemma. It was a hard choice for a solider to choose between duty and morals.

Yzak slammed his hand against the armrest. "Don't you get it? There are Coordinators on Earth too, you bastard! You won't be wiping out just the Naturals and where do you think we get most of our resources?" He hit the armrest again. "How dumb can you be to think we can attack our mother planet and still survive?"

"But, sir—"

"Forget it." He looked down at Eclipse and she nodded, knowing what he was thinking. One last attack on that mirror before the weapon fired. "Just make sure everyone stays _away_ from GENESIS."

"Under two minutes doesn't give us a whole lot of time. What weaponry does the Duel have left?" Eclipse asked. A battle caught her attention at the lower left corner of the screen. She recognized the Freedom immediately and when she saw the Providence waltzing in step she frowned. They were getting terribly close to GENESIS.

Yzak didn't seem to notice, already changing direction towards the weapon as he spoke. "The Duel had some upgrades before the fight, the mechanics putting in an extra battery much like the Stealth. As of right now," he brought up the operating system and began making some swift adjustments, "we are at the warning level with the current battery, but that won't make a big enough of an explosion. So, we'll use the new one." The second battery detached from the back of the suit and the warning sirens immediately started blaring, indicating the low battery level. Spinning, the Duel grabbed the battery and threw it at the mirror. It exploded on impact.

Just as Jachin Due self-destructed.

Just before GENESIS began to glow.

And just as the Freedom and Providence slinked into its blasting radius.

"Shit!" Eclipse shrieked, but Yzak was already speeding them away, the blast from the weapon giving them an extra bit of momentum. If her breathing was harsh before, it definitely hurt now. With the added adrenaline making her blood pump faster, she could feel her heart pounding in her chest and the added discomfort of it sometimes skipping a beat.

"You alright?"

"I'm fine," she lied, staring at the screen as the Duel turned back towards GENESIS. The whole explosion wasn't merely the weapon firing. In fact, the whole thing was in the middle of exploding. Even with the added stress onto the mirror, the weapon wouldn't just destroy itself and—as far as they knew—GENESIS was not supposed to self-destruct like the base.

"That blast had to be a large one in order to destroy that thing," Yzak breathed. "On par with a nuclear explosion, I should think."

"All the Earth Forces nukes had been destroyed." Eclipse saw Yzak's eyes go wide, but was too focused on her own personal dilemma to be following his train of thought. "What?"

"The Justice and the Freedom have nuclear cores."

Now, Eclipse's eyes grew. "Athrun was at Jachin."

"Yzak! _Yzak_!" Dearka yelled, his voice barely audible through both the static and over the mobile suit's alarms.

"Yes, we're fine, but—"

"Did Athrun and Cagalli make it out of Jachin?" Eclipse cut in, her voice rising in volume. "_Please_ tell me neither of them were involved in that explosion."

"I don't know anything, Lexi, I'm sorry. We don't have a visual on much of anything at the moment. Have you seen the Freedom?"

"Last we saw he was fighting the commander around GENESIS," Yzak responded, his face grim. "A little too close to GENESIS."

"He _has _to be alive," Miriallia said, Eclipse seeing Dearka look over at the girl sitting there.

"Namarra?"

He nodded. "She's on board, just not out of her suit. As far as we can tell, she's uninjured."

She nodded as well. "Thanks, Dearka."

"We're gonna check in with the _Eternal_," Yzak said, "then I have to make sure ZAFT doesn't try anything else rash."

"Roger that. Good luck, Yzak."

The _Eternal_ had been making its way to the _Archangel_ as they spoke, followed closely by the _Kusanagi_. They each shared much the same concerns about Athrun, Cagalli and Kira, but none of them had any updated information. The only thing they could say for certain was that both the Justice and the Strike Rouge had gone into GENESIS. Yzak relayed their news as he docked the Duel in the hangar. No one looked pleased to hear that Kira had been near GENESIS as it fired either.

Three doctors met them at the cockpit. After the past couple of months being under the medics "tender loving care" she was starting to believe she was accident prone. While injuries were practically guaranteed during battles, she had never thought she would spend so much time with IVs stuck in her skin. Even if most of the times she had been in a medical bed were because of experimental reasons and not so much medicine-related, she started to understand why her psyche hated hospitals so much.

"Here," one doctor said, giving her an oxygen mask. It would have been a good gesture if she could take any decent breaths, but she knew better than to argue with the medics aboard the _Eternal_. She knew who they would complain to.

"I have to get back," Yzak said, stepping out of the cockpit a little to see her get ushered away. "I'd better hear that you _didn't _die after all the effort I put in to save you."

She wanted to laugh, but didn't have the energy. Whatever drug they were pushing into her system was making her drowsy and the only thing she could think to do was mouth a "thank you" before her eyes closed.

* * *

"Attention, I have an announcement for all members of ZAFT and the Earth Forces in this region. At this moment, the PLANTs are preparing to conduct negotiations between the Earth Forces and the PLANTs' sponsored nations. Immediately following the commencement of these discussions, the PLANT Provisional Supreme Council will propose a request for the Earth Forces to cease all combat activities in restricted regions."

The Berserker tapped her armrest impatiently. While Murrue's speech was nice and all, what the hell was she supposed to be doing now? The battle was over, her brothers, Azrael and Mu dead, Eclipse lying comatose in the _Eternal _infirmary and she just sitting in the Decay. There was no one to welcome her back, no one to appreciate the fact she had survived and no one to even suggest she step out and enjoy the victory party.

"And what victory party is that, I wonder?" she scoffed, her fingers tapping faster. "Funny, I'm technically on the 'winning' side yet I don't feel as if I've 'won' anything. Maybe a headache and a few bruises, but I wouldn't even consider those consolation prizes."

Turning her head, she pressed a button on her keyboard and brought up a visual of the hangar floor. Murdoch was standing there talking to Lathan and occasionally pointing up at the Decay. Apparently, the Rymyr boy had already been over to see Eclipse because there was no way he would come to see her first. Besides, he was blind anyway, so he—technically—couldn't see either of them. She wasn't even sure why Murdoch bothered pointing.

Turning off the monitor, she looked back at the one to her right. The Strike Rouge had finally landed on board the _Kusanagi_, much to the delight of everyone aboard. Cagalli apparently had Athrun and Kira in tow, much to the delight of—well—everyone else. Earlier, the _Archangel_ had been asked to escort an Earth Alliance ship to the PLANT Homeland and, originally, Murrue had been asked to be an observer to the peace talks as a third party, but she declined, leaving that spot open for Kisaka. Given the trauma Murrue had just gone through, even the Berserker thought that was a good decision.

Hitting the button once again, she looked down at the hangar floor. It looked as if Commander Waltfeld had also joined them and was mimicking Murdoch in his gestures. If they wanted to come up and force her out or something, why not just get it over with? She was always up for a good struggle and with the righteous Kira taking a coffee break over on the _Kusanagi_, she could use a little excitement.

Or maybe he wasn't taking it easy.

Namarra felt a smirk curl up her face when a transport beacon blinked on her screen. It was from the _Kusanagi _and the only way Kira wouldn't be coming over was if he was injured. As far as she knew, Eclipse and Dearka were the only two to take much damage. Well, other than the ones who were dead.

"Nam, it's Lathan." He was speaking through an open transmission. "Are you hurt at all?"

"No," she replied curtly, still staring at the transport approaching the _Archangel_ hangar.

"Well, that's a relief. Can you come out anyway so the doctors can make sure? You could have internal bleeding or something and we would never know until we found you decaying."

"Wow, good one, Lathan."

"Just telling like it is," he replied, a hint of a smile in his voice. If there was one thing she had always admired about Lathan was his blunt manner towards her and his sister. He probably knew she was berserk—after everything thing they probably suspected she had gone through it wasn't hard for _anyone _to tell—so he was trying to appeal to her on a certain level. A good tactic, really and she found herself impressed.

"I'm waiting for someone."

"Lexi's in the infirmary on the _Eternal_ so she can't make it over for the meeting."

_Ah, there's a meeting_, she thought. The sudden migration made a little more sense.

"The doctor's expecting a full recovery in time."

"She's not the one I'm waiting for." That made him pause and she smiled. Not even the insightful Lathan could guess everything. Her brothers' deaths were still fresh and no matter what limited information she had, Kira was the prime target, even if it was only to have a little talk about ideals. She needed to cause some havoc and now.

"Well, Lacus—"

"Be a dear, please and leave me be, would you? I'll come to the meeting when I damn well feel like it."

"Don't worry," Lathan grumbled, "we figured that much. It's on the _Archangel _bridge, if you wanted to know. It's broadcasting the peace talks."

"Sounds exciting," Namarra said, yawning loudly. Smiling, she saw Lathan pull the headset away from his face and shake his head. Shrugging, he relayed what she had said and the three of them left. Waltfeld didn't seem to want to take no for an answer, but he wasn't about to interfere, call it his fatherly instincts kicking in. He knew she wanted some space so he was going to give it to her. Was she going to get a talking to later? Probably, but she had been scolded enough in her life to know what to expect. Besides, she was looking forward to her next endeavor and her target was just entering the hangar.

Three people stepped out of the transport, one wearing a light red spacesuit and matching helmet, another wearing his ZAFT red one and the other in his old blue one. Her lips curled at the sight of the blue one.

Yes, the Berserker was about to have a whole lot of fun.

* * *

Namarra jammed the locker room door shut—which really wasn't that difficult given the damage already made to the frame—and turned on her captive. Her face was an ugly snarl at first, but immediately the sour look flipped, turning over into a grin. "Let's talk."

"Talk about what?" Kira asked. It was simpler than the Berserker thought it would be. A quick request and Kira said he would meet the others on the bridge. Maybe he thought he was going to do some apologizing. He should have been more scared to be alone wit her, the Berserker believed, but then again battle fatigue had a tendency to make people stupid.

"Tell me," Namarra began, sitting down on the bench and crossing her left leg over her right. "Do you feel like we have some kind of victory?"

His face drooped. "You called me back here to talk philosophy? I'm sorry, Namarra, but I can't do this right now." Uncrossing his arms, he stepped around the middle benches and aimed towards the recently jammed door.

The Berserker had other plans, however, putting one arm behind her to brace herself while she kicked out her left foot. It slammed against the lockers, making the other pilot pause. Looking up at him, she smiled again. "Oh, c'mon. You'll be watching peace talks for the next five years, why not spend five minutes with me?"

Namarra wasn't sure if it really _was_ battle fatigue at that point because Kira flat out denied her then, trying to step over the propped leg blocking his path. She knew Berserkers had been getting a poor reputation among the Three Ship Alliance and watching this pilot flat out disregard her pissed her off. Standing up to her was one thing, but ignoring her? The Berserker wasn't some road block and she definitely wasn't someone to be snubbed like some younger sibling.

"Hey!" she hissed, bringing her foot back an inch and slamming it against the lockers again. "I'm not done talking to you yet."

"What's your problem?"

"My problem is that you're not answering my question. Do you think there's any kind of victory here?"

"I don't know what you want me to say."

Namarra groaned, dropping her head and taking a deep breath. If she had to explain it to him then she was going to. Besides, she should have expected that much seeing as her intended target was a bit slow. "Fine, if you're that stupid I'll spell it out for ya." Jumping to her feet, she grabbed him by the collar and slammed him against the lockers. Taking pleasure from his grimace she continued, "You, out of all these people, prided yourself on the fact that you wouldn't kill anyone else."

He didn't respond.

"Well, didn't you?"

Apparently, now he was too dumb to speak.

"Why did you kill Le Creuset then if you didn't want to kill anymore?"

"I had to. I couldn't let that devil—"

"You 'had to'? What, did God give you the right then or are you God now? Deciding who lives and dies?" She half expected him to shout something like, "There is no God," but he stayed silent once more. The attitude was really starting to piss her off, but there were other ways to curve his behavior.

"So, God," she did a mock bow, "if Le Creuset was the Devil of that time, who's the new one? Is it me? Or perhaps Lexi?"

"You're not Le Creuset, Namarra."

"No? You sound so sure. Maybe we're not devilish enough, or perhaps there's someone else much worse?" She paused, cocking her head to the side and watching his expressions closely. "Is there someone else, Kira, who shouldn't have existed? Who was shaped to be humanity's savior and because of that, has the right to manipulate it? Will this person go insane soon then?"

He swallowed lightly.

"Come to realize his role in society and use his ultimate potential to curve the world back to sanity? To show the world the true peace he had always known?"

Another swallow, but this time it wasn't as well-hidden.

"Does this sound familiar?"

The Berserker saw Kira twitch and his breath quicken. His mouth moved as if he was forming words, but his eyes read differently, more like he was panicking despite his effort to keep a calm exterior. Clearly, there was something running through his mind that she had no recollection of. The Berserker wasn't about to complain, however, enjoying how the words were sinking in and with such minimal effort on her part. He had even stopped struggling against her hold.

Now _that _tickled her curiosity.

"Tell me, wouldn't Le Creuset have started out the same way?" she continued, pulling her free hand up to examine her nails. "I'm sure there are many individuals who could praise Le Creuset or even swoon over his juvenile cuteness. Wasn't he," she rolled her eyes looking for the right word, "special?" She grinned. "And because of that specialness, he could do incredible things, right?"

She had prodded a weak spot that time.

"Come to think of it," she went on, "there had to be some kind of event; one moment in time that tipped his mental scale. Perhaps he was just tired of being different, or of being compared to someone else. Or maybe people expected too little of him." She glanced at Kira, but there was no change until she spewed the next phrase. "Or expected too much of him?"

A thoothy grin.

"Tell me, Kira—I think we both know where this is headed—when will that moment happen for you? When can we expect you to turn into the devil? After all, you and Le Creuset are quite similar, aren't you? Hm," she continued, bringing her fingers to her mouth and running one across her bottom lip, "perhaps you're just talking to Cagalli one day and, bam! You snap. Or Athrun could be telling you something and you just freak out." Laughing, her hand dropped to her side, but before she could give another chuckle, her face changed, dropping into a glare as her hand smashed back against the locker near his head. Cocking her head, she smirked and leaned in close, her mouth barely open to whisper into his ear. "One of these days, Kira, you'll snap. No human is able to contain a god's power and stay as he is."

Kira finally pushed her back. "You're just talking rubbish; you Berserkers are always just spewing shit."

Namarra laughed as she put a hand up to stop herself against the bench. "Oh, really? If I'm talking shit, why did you kill Le Creuset when you vowed never to kill again? Isn't that one of the first steps?"

"You don't know _anything_ about the situation."

"Tsk, tsk, temper, temper. You don't want to trigger anything now, do you? Why are you angry, anyway? _Clearly_ you have unlocked potential," she slurred. "I mean, you _did_ go into a rage after Le Creuset destroyed that escape pod."

_Interesting, _Namarra thought. Kira's face changed into something she had never been the target of. If she didn't know better, she would have said he was pissed.

"Ah, ah, ah," she scolded, waving her finger back and forth. "If only you could see how close to that madness you really are." Her hand reached out towards his cheek and his hand snapped across, fingers wrapping around her wrist before it could touch him. Her tongue trickled out in the next grin.

"Yes, so very close."

Throwing her arm down, he pushed off the lockers and left.

The Berserker just laughed.

* * *

**_A/N:_ **Well, this turned out shorter than I thought is would be, but here it is, the last battle! I made it, but we're not done yet! I'm thinking two more chapters yet of aftermath. Wow, almost there! I can't believe I got this far... I really put my characters through the running here. I don't know why the main canon characters in SEED and Destiny really don't have much happen to them. Are they really _that _good? I dunno. So, I guess to compensate that, I put my own characters through Hell. Seems like a good trade. *shrugs*

Anyway, I'm sick today so I managed to finish the editing on this. I need to throw a special shoutout to all my Betas because I maybe had three things right during this chapter and they saved my tail from getting the 411 from you tech buffs out there. I have a feeling there's still one or two things off, but hey, I'm not perfect. (In fact, I'm technically challenged.) Anyway, thank you _Death-Scimitar_, _Maderfole_, and _CSSStravag._ And think too, guys, you've been with me for most of _Waltz_ and it's almost done! You guys get a whole lot of credit too!

My reader/reviewers seem to have dropped off within the past couple chapters. "Thank you" to those who have been loyal through my lull months and to those who have wandered away, you're always welcome to come back!

* * *

_**Corrections to the**** Narrative:**_

As you've probably noticed, I made some changes to the battle sequences/ending battle, but not as much as the last chapter. Also, since I'm moving beyond the canon in the next couple of chapters there won't be much to alter anymore. Yay!

* * *

_**Questions/Gripes:**_

Well, I was a bit short on the reviews last chapter so I have nothing to answer or to explain.

* * *

Thank you all for your continued support and I'll see you next chapter!

_Strata_


	59. Coping Beyond Repair

Coping Beyond Repair

Eclipse woke up in a panic; a painful panic that started from her toes and wove up through her body until it reached the kink in her neck. She tried to sit up, but there was a weight there, one that she couldn't move even if she had not been bedridden. To make it even more interesting, she was lying in zero gravity. How could there be that much pressure?

"Mornin', darling."

She had to blink twice to make sure she was seeing right. Namarra was the weight, her butt sitting in the squishy area between her ribs and her hip bones. To make things worse, her genetic comrade was pushing up on the shelf above their heads, forcing every ounce of pressure onto the redhead. Eclipse's injuries tripled the pain, but nothing could measure up to the disappointment she felt when she saw Namarra's Berserker eyes.

"What have you been up to?"

"Oh, don't sound so suspicious," Namarra said, letting go of the shelf and beginning to pick at her nails. She had changed out of her pilot suit and was sitting comfortably in some black pants and a green t-shirt. "I just had a lovely time in space."

"Space?"

"Yes, helping the EA and ZAFT rescue teams."

"Rescue teams?"

"Is there an echo? _Yes_, I went out in a transport to help the rescue teams."

Eclipse paused, her face contorting into something resembling a confused expression. The only difference being her eye brows shifted inward, showing more displeasure than intrigue. "And they let you come back?"

"What's that supposed to mean? I went out to help, didn't I?"

"Like _that_." She pointed to her Berserker eyes and sighed. "Somehow I doubt your intentions were less than honorable."

"Oh, c'mon. This coming from the Berserker who went rogue for days and was playing house with a corpse? Oh, did I ever mention how impressive that was?" She did a bow from where she was, making it look surprisingly elegant despite the awkward positioning. "If only I had the means to repeat such an artwork. Alas, I had to be a little creative."

"And now the secret's out, I see. Tell me, how many times did your gracious heart save humanity this time?"

"I've been out there five times already."

Her heart monitor sped up. _How long have I been out?_ she thought, her inner voice practically screeching with panic. _How could no one have realized Namarra was—_

"I can be very convincing," the Berserker said, going back to picking at her nails. Crossing her legs, she glanced sideways at the redhead. "And most of the EA thought I was still a member of the military. Not only that, but they praised me for being a survivor of the _Dominion_," she chortled, an ugly thing starting from the back of her throat before it ended with a hiss. "How embarrassing."

Eclipse really didn't know what to say, finding the whole thing embarrassing as well. Apparently, the Earth Alliance really had little to no tabs on Azrael and what he had been doing in the war. If they had had some kind of indication, they would have known Namarra was estranged from the rest of the group. But, then again, would Azrael even want that to be made public? Not only that, but would she have even been on the registry to begin with?

"Y'know," Namarra began, Eclipse jolting out of her thoughts to see the Berserker's face dangerously close to her own. "You're not as scary when you're not berserk."

The redhead narrowed her eyes. "I take that as a compliment, actually."

"Nah, it was a diss, actually," the Berserker continued, rocking back to a more comfortable distance. "Despite being a Natural, I'm proud to say Namarra has a bit of a bite to her and a stomach approaching steel. For example, while she may not have done the same thing in such a manner, I'm proud to say she may have been able to stomach putting most of those soldiers out of their misery."

"What do you mean?"

"What do I mean? Pff, what kind of rescuer did you think I was? The one with teddy bear Band-Aids?"

"So you—" She paused, the realization dawning. Namarra had gone out to relieve her bloodlust onto the war survivors. She should have been thankful the Berserker didn't take her warmongering out on the Three Ship Alliance, but the thoughts of what she might have done—the Berserker in her own mind added a few slides to the show—made her face grow sour. "You're insane."

The Berserker blinked once, looking the closest to innocent Eclipse would have ever thought possible. "Why, yes, I am. I didn't know that was debatable. Deary, has your brain overheated or something?" Namarra's hand went to Eclipse's forehead but the redhead pushed it away.

"You joined the search party to kill people?"

"Oh, don't sound so patronizing. Most were more cookoo than we are. Being stranded in space with no hope of survival can do that to a person."

"So, you killed them."

"Naturally." She shrugged. "I had to get my kicks out somewhere, yes?"

"But I vaguely remember you saying it's no fun to kill someone who isn't afraid of you."

"Who said they weren't afraid of me? Lexi, Lexi, Lexi, you make it sound as if I made it a clean death."

Just what Eclipse had figured. "All of that, just to get you kicks, huh?"

She shrugged. "I don't get why you're so upset." Really, Eclipse's Berserker side was still yelling for an encore, but she wasn't about to mention that. "How is this any different from what you do?"

"I at least have a reason to kill someone."

"Hah, _reason_? Wow, God Complex, much?"

"You know what I mean."

This time she leaned closer, Namarra's hot breath tickling Eclipse's nose. "Perhaps there's something we can learn from this. You, my dear genetic sister, and I are not that alike. Despite what that little human mind of yours may think, we both kill for shallow—almost nonexistent—reasons, but while you enjoy the finesse of the display, I enjoy the deterioration from the inside." Namarra put her finger on Eclipse's nose and wiggled it back and forth. "Sure, I do love my bit of carnage once and a while, but there are other ways to kill a human being." She smiled, a distant sparkle in her pupiless eyes reminding Eclipse of a mirage in the desert. Enticing, but most likely deadly. "Couldn't you just imagine the fun we could have together?"

"Maybe I'm just too hopped up on pain drugs, but at the moment, no," Eclipse replied, trying to find the call button near her bed so she could get some help. She had guessed a while ago that Namarra's grief had finally pushed her over the edge, but unlike past situations, she didn't have anything of use readily on hand. Nothing short of violence could snap her out of it and she was bedridden in the closest thing to a crib she'd been in since she was a munchkin.

Or was she really that helpless?

The pain medicine machine chimed next to her head, indicating the next dosage was being pumped into her system. If she really wanted to get Namarra back to normal—by this point in time it only made sense—she would have to do it while her pains were a little less, well, painful.

Looking around, she didn't see anything like a crash cart, but they were both sitting back against a wall; a wall with power outlets and wires. While they weren't the best options, they were something and with Namarra all comfy hanging above her midriff, something was better than the alternative.

"Well, maybe I can do a little visualizing for you." She started kicking her feet, giving Eclipse the illusion of a five-year-old anxious to tear the head off a beetle. "See, we'd have our own place, with our own little posse. Just imagine, the dictators over a bunch of the most sadistic people the world has ever known." She spread her arms out wide and Eclipse had to hide the grin. It sounded good to her Berserker. "It's a shame both Le Creuset and Azrael are gone because they would have been my prime choices. Creepiness is a plus."

Eclipse started wiggling an arm free, saying, "Sorry, my more humane self finds it so creepy it's shivering a bit," when Namarra glared down at her. That seemed suffice enough because the Berserker continued her rambling.

"We could have parties every night with booze, drugs, sex, dancing, singing—oh, just the whole nine yards!"

"Fascinating," Eclipse mumbled, and started reaching behind Namarra's back towards the outlets. One wire was meant to stay plugged in, a direct line to the ship's power for that particular medical bed. It would have to do.

"We'd be the talk of the century."

"Uh-huh." Her hand was gripped the wire near the machine it was connected to.

"And of course we'd do the most awful stuff of the century too."

Pulling hard, she managed to get it free and was close enough to Namarra that the backlash should have just sent the cord into her side, but the Berserker moved, grabbing Eclipse's arm before the wire hit.

"C'mon, I'm not _that _stupid. I'm the one who figured out shocking was the only thing to bring _you _back, remember?"

They struggled for a little bit—if struggling meant Eclipse's failing strength trying to hold off Namarra's Berserker strength. Finally, the redhead gave up, her heart monitor beeping so loudly, she couldn't help the grin on her face. That _had _to alert someone.

"Oh, poo, that must be my cue." Reaching down with her free hand, she tweaked Eclipse's nose. "Well played, my dear cripple."

And she was gone.

The doctor came in soon after, making some comment about the unplugged wire and trying to calm Eclipse down, but her heart was already racing. While the doctor was concerned because it had come up suddenly, the redhead knew better. Grasping his sleeve, she got his attention. "I need to talk to Commander Waltfeld. _Now_."

"Currently, he's at the _Kusanagi_, watching over things while the Colonel spends another night at the PLANTs."

"I don't care about currently. Get me in contact with him."

The doctor eyed her suspiciously, but didn't argue a second time. Walking across the room, he pressed a couple buttons on the monitor there and spoke to someone on the _Kusanagi _bridge before Waltfeld's face showed on the screen.

"Sir, Miss Rymyr would—"

"Commander, Namarra's running amok and I don't have to tell you she's a bit berserk."

Sighing, the only thing he could say was, "I'll handle it," then he was gone. The doctor looked from Eclipse to the screen, a confused look on his face.

* * *

Namarra checked around every corner as she passed through the _Eternal_'s halls. Visiting Eclipse had been worth the risk mainly because she had wanted to plant the little seed of doubt in her mind and, as far as she could tell, had succeeded. What was the fun in being a Berserker if she couldn't scramble a few minds in the process?

Heading towards the hangar, she was forced to pause, two crew members laughing near the kitchen door. Ironically enough, it was a bit odd to see so many people just having a good time. Sure, the war was finally over and it had been a couple of days since the last battle, but there were still major losses in their little alliance, so many, in fact, there were now under ten mobile suit pilots still living when there had used to be almost thirty.

She couldn't make out their whole conversation, but just enough to realize they were heading back to the bridge to start their shift. That meant they were going to pass by Namarra's position. Backtracking a couple of steps, she kept her head low and passed near the door. She timed it just right, the crew members too involved in their conversation to see the Berserker slip by. Smirking, she continued on to the hangar.

There was a small transport that Namarra had used to trek over from the _Archangel_, but since she was getting blocked in the hallway by another redhead, it seemed as if she wasn't going to make the quiet escape that she had originally planned. "Since Lexi is asleep, I really didn't want to make too big of a ruckus and wake her up," the Berserker explained, but DaCosta didn't seem to care.

Standing there with his arms crossed over his chest, the young officer took a deep breath. "The Commander asks that you stay for a little while. He would like to speak to you."

"Moi?" Namarra asked, both hands going to her chest as an innocent grin accompanied her batting eyelashes. "And why would the commander be interested in someone like me?"

"He's on his way over now."

"Come now, DaCosta," the Berserker slurred, taking a couple more steps forward. "You don't have to be so rude. And here I thought we were friends." Curving off towards the wall, she leaned on her elbow and looked at him from the side.

"I'm friends with Namarra, not you," he responded, calmer than the Berserker had thought he would be. In fact, that kind of attitude was what had pissed her off in the first place. The Berserkers hadn't been given their full appreciation in months, ever since the Three Ship Alliance started this little crusade. Sure, it might seem like some characterization boost, but really it was just suicidal.

Reaching out, she grabbed him by the collar and threw him against the opposite wall, putting her forearm against his throat once he had begun to regain some composure. His head slammed back against the wall as she hit and she put a knee into his gut for good measure.

"Y'know," she spat, "all of this cockiness is pissing me off. Either you all have not heard of what we Berserkers can do, or have never had the chance to see us in action." He didn't respond. "Then again, I heard you were the one to help free Lexi from her medical debacle, or however that went down. Tell me, how did she look then?" She leaned down and grabbed his hand, putting a finger between her thumb and pointer. The Berserker grinned. "Impressive, no?"

"Namarra, enough," Waltfeld ordered, coming through the hangar door and grabbing the hand ready to snap DaCosta's finger.

Slowly, the Berserker turned, her eyes glaring at the hand keeping hers captive then up to the commander. Her expression changed then, twisting back into the innocent girl's she had pretended to be earlier. "Ah, hello there. I heard you needed to speak to me."

"Sort of," the commander went on, trying to pull her off DaCosta who was gaining some ground in pushing her away. "Would you care to join me for a walk?"

"Sure, what the hell." She stepped away from DaCosta and slipped both hands behind her back. Cocking her head to the side, she batted her eyelids once more. Waltfeld and DaCosta shared a look and the Berserker laughed silently. How she enjoyed the dumbfounded expressions on people. She would rather have had it be fear, but DaCosta had let down enough of his guard for her to savor. "Where to?" Waltfeld ignored the question and just passed right by her, leading back down the hall.

"Y'know, Commander, you're the only one who looks damaged by this past battle. Well, you seem happy-go-lucky compared to Murrue right now, but you really understand the losses that were made, don't'cha?" She thought she saw him tense, flinch—anything, but she didn't know for sure. When you don't get what you want, try, try again. "I'm sure a lot of it has to do with losing Aisha, am I right?" A small movement there as they turned a corner. "Did you wanna hear a funny story? Of course you do. Before that battle, I had actually talked to Lexi and we decided to test ourselves; play a little game, you see. And in that game, we couldn't go berserk. Thinking back now, wouldn't that have made a big difference?" Namarra continued. "During such a high-stakes battle, I'm surprised Lexi didn't indulge herself and all because of a game we were playing. You'd think she would have had more camaraderie than that. Well," the Berserker shrugged, "needless to say, Kira destroyed your suit, killing Aisha, maiming you and the whole time, Lexi probably could have saved your life."

"I know all of that," Waltfeld said, leading her down another corridor. "Lexi admitted it to me a couple months ago."

"Pah, you're lying. Lexi would never admit to that."

"Why not? She felt guilty and I told her it wasn't her fault. There were many factors that went into that battle and laying all the blame on Lexi would be pathetic, not to mention unrealistic." They stopped back at an intersection, Waltfeld motioning for Namarra to turn right.

She hesitated. "And you don't blame Kira Yamato either?"

"Like I said, many factors went into that duel and if anyone's to blame, it would be me." Shrugging, he kicked off down the hall. "After all, don't you feel the same way about letting your brothers die? Or Mu? Namarra wouldn't be hiding behind you if that wasn't the case."

It was an interesting look on the Berserker's face, something only Waltfeld had gotten to see, but not even he really knew what it meant. It didn't matter, however, DaCosta yelling, "Clear!" before he pressed both defibrillator paddles against the Berserker's back.

* * *

Eclipse knew why it started, just didn't remember when it did. Based on her own memories of her Berserker moments, she knew it was as if she was on a high and nothing else mattered other than the initial fight. And when that was over, the next fight and so on. The strong feelings that made her snap in the first place didn't matter. They could be buried for as long as she was berserk.

And that could have been forever for all she cared.

But the high always had to end, and Namarra was currently in the middle of it. She had been brought to the infirmary after the shock and had been out for only ten minutes or so. DaCosta followed to make sure he didn't kill the girl and Waltfeld stayed around like the father figure he was.

At first, Namarra seemed okay, only a little out of it. Her vitals were checked and everything was a little bit elevated if not okay. The doctor left, followed by DaCosta with a bag of ice—since his finger was still a bit sore—and then Waltfeld. That was when the avalanche started. It was a strange process to see, her eyes clearing as the tears came before complete clarity.

"They're gone."

"Nam—"

"Dead." She sniffed then hugged her elbows as her shoulders rose in both withheld sobs and shakes. "No one's left now. I-I'm all alone again." So she cried; a gut-wrenching solo that forced the three men back through the door. The redhead waved them away, knowing they would only make things worse despite their good intentions.

Eclipse was holding her by then, her eyes too dry to join, but the pain was still so close she found herself envious of the Natural. She thought of soothing words she could share, but knew none of them would help, only fill the silence between sobs. So, she said nothing and rubbed Namarra's back as the girl's head rested against her right shoulder. Her arms were clasped behind Eclipse's back, digging into bruises. Physical pain was nothing because out of everyone, Namarra had lost the most. Her three brothers—what was left of anything she considered family—were gone and so was Mu, someone who had stepped up and become what Waltfeld had been for her. Perhaps if Eclipse had been a good person, she would have let Namarra stay berserk; give her a couple more days of bliss.

But she also knew the horrors of that kind of bliss.

So, the only way to get through the grief was to relive it.

Namarra cried for close to an hour. Her grief was on and off, but Eclipse knew the last time she went quiet, her body would force her to sleep. Whether or not the girl would start crying once she awoke had yet to be determined, but the redhead knew her comrade was done for the time being.

Unlatching Namarra's hands, she tucked the Natural into her bed and pushed off to slide into her own. Turning to the wall, Eclipse curled into a ball and willed herself to sleep.

* * *

Namarra and Eclipse stayed bunk buddies for nearly a week. Eclipse's recovery was going slow and since Namarra had been shocked back into being her old self, new injuries were popping up daily. Thanks to the Berserker adrenaline rush, she didn't know she had three broken ribs, a sprained wrist and a cracked collarbone.

They were visited often since they couldn't leave, and were frequently updated on the local gossip thanks to Erika and Lathan. Athrun and Cagalli visited often as well, but ever since the battle, they had been in their own little world, coping with the war as they saw fit. Funny thing was, Athrun had mentioned one time when he was talking to Eclipse alone, the two lovebirds rarely talked about anything concerning the war tragedies themselves.

"I can tell she wants to sometimes," Athrun had admitted, "but we never get past the simple, 'my father would say this,' or 'what would my father think about this?'"

"Well, have _you _opened up at all?"

"She has so much on her plate now with Orb that I don't want to distract her."

"Athrun, you're in a relationship now. I may not know much about the boyfriend girlfriend thing, but you kinda gotta talk in order for it to go anywhere."

"Yeah, I know. It's still new for the both of us, I think. Once we finally decide when we're heading back to Orb, who's going, etcetera we'll have more time to sit down and talk."

Eclipse may not have liked how the conversation ended, but she was in no position to poke her nose into their relationship. Both had confided in her about what they had been going through emotionally and to each she had prompted to tell the other, but there was no way Eclipse could convince either stubborn individual, so, she just kept on listening.

Besides, the thought of Eclipse giving accurate relationship advice was rather amusing.

Murrue had come by towards the end of that week to see Namarra. It had been an emotional time for the two of them, the conversation consisting of more tears than actual words, but Eclipse had to commend the young commander. According to Erika, Murrue had locked herself in her room for three days and had only come out of it the fourth day because her body finally admitted it was hungry. The other crew members had been trying to comfort her since then, but it was obvious she was still shocked. Seeing and talking to Namarra might have put a couple of her demons to rest, but there wasn't much a person could do to patch up a hole blown open twice in the same war.

Lacus was a daily visitor. Since she never brought up what Namarra's Berserker had said to her boyfriend, the girls assumed Kira had kept his fears to himself. That made a lot of sense since, according to Cagalli and Athrun, Kira hadn't been taking his post-war guilt very well.

"He's only told me bits and pieces so far," she admitted finally, staring at Eclipse and Namarra with a nervous grin. "But it has something to do with his parents—his _real_ ones. The picture that Cagalli had gotten from her father has a lot to do with it too, but I have only gathered that they are twins. Anything beyond that is inside his own mind."

"And opening up isn't helping at all?" Namarra asked, remembering he had been spending some extra time with Erika and Lathan in the lab.

"I don't think he's finding what he's looking for," Lacus said. "And it's starting to weigh on his consciousness. Mr. Murdoch had asked him to _Archangel_ hangar the other day to figure out what he wanted to do with the Freedom and Kira outright refused. He didn't even want to see the suit, let alone touch it."

"Don't worry," Eclipse interrupted, trying to make the girl feel a little better. "People cope in different ways. Just try to keep him social, at least. I mean, he still has a lot of friends here."

She nodded, this time with a soft smile. "Many of us make sure as many people as possible try to get together at least once a day to do something fun. It keeps our minds off the war and on other things during this lull period."

"Speaking of the lull period," Namarra said. "Do we have any idea where we're going next?"

"There's no permanent decision on the matter as of this morning, but Orb is definitely the biggest contender. With Colonel Kisaka and Cagalli's help we should get into the country without any fuss."

"Speak for yourself," Eclipse muttered, but it wasn't loud enough for the other two to hear. While she knew Kisaka and Cagalli had great influence over the Orb government, she couldn't help thinking her exile couldn't be changed within mere hours. With her luck, she'd have to spend a day or two in a jail cell before finally being able to sleep in a comfy bed. If a medical ward was her next choice she would go with the jail cell, no questions needed.

"Any idea when we're taking off?" Namarra asked.

The Pink Princess shrugged again. "Colonel Kisaka still has yet to come back from the peace talks and despite how eager both sides were to initiate a ceasefire, neither side is as accommodating when it comes to making decisions on a treaty. We could be out here for a couple more weeks."

"And we wouldn't want to leave prematurely. Could you imagine if we just took off and the Naturals and Coordinators decided to start beating the shit out of each other again?" Namarra said.

"We're getting supplied at least," Eclipse noted. She couldn't have known for sure since she had yet to leave the infirmary, but she had noticed new boxes of medicines coming in and out to be used on the other injured soldiers.

"The PLANTs have been very gracious, yes. There has even been a conversation started about getting a psychologist or two to come aboard. With emotions so sporadic, a professional voice might not be a bad idea. There have even been some people sleeping in the hangar mainly because their roommates have been having nightmares." She smiled wryly, not something normally found on the face of fair Lacus Clyne. "Most of those people are having nightmares as well, so they ended up feeding off each other. In the end," she sighed, "it's all just a snowballing effect. Most of the new medications the PLANTs have been supplying are sleeping pills and I hear most of that is thanks to a young Commander Joule." Her bright smile came back instantly and she pointed at Eclipse. "His mother is on the Supreme Council and he's good friends with you guys, if I'm right."

Eclipse nodded. "He was with Dearka, Athrun and I for most of the war."

"Nice to have friends in high places." Namarra cocked her eyebrow at the redhead and Eclipse frowned, hitting her on the shoulder.

"Is anyone leaning towards staying in the PLANTs?" Eclipse asked, trying to curve the conversation away from her fortunate associates. "Is that even an option at this point?"

"As of right now, the PLANTs are saying anyone is allowed access, but a permanent stay is still waiting to be decided upon. With the rush of ZAFT soldiers—not to mention trying to identify the severely wounded—the whole system is backlogged. If anyone from our alliance wants to stay, the Council has assured us there would be no problems. I just can't guarantee anyone would be an 'official' citizen—or whatever the title you were previously."

"How many property and houses were damaged?" Namarra asked, Lacus seemingly not overwhelmed with the questions.

"As far as I could tell, the PLANTs were pretty much avoided throughout the whole war. Aside from the nuke threats and some radical demonstrations, nothing has been severely damaged to any of the life and rotational systems. Of course, I can't say the same thing for the Earth."

Eclipse nodded grimly, expecting that figure to be much more serious than in space. While ZAFT has a lot of cleaning up to do with GENESIS—not to mention a bit of help concerning the Lunar Base—and the debris surrounding Jachin Due, the Earth has nuclear concerns as well as clean up issues. People had a tendency to think wars were ugly, but many fail to realize the aftermath and what that all entails. Sure, it was nice to be able to rebuild and not worry about some missiles flying towards the town, but while that cleanup takes place, anger has a tendency to flare its lovely head again and again. Who doesn't get angry picking up the pieces of a life and not feeling bitter towards the people who had sent their home there in the first place?

Eclipse sighed at the thought. Even if things went well with the treaty, there was no guarantee the peace would last long if the two genetic "races" stayed separate from each other. The only other solution was to make societies like Orb throughout the Earth and Space.

That sounded unlikely.

Lacus opened her mouth as if she was about to say something more, but Namarra reached out and put her good hand over her lips. "C'mon, I'm sick of hearing all of this political mumbo jumbo. We're gonna have to listen to it for the next infinity of years so let's not do it now."

Lacus pulled down the hand with a smile. "So then what do you suggest, Namarra? Another drinking adventure?"

"Nah, these pain killers are spectacular for now so I think I'll shy away from that. Besides, at my age, if I start making a habit of it now, I'll end up dying at thirty." Everyone smiled at that, knowing she was bound to have the same fate since she was probably going to strike up the habit once they had returned to Earth. "I was thinking of having a game of laser tag through the _Eternal_."

Lacus frowned, but Eclipse's eyes brightened at the suggestion. The two of them had been bed-ridden for nearly a week and restless didn't begin to describe the horrors they were experiencing. "Oh please," Eclipse begged, startling Lacus when she turned with her hands folded in front of her. "We're so damn bored."

"Now, now," the Pink Princess began, her face contorting to hold in a laugh. "I don't know if a gun fight is really what—" She trailed off, the girls' lips frowning into a pout they had perfected back when they were five. And unlike back then, it worked. "Fine, when the two of you can move around on your own, safely. And," she added quickly, both beginning to get to their feet and prove how much they had healed, "can _breathe_ with no pain I will rally up some people and we will kick out the adults."

Now _that _was incentive to heal faster.

* * *

Eclipse stretched, wincing when she had gone too far, but that was the beauty of rehab, extending the limits of the muscles even if the person couldn't bend that way _before_ the injuries. Namarra made much the same face, but she was more excited about moving around. She still had a club for a right wrist, but at least her collarbone had been healing well and she didn't need a sling anymore. That was a blessing in and of itself.

"Now, Lexi, go ride the bike for a half hour. I'll check on you every ten minutes to see how your breathing's going," the doctor said, writing something down on his clipboard. After all the time spent in the infirmary, they had gotten pretty close to the medical staff there. The doctor, going by the name of Cayden, was in his late thirties with a wife and five kids in the PLANTs. Namarra forgot which PLANT—she was still getting used to the fact that they were named after the months they were completed in and had different numbers associated with each one—but despite his shy nature, when Cayden actually sat down and talked to someone, he disclosed a lot of information. Not only had he been a rugby player, but he also ran his own clinic before he was shipped out to war.

"And Namarra," Cayden continued despite the Natural's internal monologue.

"I can run a mile?"

"Uh, no, not yet."

"Weight lift?"

"You recently cracked a collarbone and _just _got the sling off. No."

"Oh, I know, you're gonna let me start hand-to-hand combat training today."

"Geez, let me check your drug dosage," Cayden mumbled, going over to the machine and checking her IV output. "Nope, you're just mentally challenged." Eclipse laughed.

The side of Namarra's mouth twitched, but she didn't give a complete grin. "So, I'm what, still stuck on bed rest?"

"Yup, I was going to say, 'take a nap and we'll do more rehab in the afternoon.'"

Pouting, the Natural trudged back to her bed and pulled herself down under the covers. Grumbling, she turned towards the wall, but Eclipse doubted she would even be able to doze.

"See, I think this is where I say, 'Don't worry, she's harmless,' but we both know the real answer." Despite Eclipse's grin, Cayden shivered and she let out another laugh before leading the way into the other room to hop on the bike.

* * *

It would be one more week until the girls would be able to start running, but even that was a bear. Despite their fast healing DNA—Berserkers were good for one thing at least—the general fatigue and stress put their bodies through more, unseen trauma. Namarra still had night terrors and despite the added medication, there was nothing that could be done. There were some nights DaCosta even came busting in thinking one of them had gone rogue and was slaughtering the medical staff. While he always felt stupid for it afterwards, the girls had to admit his fears were justified.

Eclipse often put on a tough face, but since her time berserk on Mendel her nightmares had become more frequent and had a realism to them she found haunting. If she had to find a meaning behind the dreams it was because her Berserker half was bored, but no matter how many nights she woke up with her scream echoing in her head, she couldn't bring herself to be honest with the psychiatrist at her sessions. Perhaps she feared the straight jacket and padded room and with her past experiences she couldn't find any reason for her not to be. Since that was also another problem the psychiatrist could help the redhead deal with Eclipse found herself running emotional circles. The psychiatrist was an observant one, however—Eclipse noting how some of the questions shared more information than she was comfortable with—but full disclosure would take a lot more than an hour talk every other day.

On the ninth day after their little talk with Lacus, the girls found a letter in each of their lockers. At first they couldn't even begin to guess what it was about because the envelope was pink and their names written in red lipstick. Eclipse could just hear Cagalli cackling in the background because this had to be one of her creative moments.

Opening the letter—and trying not to wipe the red lipstick onto anything valuable—they saw a written invitation to a formal dinner in the cafeteria—that was a contradiction in and of itself—followed promptly by a team battle of laser tag. From what they could tell, the dinner had been arranged to copy some kind of James Bond film, the skimpy dresses, formal tuxedos and thigh holsters included. Miriallia and Sai had offered to be the rich family held hostage by the evil Mafia—to be disclosed at a later time—while Erika, Lathan and couple others offered to be the wait staff and entertainment for the evening.

"Ew, Lathan singing?" Namarra said, shivering after the audio image.

"He used to play the violin very well." Namarra eyed her strangely and Eclipse shrugged. "What? We were a prestige family in Orb. What did you expect we'd do, make mud sculptures?"

"Alright then, what were you forced to do?"

"Knit."

Namarra snorted. "Knit?"

"Yup, my first knitted present was a violin cover for Lathan." Eclipse couldn't hold in her own laughter after Namarra let loose a string of chuckles. "And it was the ugliest thing I had ever seen."

"What did Lathan think of it?"

"He said it fell into the campfire when he and some of his friends went camping during the summer. He knew I wouldn't believe him, but at least it was something to tell our parents."

"So, you think he'll play the violin? Even in his condition?"

"He rarely opened his eyes to see the music anyway. He was quite the prodigy, actually. Somehow I doubt he stuck with playing, but I'm sure he still knows some melodies. That is if we even have an instrument lying around." She shrugged. "I think it'll be good for him to pick up something old but new again. I talked to him yesterday and he's having trouble trying to come up with a system to help him stay blind, yet fully function as if he had his sight."

"Still bent on keeping the disability, huh?"

Eclipse nodded. "I think he has both of our CA's occupied at this moment." She pointed to her ear. Thankfully, Coffee Addict had transferred all its data into Namarra's suit, joining itself with Chicabo as some kind of self preservation. The method had worked and she now had her annoying conscious whispering in her ear on a twenty-four hour basis mainly because the system never failed to mention how it had been so beat up. For whatever reason, the fact that _she _had gotten terribly hurt didn't matter as much.

"Chicabo's been complaining non-stop about it," Namarra admitted, folding the piece of paper after taking note of the time and place. It would take place in two more days, probably giving the girls ample time to get ready and allowing the _Eternal_ to get its things in order.

"I think those systems are nothing but spoiled brats."

Coffee Addict made a comment at that, but Eclipse ignored it.

"They do a lot for us," Namarra admitted with a shrug. "And what else do they have to do? As far as I know, he's not using them twenty-four seven. He needs to sleep too despite his nocturnal tendencies. Oh, c'mon, he keeps them from getting bored and falling into trouble."

"Since when? Remember when they hacked into the _Archangel_ personnel files and changed some of the listed names? I think Murdoch became HerDock and Miriallia became MiriHoly Hell."

"Yeah, that was only a couple of days ago. Such kids."

The systems screeched, causing both girls to slap a hand against their respective ears. The transmission said something along the lines of, "You'd do it too!" but amid the splash of painful nausea from the feedback, it was hard to know for sure. Cursing, they rolled their eyes and headed off to their living quarters aboard the _Eternal_. Cayden wasn't against them sleeping there at night now, as long as they came back to the infirmary every day to continue rehab. That wasn't a problem, especially since they would rather use their own showers then have to get a sponge bath every day. Besides, they liked visiting Cayden. There were two other soldiers still left in the medical ward, but other than them, the girls were the only ones to come in and keep Cayden busy.

"Hey, Namarra, can I talk to you for a second?"

The girls turned to see the _Archangel_ pilot—and lucky person to see Namarra's backside during Strip Go Fish—Neumann waving down the duo. Namarra stopped, but Eclipse kept going, mentioning something about saving some hot water, but Namarra knew better than to expect anything more than a cold shower.

"Yeah?" she asked once the redhead was gone.

"Sorry to bother you," he always seemed way too formal with Namarra, especially since she was a _lot _younger than he was. "I'm actually getting really worried about the captain—I mean Miss Murrue."

"Worried?" she asked. The last she had heard, Murrue had been doing better with her grief. She had even begun laughing again and that was yesterday.

"She's been in her room all morning, refusing to see anyone and refusing to eat again."

"She won't even see Erika?" Neumann shook his head. Since Erika was the only other older woman on the ship—not like either of them were "old" by any means—they had bonded over the past weeks. Erika had been helping with Murrue's grief as well, spending as much time with her as needed and even relaying a lot of mechanical knowledge. Seeing as she was heading back to Orb with many of the others, Murrue had figured she better find a decent occupation. With Erika around to steer her talents in the right direction, it seemed the most practical thing to do.

"Will you try? I know it's a lot to ask, but even though you two can't relate on certain levels, you were still close to the commander."

She nodded halfway through, not needing Neumann to reiterate her own grief. "Sure, let me clean up first. Make sure nothing happens in the meantime." He brightened at that, offered his thanks and then headed back to the hangar. If things were as serious as Neumann was hinting, she might have to kick Eclipse out of the shower so that she could clean quickly and head over.

Perhaps she would get some hot water after all.

* * *

Namarra knocked twice on the captain's cabin. "Murrue? It's Namarra."

There was no response so she tried again, unfortunately to the same outcome. Jiggling the handle, she froze as the door slid open. A little startled by it being unlocked, the Natural knocked on the wall beside it and stepped inside. "Murrue, it's just Namarra."

The front room looked okay by the young girl's standards, but then again, those standards had dropped a long time ago when three brothers liked to tear up the place. Not to mention, despite her military background her age group had a tendency to despise the whole clean room routine.

Knowing military personnel were required to keep tidy rooms, this area was a pig sty. Three outfits were scattered across the room, all of them male. Clothing ranging from boxers to dress ties and button-up shirts were found floating in the anti-gravity, a mixture of the formal and informal Namarra found vaguely disturbing. Not only was she fairly confident those were Mu's belongings, but the fact that Murrue had chosen to throw those about was sad. Hell, the fact that anything was out of place disturbed the young Natural.

Three alcohol glasses were floating around as well, one broken while the other two still dripped of red wine and whiskey respectively. The thing that made her heart really twist, however, was the pendent Murrue always wore around her neck—the one of a silver coffin and rose—lay broken in two at the locket's hinge. The chain had come unlinked as well, several strands joining the rest of the debris.

"Oh, Murrue," Namarra muttered, steering towards the closed bedroom door. As she neared, she heard a voice but it wasn't the _Archangel_'s captain. In fact, it sounded a lot like Erika Simmons. There was a strong possibility the two were talking via communication line, but Erika sounded a lot closer than through a screen.

Curious, she was about to open the door when it opened itself, the tall blonde mechanic wearing a startled expression on her face. Namarra opened her mouth to speak, but Erika put a finger to her lips and shook her head. Risking a peek behind her, Namarra saw Murrue asleep in her bed, cheeks rosy from more than tears. Backing out of the way, Namarra let Erika pass and saw that she was holding two more glasses and the hint of fragrance on her breath could only mean they both had had a girls' night in.

Erika shut the door before talking. "I take it Neumann went to find you?" Namarra nodded, her gaze shifting down to the alcohol glasses again. Erika noticed the stare and smiled. "She needed to sleep and vent. I know nothing better than whiskey to help with both."

"So she's doing okay then? No need to panic?"

Erika started grabbing the clothes as she continued. "For a couple of days there, the answer would have been a definite yes. Despite the fact that she had lost _two_ lovers within the span of one war, killed a fellow female comrade—" She paused to sigh, a pained expression on her face as her mind probably replayed Murrue's sorrows in her mind. "Considering all that, she had been holding up very well. I've known some people to have relapses, but this came hard and fast. She wouldn't get into the details even after a couple of drinks, but _something_ had to have triggered the fit."

Namarra began helping, grabbing the two glasses still intact and opening a bag to scoop up the broken one. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Erika press a couple fingers to her burn scars, wincing at the pain a little as she brushed past the tenderest spots. The bandages had come off a few days before, and—as far as Namarra could tell—the skin was healing well. She doubted the psyche was as confident though because she had yet to see Erika not looking into some kind of replacement surgery. It wasn't that she thought Erika a vain person to be looking at her options, but compared to Lathan—who seemed to almost revel in his injuries—she wasn't coping well with her own situation.

"I just don't want any of the crew to see her like this," Erika said, pulling Namarra out of her observations. "While there might be some pretty strong contenders, I believe Murrue was probably the strongest female that I know of to take part in this war. I mean, to just take up captaincy of this ship with only a couple years of military training under her belt and to bring it all the way through the war, making it the beacon of hope for too many instances to count." Erika had begun to get emotional, a couple tears trickling out of her eyes. She quickly brushed them away and Namarra pretended not to notice. "And after all that, is still reduced to a human being after the major traumas that happened in her personal life. She doesn't deserve to look like a weakling."

"I highly doubt anyone would look at her differently for what she's going through. Hell," the young Natural continued, "I've seen more people cry within the past couple of weeks than I saw at my entire parents' funeral." Erika gave her a look and Namarra shrugged. "It's the truth. And, believe it or not, I don't feel any less respect for them."

"Aw, my dear Namarra must be growing up."

"If you're joking, that's cruel, but if you're being sarcastic that's even worse," she grumbled, quoting one of Clotho's old video game sayings. She wasn't entirely sure where he had found that one, but she had learned a long time ago to never question him in gaming.

Erika laughed after the comment and shook her head. "I'm being serious. I wonder if you even know how much you've grown up here."

Namarra frowned. "Since when did this conversation turn to be about me?"

"Sorry, I just wanted you to know how much I noticed." The older woman smiled and grabbed the last garment. Staring at the pile in her hand, Namarra could tell she didn't know what to do with it. Putting it back where they had been stored might only cause more problems later on, but then again Murrue might think differently about them when she woke up.

"I guess I shouldn't put them far away," Erika said, her logic probably running along the same stream as Namarra's.

"Good plan. Here's another thought, what do we do now? Once we head back to Orb she might come around, but until then, she's still stuck in this room replaying his whole life over and over again."

"I'd advise against moving her," Erika responded. "I'll stay here with her for a while, make sure she's not in this room alone at least until she's either feeling better or we're back in Orb. Murrue's strong, I'm sure it's just a matter of time."

"I'm glad you're so confident," Namarra muttered. "I think my naïveté might be slipping in again because broken hearts can hurt like a bitch."

"Now you're just fishing for ways to prove you're still a youngster." The older woman smiled, setting the stacks of clothes into a chest. "How _are_ you doing, Namarra?"

"I wasn't kidding, it hurts like a bitch."

"Lexi tells me your night terrors are worse than ever."

"She _has _been known to be a blabber mouth."

"Now, that's not fair," Erika scolded, slipping from the friend role back into the motherly one. "Clearly you have to start on other coping methods if you're going to get over those."

"Coping methods? What coping methods?" Namarra had meant it for a sort of joke, but after seeing Erika's face droop in concern she realized the older woman had been serious. She sighed. "Y'know, the nice thing about Murrue, is she has people she can talk to who knew Mu and understand. Me? No one even knew my brothers but me and some psycho who's dead. How can I talk to anyone if all they are to people are the 'three pilots who deserved to die'?"

"Then focus in on circumstance. Find someone who has gone through much the same grief and see how he got through it."

"He? Sounds like you already have someone in mind."

She nodded. "Colonel Kisaka lost two brothers and sisters in a raid on his town when he was a couple years older than you. You'll have to wait until all this peace stuff is decided, but I think you should go talk to him. Maybe you'll learn something."

Namarra frowned. "Again with that confidence."

"Yes, and if I could transfer some of it to you, I would. Now, scoot. Murrue needs rest and I'll be sure to let you know if anything more happens."

She could only nod. While Namarra was glad Neumann had told her about Murrue, she could see Erika had it all under control. Besides, she may have known a thing or two about death and grieving, but comfort wasn't a strong suit of hers. When Murrue wanted to reminisce about the good times, however, she would be the first one available.

And she had a whole repertoire lined up about the life of a magnificent individual.

* * *

The box of clothes arrived a couple hours before the "event." There was no red lipstick this time, but there was nail polish. Another Cagalli joke, the girls figured.

"What?" Eclipse asked, holding the cover off to the side.

"Nu-uh." Namarra shook her hands frantically. "Not with these hairy legs."

"_That's_ the problem?"

"Oh, c'mon," the Natural said, her face looking exhausted. "You've worn more of these during covert ops than necessary already."

"Yeah, but not by choice," Eclipse grumbled, but either Namarra didn't hear her or she didn't care.

"Just suck it up. We can finally do something fun so show a little enthusiasm!"

"You were just complaining about your legs."

Namarra shrugged, made a small exclamation, and leaned in to grab something from the box. "Quick fix. Nylons."

"Fantastic."

It didn't take them long to get into the dresses, the longest excursion being the relationship between Namarra and the nylons. Eclipse's date with her flat shoes—long laces traveling up her leg—was almost as time consuming, but after the Natural put up her hair and straightened her sleek black dress they were all set for laser tag. They didn't even go near the nail polish.

Lathan wasn't playing the violin like expected, but there was some fancy music playing in the background. He was sitting at his laptop in the corner, apparently being DJ of the night. Since his skills were limited at the moment, well, DJ made sense. Erika was dressed like a server and was already putting food down onto some of the tables when the two walked in. The tables were covered with white table cloths and with the gravity on, the cafeteria almost looked normal. The silverware might have needed a bit of polishing, but it was a pretty good set nonetheless.

Murdoch met them before they could go much further. "Good evening, madams," he said, even bowing to add effect. "Your table is this way." Following the burly host all of six steps, they were seated at the end of the table closest to the door. Eclipse sat next to Dearka and Namarra next to Athrun.

"Huh," the Natural said once she sat down, reaching in front of her to grab a folded white piece of paper. "What's this?"

"Don't open that yet!" Cagalli shrieked, reaching across Athrun's body to snatch the paper away. "That's your role in the game. We can't open it until after dinner."

"Uh, okay," Namarra said, Eclipse admiring the amount of discipline it must have taken for her to resist an eye roll. If they were all just going to sit down and enjoy a fancy dinner, the redhead wasn't about to complain. Besides, aside from everyone looking to be straight out of a Bond film, it was nice to be back in the social circle. Holding up her glass of water—Cayden had restricted their drinking diets unfortunately and not even the adults would trust the kids with a little alcohol and laser guns—she toasted with Dearka and the others.

Things had been going to plan quite nicely.

Until the skit actually began.

The dress-up dinner was a great idea and even the storyline sounded appealing until it turned all corny and the dialogue fell though about halfway into the kidnapping scene. Yes, kidnapping. The little piece of paper in front of each person at the table had shown their role in the whole game. Sai and Miriallia had been chosen as the rich couple being kidnapped by the "Bad Guys." That team consisted of Eclipse, Kira, Neumann, and Lacus. The "Good Guys" was a little stacked in Eclipse's opinion, but she held her tongue. Cagalli, Athrun, Dearka, and Namarra were all on the same side and if something in the plot didn't change quick, Eclipse was going to lose and fast. The event might not have been anything professional, but any script that began with, "On a dark and stormy night," needed some major tweaking.

Hence, the improvising.

Eclipse did it. If the plotline was going to start sounding like "Clue" than she was going to admit to killing both hostages, Miriallia and Sai, with the laser gun, in the cafeteria. Yes, they were already their captives and if their team had wanted any invisible ransom money she would have just let them be, but that plotline was getting boring. So, she switched it up a bit, turning the motive away from rescuing the captives to issuing revenge on their killers.

"You just killed me," Miriallia said, disbelief thick on her tongue. She didn't have a vest on to trigger any kind of alarm or dead indication, but the aim and fire was clear. After all, a red laser scope on her chest and the undeniable burst from the cheap laser gun had spoken volumes.

Cagalli, mid-sentence, was about to make a comment of her own when Athrun aimed at Neumann and "killed" him.

"Athrun!" she shrieked.

He shrugged. "What, they killed our friends."

So, the chase was on.

Since they didn't have white cards with their roles taped to their vests, the teams were separated by their laser colors. The "Good Guys" were blue and the "Bad Guys" were red, just to be creative. The red team was now down one member, Neumann having his role finished within the first eight seconds of the fight thanks to Athrun. So, that left the other three to handle the big responsibility of being evil.

Eclipse wasn't sure whether or not Lacus even knew how to hold a gun let alone fire it, but she proved to still be the surprising one. Not only did she know how to use a gun, she could at least hit a body part if it came to that. A kill shot? Probably not likely, but she wasn't useless. Kira, on the other hand, still seemed in a zone and not the battle zone. While he would never vocally admit he didn't agree with the game, Eclipse had the inkling he was going to just jump out in front of a shot and get "killed" as soon as possible. She wasn't sure if any of it had to do with his psyche or his morals, but either way she feared for her team.

Did good _always_ have to win?

Sure, it was probably not the best idea to have floating around in her mind, but she couldn't help feeling a bit remorseful. Then again, isn't any team Lacus is on designated "Good" on mere principle alone? Didn't that mean it was just "Good" against "Good"?

Usually, her head would have been spinning, but watching Lacus being trigger happy no more than six feet from her position made her believe the "Bad" guys were the only thing her ragtag group could be called. Was it even legally allowed for Lacus Clyne to be that excited to be pulling a trigger?

Was this whole thing really a good idea?

"Lexi, pay attention!" the Pink Princess hissed, catching her attention as Dearka and Cagalli started firing off a couple rounds. They had made it out into the hallway and were currently at a standstill. Sure, there was an open hallway behind them, but somehow Lacus didn't seem to care so much about tactics as just firing the gun. "My goodness, you would think you have never done this before."

Now _that_ was an ironic remark.

Flipping the gun back, Lacus pushed in the small button by the handle and reloaded it, the closest thing the plastic replica could get to real reloading. She began her assault once more, ducking a couple times to avoid some shots her way. Really, there was no way for her to visibly see the laser beam—unlike a real bullet could sometimes be seen—but she had fallen into the role of Bond Diva nicely. Wearing a fitted red evening gown she looked rather stunning. It was a good thing her hair didn't have any sensors on it because Eclipse was pretty sure the high bun was rarely in cover.

"Can't you snipe them while I provide cover?" she asked, looking down at the redhead crouched near her knees. "Isn't that the point of me shooting so wildly?"

"Oh, you had a strategy to your trigger happiness?" Eclipse grumbled. "To be perfectly honest, I can't see any targets. Either you've been shooting at air for the last five minutes or your shooting has them so scared they're just hiding out."

"You think so?" she asked, looking down at the gun in her hand before making an exclamation about a tear in her dress. The gravity idea had been a good one since that meant they could all move faster and no one could just float on the ceiling and ambush anyone. Sure, someone _could_ do it, but as far as she knew, no one in the game was an acrobat. The other drawback for gravity was the unfamiliarity. Namarra and Eclipse typically had training in gravity, but it had been a while even for them—not to mention they were still so sore the pain killers were complaining about overtime. So, everyone was tripping over their fancy garments, Lacus included.

"Man," she hissed, "we paid good money for these rentals."

"They're rentals?"

Some footsteps sounded in the open hall behind them, Eclipse throwing up a hand to silence the young songstress. They got closer, and closer, the occupant clearly not bothering to mask his—or her—approach. Lacus already had the gun pointed about chest high.

Step.

Step.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Truthfully, it was three well-placed shots to the chest and might have looked impressive to any military commander, but hearing the chest pad announce the person's demise was more frustrating than exciting.

"Oops," Lacus said, "sorry, hunny."

Kira sighed and looked over at Eclipse, but she had nothing to say either. The guns didn't differentiate between enemy and friendly fire. Standing there in his black tails he looked rather chic, but that disappointed frown on his face said he was a bit unhappy about what had happened.

"Are you dead?" Lacus asked and both hissed the obviously reply.

"Yes!"

"Well, sorry!" she responded, a bit more frustration in that response than Eclipse thought necessary. "Isn't there some kind of rejuvenation potion?"

"Wrong game," Eclipse replied and turned back to Kira. "Well, you're supposed to just head back to the cafeteria, but could you tell us where the enemy is first?"

"Ironically enough, they had their own version of friendly fire. Athrun's gun malfunctioned and a shot hit both his suit and Namarra's."

"So, it's two on two?"

Kira nodded then waved, making his way back to the cafeteria. It was a shame, actually, that Lacus had to be a little jumpy. Kira looked into it only after he got shot. Sure, he had had a few good duck and rolls through the corridors, but he didn't seem as crisp as usual, if that was even the word for it. But if he had the fighting instinct now, that sucked.

"I'm sorry, Lexi," Lacus said, her face showing too much remorse for a game of laser tag. "Believe it or not, I've never done anything like this before."

Eclipse believed her.

"And with everything going on, Cagalli and I thought it would be a nice way for us to blow off some steam."

"Oh relax," Eclipse said, patting her arm. "You didn't ruin anything, just made us into a tag team instead of a trio. I'm used to only working with one other person."

That at least put a small smile on her lips.

"C'mon, I have an idea where they might have gone."

The only two people left on the other team were Cagalli and Dearka. Cagalli was less of a novice with a handgun than Lacus was, but neither girl had had any official training in area tactics. That being said, the person they most had to worry about was Dearka. Game or no, he had a good shot.

Eclipse picked up the hem of her dress, taking a moment to realize she had been in a similar one when she was fighting FS. Still, she had no emotion about killing him. After everything they had gone through together, even after the whole time she had fawned over him she still couldn't bring herself to feel any remorse.

Shoving her strange mindset to the side, they sneaked down the corridor, heading towards the hangar lookout. With Dearka at the helm, she figured they planned on sniping the two through the window. He knew Eclipse well, because she originally had thought of going to the hangar—big space, more room to maneuver—but let her brain do a little thinking instead of her instincts.

Lacus slinked along beside her, making Eclipse smile the way she pointed her gun around each corner, just like the dames in the action movies they frequently watched. Based on her aim with Kira, Eclipse knew Lacus had pretty good luck at point blank, but the two of them couldn't split up. After all, Lacus would fire at anything that moved, including her.

With the corridors clear, the two reached the lookout and paused. Eclipse put her hand up to stop Lacus and did a little circular motion with her hand to make Lacus turn around and watch their backs as she punched on the keypad. Nodding, the Pink Princess spun and let out a yelp. Eclipse stopped putting in the password and turned, pulling Lacus down to the ground as she did so.

Cagalli had come from one of the broom closets, her own white rental dress filthy at the bottom from the cleaning solutions. She had fired two shots at Lacus, but the first missed and Eclipse had pulled her down fast enough for the other to go high. Reaching over her shoulder, Eclipse fired three shots, one at the weapon, the other at Cagalli's knee and the other for the low chest shot. Since laser tag meant no one felt anything, the bullet didn't hit her hand and force her to drop the weapon, the knee shot didn't make her buckle, and that meant the last shot hit her crotch instead of her abdomen.

Cagalli swung back inside her hiding spot to reload and get out of the firing lane.

Lacus had regained her composure by then, kneeling with knee down and the other foot propped up to steady herself. She aimed at the closet as Eclipse was forced to whirl when she heard the sound of the lookout door sliding open. Aiming higher this time, she fired two shots at the opening slot in the door, but Dearka was being smart. Her gun clicked empty after another shot at his shadow and she did the next best thing. Shoving her heel through the opening, she connected with Dearka's ankle and he lost balance. He tried shooting on the way down, but all his shots went wide, even wide enough to miss Lacus behind Eclipse.

Reloading, she aimed down at him on the ground just as he aimed at her. Lacus said something like, "Cagalli, put down the weapon!" and the redhead figured the other two were in much the same stalemate.

The lights turned on.

"Sorry to spoil your fun, but I have an official announcement to make," DaCosta said over the intercom. "The peace talks have just finished and the world seems to be heading in the right direction. Congratulations, everyone. We're going home." Cheers sounded on the other side of the transmission, but they weren't as loud as Lacus's triumphant yell after she "killed" Cagalli.

"Hey, that's cheap!" the blonde yelled, but the Pink Princess's snippy reply was more amusing.

"Better cheap than dead, Miss Cagalli."

Eclipse and Dearka shook their heads, her former teammate throwing his hands up in defeat.

It looked as if the bad guys had won that time.

* * *

The original plan was to have some old ZAFT soldiers take the _Eternal_ back to the PLANTs, but that idea fell through when not enough people wanted to return to their old homeland. The ones who had families to return to took transports back to the PLANTs. Cayden was among the group, the girls giving him their last goodbyes before he squeezed in with some of the others. He gave them some post rehab orders, but didn't put a lot of force behind them, knowing the girls had their own version of "rehab." Sure, the _Kusanagi_ doctor was going to take over their care, but no one could force them to take it easy when all they wanted to do was get their bodies back into the pristine shape they were in before.

It took two more days to get back to Orb, but despite the desire to put their feet back on land or sleep on a fluffy bed once more, many of the crewmembers were nervous. Namarra and Eclipse were part of that group, not entirely sure what they were going to do once they touched down.

"Kisaka and Cagalli assured me you would get some kind of pardon," Lathan said, stretching a little in his chair. They were currently finishing their descent through the atmosphere, but were still a couple hours away from the island nation. "Cagalli was talking her way through the official papers when I left the bridge."

Eclipse nodded slowly, still not convinced even if she and her comrades were coming back as war heroes. "With the _Kusanagi_ docking first, I'm worried I might have to jump back to the _Eternal_ and make sure I come in a couple hours later just to give her more time to press out the details." The three ships had agreed to come in separately, and an hour apart. Orb was giving them vague details on the state of their docks, but Kisaka was confident they would be able to accommodate all three ships.

"Just relax," Namarra grumbled, adjusting herself in her seat. While they had gotten through the worst of their decent, seatbelts were still a requirement. They were rarely comfortable too. "Geez, I'm not even exiled and you're making _me _nervous. Hell, I don't even know what I'm supposed to do once I get there. Find a job?"

"Hah!" Both siblings laughed.

"Can you imagine Namarra as a cashier?" Lathan said.

"Or a waitress?" Eclipse added.

Lathan raised his voice a few octaves to sound like the Natural. "What kind of a tip is _this_? Twenty percent, my ass!"

"Oo, oo, a saleswoman. And if you sign up now, you're win a free vacuum cleaner!"

They continued their laughter, but somehow the younger Natural still wasn't amused. "Haha, aren't we the clowns today."

"Is she even old enough to work?" Lathan asked, ignoring the bitter remark.

"We'll put her to work in a watch factory, not one would guess she was underage."

They laughed again.

"Maybe I'll just squat at your house; be the visitor who _never_ leaves," Namarra suggested. That stopped the laughter at least, bringing up some other personal realizations.

"Oh yeah, Mom and Dad's." Lathan's smile drooped and Eclipse's followed soon after.

"Shit."

"They already had a memorial, but we were going to do the official ceremony once we got back."

"_If_ we got back, you mean," Eclipse stressed. "I don't know about you, but it was a bit sketchy for a while there."

Lathan shrugged. "In any case, we have to start arrangements for that as soon as we land."

Eclipse complied glumly, listening to the announcements being made over the intercom. They were roughly two hours away from Orb and were already highly anticipated. Kisaka never said outright there was going to be some kind of celebration, but "highly anticipated" was usually code for, "brace yourselves."

Getting the "A-Okay" to move about the ship once more, the three got up to stretch. There was always a moment in descent where the body can feel gravity kicking in again. It wasn't always a pleasant experience—almost as if you had eaten a whole Thanksgiving dinner in one sitting—but it was still a sign to those who live on Earth that they were finally home. For many of the Coordinators who decided to stay and live in Orb it was probably more of a sign their lives were changing in a drastic way. Not only was the world heading towards peace, they were getting to see the unpredictability of Earth's weather, enjoy the seasons, and even get used to the temperature changes.

Some might call it Heaven.

Cagalli flagged them down in the hallway, running in their direction already dressed in her white pants and decorated jacket. She was a princess once again. "Lexi, Lexi! I did it!" she breathed, stopping in front of them. Putting her hands on her knees, Eclipse let her take a moment to catch her breath. Gravity wasn't the only thing they had to get used to again.

"You're free to enter Orb," she finished.

"Really? But what's the catch?" Eclipse asked, skeptical.

"You can enter the country, but of course you're going to have a permanent mark on your record about the incident."

Eclipse shrugged. That wasn't as bad as she anticipated. In fact, she was waiting for the handcuffs and jail cell, but if all she got was a mention of the incident in her record then that was fine. Was it good? No, but after a war such as this there was bound to be plenty of incidents marked on other people's records; people who were most likely better people than Eclipse could ever hope to be.

Cagalli reached over and put a hand on Eclipse's shoulder, her lips curving into a smile. "Welcome back to Orb, Lexi."

For the first time in a long time, she felt relieved.

* * *

Namarra would readily admit she felt awkward. Not only did the welcome ceremony have nothing to do with her return—or at least she was bent on believing that—but after seeing so many families reunite, she had the sudden and deep feeling of longing. She had been putting on a brave face for the past weeks, but, in the end, it still came down to the fact that her entire family had been taken in the war. Were there other people like her? Sure, she wasn't naïve enough to think she was the only one in the world not suffering, but she did feel like she was the only one of her friends who felt that way. Athrun had lost both parents to the war yet he looked as connected to people as he had before. Even Lacus didn't seem as downhearted.

She must be missing something.

Eclipse and Lathan and been ushered off to their family's estate to go through the belongings and get the "show on the road" as Eclipse had put it. They had extended the invitation to Namarra, but the Natural had refused. Perhaps it was about time she got used to the idea of being alone. After all, what was she supposed to do here? Namarra had been in the military longer than she had been a normal citizen anywhere.

A car honked at her as she walked along the side of the road, either offering some kind of encouragement or yelling at her to move. She really couldn't tell and just kept walking. She wasn't quite sure how long she had been about or how far she had gotten, but did it really matter? Turning around, she could tell the dock was still within sight, but going uphill had a tendency to make everything look like a hop and a skip away. Shrugging, she turned back to the way she was walking and saw a turn around spot just off the road. The side towards the sea wasn't as steep here and they made a patch of cement with railings. Really, that wasn't the odd part of it.

Standing there against the railing was a boy not much older than herself. He wore common clothes—jeans, grey jacket, and a hat that fell over his ears. His black hair sifted unkept from under the material, giving him a ragged look she doubted the boy was going for. If she knew anything about teens and fashion, she knew some had a tendency to care what their hair looked like. While there was still a breeze from the water, it wasn't strong enough to ruffle it as much as it was.

"I'm not here to stop you if you want to jump," Namarra remarked, making her way toward him.

Startled, the boy turned her way. His red eyes caught her for a second and she nearly stumbled on her way over, but she regained her composure and leaned on the railing next to him. He didn't say anything until she was near him.

"I wasn't going to jump," he said, adding a little more spite than Namarra thought necessary but, then again, she didn't even know why he was up here in the first place.

"Alright, fine then. I was just making an observation." Turning to her left, she looked down at the dock and gave a long sigh. She really hadn't gotten that far up the hill.

"Doesn't that make you sick?" She turned to him and he nodded at the ceremony. "Orb's practically bankrupt and yet they have enough time and resources to put something like _that_ together."

Namarra shrugged. "If we don't celebrate the good things while we can, we're going to end up some gloomy people."

He gave a "Hmpf," and turned to look the other way.

Namarra, ever the nosey type, felt the need to pry. If something was bothering this boy, wouldn't she be the best person to rant to? After all, they hadn't even exchanged names yet. "If you have something to say, say it. I really don't care."

It was as if he was just waiting for that remark. "I think I'm going to join the ZAFT military."

"You _do _know the world's just signed a peace treaty, right?"

"Yes, I'm aware of that, but I can't stay in Orb any longer and there's really no where else for me to go."

"So, why ZAFT then? Why not go to Scandinavia or one of the other neutral countries?"

He took a deep breath and looked over at her. "That would be the most logical thing to do, wouldn't it? But I have so much anger for this country and—I guess—the Earth. I need a new perspective and I _need_ more power."

"Power?"

"Have you ever met a soldier?"

She was surprised he didn't even think she could have been one. "No," she lied, wanting to see where his logic was headed.

"They're strong, have a purpose in life, and most of all can take care of themselves and others. _That_ is who I wanna be."

"You would leave your friends and family to gain this power? Is that fair to them?"

"I don't have any family here." He turned back to the sea and Namarra followed his gaze, seeing the _Archangel_ coming in to start its docking process. "And _that_ ship has a lot to do with it." He gave a growl and slammed his hands against the railing. Turning away from the water, he leaned back against the railing and watched the cars go by instead.

"That ship stopped the war," Namarra said, being bold in the statement, but actually believing what she had just said. After what Erika had said about Murrue, she could see how much of an influence that ship and the crew had on the rest of the world.

"That ship was the reason my entire family was killed." She watched him fidget with something in his pocket and she thought she saw something pink, but he dropped it out of sight again before shoving off the railing. "I have to go."

"Going to ZAFT then?" Namarra asked before he could get too far. "What good will your need for power do in the military? Why not help out at the animal shelter or coach a football team?"

"You wouldn't understand," was the last thing he said and this time, she didn't stop him. If he felt there was something he could gain in ZAFT, who was she to stop him? Having grown up in the military, who was she to say he wouldn't gain some kind of power he was looking for? The only problem was, she hoped he wasn't finding it for all the wrong reasons.

"I think you're gonna be surprised to see who really _does _understand." He stopped and turned briefly, but she never saw more than his profile. "Just don't make the mistake of thinking only you've been hurt."

Somehow, she had the feeling _he _was the one who didn't understand.

* * *

It had been three months since they had returned to Orb. Dearka had stayed one month before heading back to the PLANTs to see his mother. He had yet to return, but had promised Miriallia he would, so no one doubted he would keep that promise. Murrue was starting to get along a little better. After shadowing Erika for so long, she helped monitor her department at Morgenroete while Erika was gone getting her face reconstructed. The former _Archangel_ captain fit in quite well with the other mechanics and with Murdoch there the transition was smooth. She had a new pendent made for Mu; one she wore around her neck like she had the previous one. The old pendent was now in her jewelry box as a reminder, but never a burden.

Andrew Waltfeld had been looking for the perfect place to set roots, but had been too picky and didn't like anything Orb had to offer. Cagalli was getting the most frustrated because she had promised to help pay the rent, but with his pickiness she was about ready to just have him live on the _Eternal_ the rest of his life. Waltfeld actually joked to Eclipse a couple days before how it was all a game. The redhead decided not to mention Cagalli's own spite and had planned on letting the two duke it out themselves.

DaCosta returned to the PLANTs with Dearka and some other former ZAFT soldiers. Orb life wasn't as accommodating as they had anticipated and being so young, they weren't as eager for the quiet life many of the others were willing to accept. That had been a hard day for Eclipse, mainly because she hadn't been entirely sure when she would ever venture back up to the PLANTs. After everything she had gone through in space, the Earth was starting to look like a safe shelter. But after being in Orb for so long, all she could see was the fake reality of it all. She had been playing pretend most of her life, why would she want to go and do that again? Perhaps there was no good place she could go, but she had to start somewhere and Orb had been that. Now she needed to keep moving.

Lathan still didn't want any surgery, but Heine talked him into renting a place with him in the PLANTs so the two could at least watch out for each other and Heine could slowly force the ideas into his head. Eclipse had a feeling Heine was going to make his life a living Hell until her brother gave in, but she was still on the border of the whole thing so she couldn't say anything really. With Heine's new position in the military, he wasn't as mobile as he used to be, but his connections had grown and he wasn't about to give up.

"Ready to go?" Namarra asked, waving at her from the top of the hill. Lacus was standing next to her along with Murrue and Waltfeld.

"So, you really are leaving?" Athrun asked, kicking the sand a little as he watched the water. They were standing in front of the orphanage the gang had been spending a lot of time at. It was a peaceful reprieve for many of them and since many of the orphans were in that position because of the war, the old soldiers felt responsible even if they weren't directly involved. Reverend Malchio—a good friend to Lacus and, apparently, Kira's true savior back when the Strike had been destroyed—ran the building, but always needed some assistance. Cagalli was actually down by the water then, supervising some of the younger kids as Eclipse and Athrun talked.

"You and Lathan came up with this peacekeeping idea, so don't be hounding on me," Eclipse continued, crossing her arms. "You need operatives and you know just as well as I do that Namarra and I can't keep ourselves sitting still in one spot without blowing up the furniture."

He gave a soft laugh. "True, but I guess I just thought you would help me run it from here instead of space."

"You have Kira and Lacus here for that, not to mention the Commander—uh—Waltfeld promised to add in some expertise." It was hard to remember not to call him the commander after so long. If anything, it was a form of respect for her and she didn't want to stop, but he wanted to keep a low profile. Not to mention they were in peaceful times now.

Cagalli said something to them and they waved back a response. "Does she know?" Eclipse asked, indicating Cagalli.

"About the peacekeeping group? No. We have to establish ourselves a little more before we can use it to help her get re-elected."

"Fair enough. We need an official title too, by the way."

"Lexi, Lathan just called. You have _two_ minutes! Geez, it's not like we're leaving for good!" Eclipse turned and waved Namarra's comment away, turning back to the kids in the water.

"Oh, I noticed you put yourself as Lexi Rymyr in our paperwork." Athrun cocked his eyebrow. Apparently, he hadn't been put off by the title remark. "Making it official, huh? I mean, that _is_ going to be on your check stubs."

"Yeah, yeah," Eclipse muttered, trying to play it down, but she ended up smiling. "I guess it's time I got back to being who I've always been. Besides, Lunar Eclipse is pronounced dead in space. I'd rather be a living person than a dead one."

"_Lexi_!" Namarra yelled and the redhead made some obscene comment back. The whole beach stopped to stare at her and she smiled weakly.

"At least you don't have to watch your mouth in space," Athrun muttered as Cagalli came up to give one final, tearful goodbye.

Lexi laughed.

* * *

_**A/N: **_It's the second to last chapter, everyone! Can you believe it? Well, since this has taken me way too many years then, yes, I'm sure all of you can believe it. I'm pretty excited to be putting the "Complete" status on _Weapon's Waltz_ here when the next chapter goes up. Funny thing about the next chapter is I have to write it all from scratch. Seeing as I've been editing everything back from NaNoWriMo still I'm glad I can start putting a large amount of new stuff into the story and not just adding bits and pieces here and there. I think you guys are going to like the next chapter. It's rather humorous so far and I've always had a soft spot for epilogues. Just makes everything come together and even if they're not always happy, well, they're worth the read in my opinion. And it's an achievement by the author. You got there!

Oh, can anyone name the quote, "If you're joking, that's cruel, but if you're being sarcastic that's even worse!" Namarra says it to Erika when they're in Murrue's cabin. Let's see how good you people are. :P (Hint: It's not from a video game like Namarra says. It's from an Anime.)

What else… Hm, it's funny. I spend so much time editing a chapter that I think I just get sorta sick of it, so I don't have much to say about it. Let's see. I'm excited for the next story, mostly. I mean Lathan and Heine roommates? That is going to be a hoot! I've come up with a name for the "peacekeeping force" (and I know one called Terminal was helping Lacus at some point) but have to flesh it out a bit more. So, I guess I'm in the same spot Athrun is right now.

Special thanks to my betas, _CSSStravag, Death-Scimitar_ and _Maderfole_ for all their hard work over the last infinity of time. I can't imagine how long it feels for your guys. :P

* * *

**_Corrections to the Narrative:_**

At this point, there isn't too much I changed mainly because the original series of SEED didn't have an ending, per se. I know there was one done with all of them on the beach by the orphanage so I tried to portray that at the end.

* * *

**_Questions/Gripes:_**

Again, not much material/reviews to work with, but for those of you who reviewed, thank you! I always appreciate the feedback and knowing there are still readers out there makes me happy. :D

* * *

I'll see you all in the next and final chapter of _Weapon's Waltz_!

_Strata_


	60. Where Are They Now?

_Before you begin_: This chapter just has little snipbits that are going to lead into my next story. Keep an eye on the dates and understand that most of these happen before the ending of the last chapter; before the girls leave for space. Just to put things into perspective, the ceasefire happened on C.E. 71 September 27. We know the Three Ship Alliance was in space for just under a month before it touched back down in Orb. So, hopefully that gives you an idea of the timeline.

* * *

Where Are They Now?

_(Orb. C.E. 71 October 24)_

Lexi put down the coffee cup, the liquid still swishing on her tongue. She swallowed.

"They what?"

Athrun shrugged, flipping the license on the table. Kisaka had just given it to him not an hour ago and based on the look he had on his face, he was still getting used to the idea. Kira and Lacus's new found idea to run an orphanage didn't help his adjustment to Orb society.

A fake name didn't help much either.

"Kira said his mother's on board, but—unfortunately—since all the drama involving the twins, Kira's dad's vanished."

"I hadn't heard that," Lexi admitted, her shock wisping away enough for her to take another drink. "That explains his isolation the past couple of weeks."

Athrun tapped the license on the table before reaching for his tea cup. Lifting it, he frowned and put the empty china back down. "There's a lot more going on in his head than he lets on."

"Huh," was her only response. Namarra had finally filled her in on what her Berserker half had said to the poor pilot, but Lexi was in no position—nor did she have the desire—to help him get over his psycho drama. That was reserved for closer friends and family. Her and Kira might be on some manner of civil terms, but for reasons she didn't even understand sometimes, she didn't care to be buddy-buddy with the kid.

The server came around and refilled her coffee cup. After stirring in some sugar and cream, she pulled the spoon out of her mouth and pointed it at the plastic annoyance in Athrun's hand. "So, Cagalli talked you into it?"

"It was actually my idea. She just had the means."

"You too embarrassed to be you?"

"There's a lot of heat with the Zala name right now. Besides, can someone like you really lecture me on an identity crisis?"

She took a drink. "No, not really, but despite my past, I sort of feel better being Lexi Rymyr." She shrugged as if it didn't matter, even if her epiphany would have made any psychiatrist proud. "So, who are you anyway?"

"Alex Dino."

Wiping off her hand on her jeans, she reached across the table to shake his. "Nice to meet you." At first she didn't think he would take it, but despite the exhausted sigh, he grabbed her hand.

"Feeling's mutual."

"So," Lexi continued, "how're you going to manage this peacekeepers idea, being Cagalli's bodyguard, _and_ helping the others man the munchkins?"

"I'll be at the orphanage only once and a while and with Cags when she leaves Orb. Most of her security here is manned by Kisaka and I handle anything outside the border."

"I _bet_ you handle it," she muttered into her glass, feeling her teeth grind into the porcelain. It was just the strangest feeling knowing the girl she always considered a sister was in a relationship with one of her best friends. She shivered just thinking about it.

So, she drank more coffee.

"Speaking of the peacekeepers, I have somewhere you and Nam—"

"Nuh-uh." Lexi shook her head. "Not today. It's still too soon."

Athrun looked confused at first, but slowly that confusion slipped away. "Ah, her brothers."

"Yeah."

"We'll save that for another time then." Athrun sighed, finally leaning back in his chair and pocketing the ID. "You have anywhere to be?"

Lexi shrugged. "Not really."

"Good." He flagged down a waitress before speaking again. "What d'ya say we have a late lunch or something? I'm not needed anywhere really. Alex Dino's first day isn't until tomorrow."

"A lunch date, huh? I thought you had a girlfriend?"

He shrugged, seemingly meaning nothing more than a shoulder raise. "Technically, but Alex Dino is single so this should look innocent."

She paused, studying him. Despite their close relationship, she knew that whole phrase was a mindless flirt and found herself shaking her head.

"Whatever, as long as you're paying."

* * *

_(Orb. C.E. 71 October 24)_

Namarra thanked the driver before stepping out onto the pavement. She had asked to be a dropped off about a mile away from the orphanage. Mainly because she didn't want to show up at the orphanage in a fancy limo—she felt the little kids might look at her differently—but also because she needed to think. Erika had been right, Kisaka's past was almost as tragic as her own. "Almost" because her pain felt so much more real than his.

Call it being a teenager.

In truth, the whole conversation was very enlightening. While she didn't learn any new coping methods, she did learn that it would get easier. Cliché, maybe, but truthful. According to Kisaka, he was still getting over his own tragedies. What she respected the most was his honesty. While he never really went into details, she found herself nodding, thinking he really did understand her pain.

It was interesting too how she never felt bad during the entire lunch, but as soon as she was alone again, everything hit her hard. She had just enough time to wave to the limo driver before she had to put her hands on the railing just to keep herself from shaking too bad. It had been a while since she had an episode, but she was determined to keep her streak going. Luckily, she had been thinking ahead that morning and pulled a stone out of her pocket. It worked as a sort of stress reliever even if it seemed so ordinary. To anyone else, it would have looked like nothing, but Namarra had been carrying it around since her brother had died and seeing as she was nothing but a child back then, a stone meant more to her than any kind of jewel.

Namarra stared at the smooth surface. It wasn't much—hell, it wasn't even engraved—but it rarely left her side. It fit in the palm of her hand, but was large enough to fit at least six names. Her parents, her brother, her brothers from Blue Cosmos and the most recent add, Mu. Sighing, she folded her hand around the stone and leaned against the railing. A car honked as it passed behind her, but she didn't even care enough to be obscene. She was standing in the same spot she had met that boy and despite the stressful day, she found her thoughts drifting back to that moment.

Another car drove by and she looked back down at the stone. Swallowing back her panic, she rubbed her fingers over one name and date.

"Kai Legund: 7-13."

The marker was fading again and the name barely readable, but she couldn't bear to rewrite it. Her young self had written out each letter, her handwriting sloppy with panic and grief. A couple more rubs and she knew it wouldn't be there, but she had the memory by that point, knowing exactly how the rock felt in her hand as her thumb passed over the name.

"I really miss you, Kai."

Swallowing, she felt a tear that time.

And _really _hoped it would get easier.

* * *

_(Orb. C.E. 71 November 11)_

"…happy ending."

All the kids were asleep by then, Lexi and Namarra being the only two "kids" still mobile. Somehow Lexi figured the coffee had something to do with it.

"I still can't believe we were the only two who offered to do this all night lock-in thing," Namarra said, bringing the coffee cup to her lips and frowning when nothing but a drop dribbled onto her tongue.

"Well, we're the only two who are neither old nor employed," Lexi responded. She shifted her sleep-tingling hip, trying not to wake the four-year-old leaning against her.

"Oh yeah."

They watched the credits scroll, hypnotized by the memory of it all. Namarra began humming the song she had written, the melody audible over the ending music. Lexi had not heard it in a while and found herself smiling and joining in when her part came up. The Natural had appropriately named the song "Akatsuki no Kuruma" but the redhead had the feeling she would never hear the real reason why she had even written it.

"Y'know," Lexi began when the melody faded. "Instead of sitting around while Athrun sets up his peacekeeping idea, we could do a little project of our own."

"Like what?"

"I had a dream about Melanie last night, my first one in over three months or so. It got me thinking. If Dearka was able to find something so obscure as that Berserker Bible-thing by accident, maybe we should start looking for information on purpose."

"A Berserker research project?" Namarra asked, her teeth now nibbling on the end of the mug. Lexi had never pried into the Natural's personal experience when fully berserk, but she never really needed to either. The haunted look on her face whenever the topic was brought up seemed like a big enough reminder.

"We're not going to stick with the 'ignorance is bliss' motto, huh?"

Lexi shook her head. "Supposedly, I'm going to insane at any moment so the least we can do is get a little prior research and know what signs to look for."

"We already know the severity of the Berserker gene is linked to age, but I guess any other material would be helpful."

"I have no idea where we could begin," Lexi muttered, starting to bite nervously on her own cup. "I guess we could always go back to Mendel since we already had evidence found there."

"Lacus says there's been talk of restoring the satellite. If that's the case, maybe we should search before people start poking around."

Lexi nodded. "They won't start anything until after the holidays. Maybe we should at least stay until after Christmas."

Namarra agreed, but slouched down further into the couch. "Are we going to keep bouncing back and forth like this? We just docked a month ago and already we're leaving again?"

"Yeah, it kinda sucks, but I have a feeling we're going to be skipping around a lot, especially with us being the main employees for Athrun's project."

"Maybe we should start looking for a permanent Orb address." Namarra shrugged. "If anything, we need a place to store our gear. Leaving weaponry—even locked—with the kids around sounds like a bad idea. Even if none of them manage to hurt themselves, the weapons would bring back many painful memories for these poor kids."

"Agreed. You can work on that tomorrow when I meet with Cags."

After nodding, the two grew silent again, the credits having scrolled through to the end. The show turned itself off after a while, leaving the girls with only quiet snoring and breathing to ease the silence.

"So, now what?" Lexi asked, but saw Namarra had already closed her eyes. Smiling, Lexi closed her own. "Kids."

* * *

_(Orb. C.E. 71 November 12)_

It was a little different meeting Cagalli than Athrun. The main difference being? Security. Kisaka sat at the table next to them, his nose in the daily paper. The rest of his team, consisting of six operatives, were seated at the other tables surrounding them. At first Lexi really didn't understand the need for the extra protection and was even more surprised to hear the security was mainly for her. Cagalli's reputation had been on a rise since they landed and nothing short of suicide would change that. Lexi's reputation was the iffy one.

Since arriving back at Orb, she had let Lathan handle all the public relations concerning their parents. He had even been offered a book deal, promising to relate both their parents' and his lives as best he could. That invitation had been extended to Lexi, but he declined before she had the chance to. The press assumed it was because of the shame he felt for his sister concerning Lexi's recent exile, but it was primarily because Lathan didn't want to share anything about the Berserker. Of course he couldn't share that reason so he didn't give one leaving Lexi's reputation to shift daily from, "we love her" to "she should remain in exile and is probably the reason her parents are dead."

Apparently, that day was the latter.

"Man, I definitely don't miss these camera-blinding days," Lexi muttered, frowning at an eager reporter being pushed away by one of her bodyguards. "At least back then I was cute and stupid so I enjoyed the attention."

"I didn't know you were any different now," Cagalli joked, but after a sheepish smile she pointed to a sandwich on the menu, the server jotted it down, Lexi ordered and then the blonde shrugged. "Unfortunately, you get used to it."

"I'm just sorry we have to met on a 'hate Lexi' day," Lexi continued. "Hopefully, this doesn't hurt your rep too bad."

"Oh, please. I should be able to talk to you in public despite their allegations."

"Or maybe I should be thanking you?" Turning, she managed to put on a smile for one observer's camera. Hopefully, it didn't look as bitter as she felt. "My proximity to you is probably bleaching my reputation as we speak."

"Oh, stop worrying about stuff like that. I haven't seen you in almost a month. What's new?"

"Well," Lexi began, thanking the waiter for the coffee. "I applied for a job at a weapon's bar and wasn't hired because I was both too young and too inexperienced."

"You're joking. Most kids our age were in the war."

"Yeah, I think he knew that, but we have to remember who I am now. All my military connection with ZAFT has been erased. I'm a rich orphan now."

"Why were you applying for a mundane job anyway? Use some connections," her voice slurred as she jabbed a thumb at a chest, "to get you a _real _occupation."

Lexi hid a smile in her mug. Technically, she had a real job, but the money wouldn't be coming in for another month or so. And that job at the weapon's bar was to just scope out merchandise. Kisaka and her locked eyes for a second before they returned to what they were doing before. He was also in on Athrun's idea.

"Alright, what did you have in mind then? Oh, subtle 'important' connection of mine."

"Erika and Murrue need help at Morgenroete."

"I thought Erika was out for her surgery?"

"She is, but still can't help doing a little work on the side."

Lexi smiled knowingly. "I can't stay there full time though, no matter how much they need me."

"I know, but any time you and Namarra could stop in they'd appreciate."

"You roped Namarra into this too?"

"They just need some feedback from pilots."

Lexi frowned. "And?" she egged.

Cagalli sighed, putting on a sheepish smile. "The CAs would be a huge help as well."

"Figured. Just another thing to boost their egos."

"Their?"

"The CAs."

"Huh? Do I want to ask?"

Lexi shook her head. "Nevermind." She paused, leaning back in her chair to make room for her sandwich. "I can't promise I'll be around all that often, but I'll stop in as much as I can."

"And Namarra?"

"I'll mention it, but there's definitely no guarantees with that one."

Cagalli looked relieved. "Good. So, what else is new with life?"

"So glad that took second place to the CAs and Morgenroete," Lexi muttered, but when Cagalli's lips flipped from pleasant company to exhausted annoyance she apologized. "My life is always moving, I'll put it that way. Ever since Lathan left he's been planning my visits. It doesn't seem too bad, but there's a lot of back and forth travelling. The soonest I'd be leaving is after Christmas."

"Really? Where to? And for how long?"

"Nam and I have a little research to do. Not sure when we'll be back though." Cagalli looked confused for a moment, but when Lexi pointed to her eyes she understood.

"New leads?"

"Old ones, but maybe more news."

"Well, if you need anything from me just let me know." Lexi nodded. "We're thinking of hosting a Christmas party at the orphanage so promise you two will stop over before you leave. I think Namarra's gotten pretty attached to the younger ones."

"Sure, we'll be sure to make note of it. Namarra spent most of her young life in an orphanage so she has a soft spot for the children. Besides, they give her a reason to mature." The redhead took a bit of her sandwich to hide her snicker. "And how're _you_ doing?" she asked once she swallowed.

"You-know-who is still snooping around."

"Ah," Lexi replied. The Seirans had been excited to have Cagalli back, but their excitement didn't include leaving state affairs in her hands. Based on their reputation, Cagalli couldn't just dismiss them, but their meddling had become tiresome. Whispers have even been circling about a potential engagement between Yuna and Cagalli. Lexi had nearly choked on her pizza after hearing that the other day.

"Do they suspect anything about Alex?" Lexi kept her head down and chewed as she asked, not wanting to be overheard or her lips read.

Cagalli heard just fine. "If they do they're keeping it to themselves. Ath—I mean, Alex is very careful about these things."

"As he should be. Just don't do anything stupid."

"Besides, Alex Dino has a girlfriend, apparently." Cagalli must have seen a reporter or something since she had said his name a bit too loud. Lexi made a look, but she continued. "They have been seen at a café a couple of times."

Lexi cleared her throat, knowing that girl she was talking about was her. There was no way Cagalli couldn't know about that. The redhead narrowed her eyes. "Don't."

"In fact," she continued despite the threat, "I heard she looks an awful lot like—"

"Yes, yes, we all have seen the tabloids." Lexi kicked Cagalli under the table. "Be careful though, cousin, your concern almost makes me think you're jealous."

That shut her up and even made her cheeks grow a nice pink. Lexi hoped no one had seen the blush because the whole point of those public outings was to curve suspicion away from Athrun and Cagalli's relationship. If she had known Cagalli's misplaced jealousy would cause this much trouble, they never would have done it in the first place. She needed to play along with the ruse too, especially with Lexi needing a reason to be contacting Athrun in the future. He needed to give her assignments.

Lexi thought the blush was the end of the subject when Cagalli kept going, her embarrassment now illuminating her face like the red light on a traffic signal. "Why would I be jealous? I was just concerned because he's new in town and—"

Lexi could just feel the camera rising to take a picture so she did the only thing she could think of.

She spilled coffee all over her lap.

A sort of controlled chaos had erupted after that to get her cleaned up, but at least the crisis was averted. And maybe Lexi's reputation would climb again for her clumsiness.

* * *

_(Space. C.E. 71 November 13)_

Click. Refresh.

DaCosta yawned, resting his chin on an upraised hand.

Click. Refresh.

Blinking, he suppressed another yawn and stared at the computer screen. Not long ago, dried out eyeballs were related to long nights on duty in the _Eternal_, but at that moment, the long hours of staring at the online auction had caused his eyes to dry quicker than he thought possible. Perhaps it was the white website staring back at him, but he was sure it had to do more with the boredom of what he was trying to accomplish.

Well, more like what he was trying to do for Waltfeld.

Click. Refresh.

"Seriously, sir, no one else is going to be bidding on these rare coffee beans."

Click. Refresh.

He yawned again and checked the timer above the lot. It read one minute remaining. Stretching, he sat up in his chair and took a couple of moments to enjoy the little pleasure a full body stretch could do. Suddenly, he understood what it must have felt like for a cat.

Click. Refresh.

Someone else bid.

"W-what?" he stammered and placed a higher bid.

Timer: 45 seconds.

Click. Refresh.

Another bid.

"You've gotta be—" he began, but didn't finish his thought, his fingers racing across the keys to place another bid.

Timer: 38 seconds.

"Why does this 'YoureGonnaLose666' want the coffee—what?" He put a higher bid.

Timer: 22 seconds.

Eighteen seconds.

Fifteen seconds.

Ten seconds.

Five seconds.

Click. Refresh.

He was out bid with four seconds to go.

"No!" he screeched, gripping the armrests. It wasn't possible. Waltfeld had left him with one thing to do; a simple task: buy the coffee. And he had been beaten. "Oh, God."

The phone rang.

DaCosta jumped.

It wasn't hard to figure out who was calling seeing as that particular coffee addict was most likely staring at the atomic clock and no matter what the time difference, he was always going to be on the ball when it came to coffee.

The phone rang again and still DaCosta didn't move. Sure, he should eventually—and knowing how bad his life could be if he didn't—but he was frozen to the chair. Finally, it stopped ringing and he sighed.

At least until it started ringing again.

"Hello?" he asked, picking up the receiver. Even the phone smelled like coffee, but that could have had more to do with fear than actual fact.

"Did you get it?"

"Why hello, Commander. Yes, I'm fine thanks for asking."

"DaCosta, did you get it?"

"Actually—"

"What do you mean, 'actually'?"

"You see, my internet was slow—"

"You're in the PLANTs. There's no such thing."

"—and someone—"

"Be careful what you say next, DaCosta."

"—out bid me."

There was a pause. Then another one. And yet another on until he finally spoke. "Okay."

"Okay?" That was the scariest thing he could have ever said, especially since it was obvious he was forcing the words through his pursed lips. "What do you mean, okay? That's it?"

"Well, I was going to demote you—"

"Yes, please and thank you."

"—but I knew you'd enjoy it too much so, okay."

DaCosta paused that time. "Okay then."

"Okay."

"Yes, okay."

* * *

_(Orb. C.E. 71 November 13)_

"Lexi, I got it!" Namarra called, waving her arms in the air as she rocked back and forth on the couch. Pulling her knees to her chest she laughed, the noise oozing with victory. "Well, we finally got his Christmas present."

Lexi poked her head around the corner, drying a wet plate. "Really? Alright!"

"Yeah, I timed it perfectly at the last second. It didn't set us back much either."

"Who'd you beat?" Lexi asked, walking over to stare at the computer screen. Leaning on the back of the couch, she continued drying the plastic dish as Namarra pointed at a name.

"Some person named MfromDaCoast. I don't think she—he?—has much auction experience."

"Well, good. Have it shipped here to the orphanage and we'll give it to Waltfeld at the party."

Namarra nodded. "I'll let Lacus know."

"Great, now we need to start on that new tiger mug that you broke last month."

The Natural winced and clicked onto another page. "Found it on the same site and look!" She pointed at the screen again. "That MfromDaCoast is bidding on this one too."

"Pff, three minutes left. He doesn't have a chance."

Lexi went back to the kitchen and Namarra stretched, cracking her knuckles before settling back into a comfortable position. She bid. "Noob."

* * *

_(Space. C.E. 71 November 13)_

There was an anguish cry.

And the phone rang.

"It's not okay."

* * *

_(Orb. C.E. 71 December 24)_

"Hey guys!" Lathan yelled, his hand waving on the other side of the video screen. It had only been a month or so since they had all seen each other, but already Lathan's eyes had shifted to a spooky white. Since he had opted to embrace his blindness, the girls knew his eyes would fade sooner or later, but the different space environment must have forced the change.

"Hey, Lathan. What's with the frantic need to talk?" Namarra asked, scooching her computer chair closer.

"Heine and I have come up with a perfect name for our team."

"Heine's joined too?" Lexi asked, looking skeptical. "I thought he was the professional bitch of some high-ranking officer. How does he have time for our little project?"

"He's gonna be our informant for ZAFT," Lathan explained, pushing his glasses back up the bridge of his nose. Sometimes Lexi found herself worried for him—some of his mannerisms not exactly displaying a healthy conscious—but when he got back to business, she could tell her brother was coping with his new circumstances as well as everyone else.

In his own way.

"So, even a bitch gets some free time," Namarra muttered.

"He _was _in intelligence," Lexi added. "I'm sure he's still in contact with many of his informants."

"Precisely," Lathan continued, holding up an index finger. "The EA wasn't as difficult to approach with our operation—a bit more cleaning up to do than ZAFT. With Heine's help, however, we have our in."

"Bringing the world together one assassination at a time," Namarra mused. "Maybe that should be our catchphrase."

Lexi smiled at the comment prompting and receiving a high five from her comrade. "Did you get Athrun's news too?"

"About funding?" Lexi nodded and Lathan did the same. "Yup. I met with the head of Terminal, actually, to hash out a couple concepts. Let's just say we'll be in contact with them for a _while_."

"Term—Oh!" Namarra snapped her fingers. "They were part of the Clyne Faction or something, right?"

"Something like that, yes. The bottom line is, we're ready to go as soon as we finalize a couple more details. Athrun and I will be working on that throughout the week. If our luck holds, you two won't be stagnant for much longer."

"Score!" the girls said together.

"And that brings me back to the name." Clearing his throat, Lathan drummed his hands against the table before announcing, "Hermes."

"Messenger to the gods, how appropriate," Namarra responded.

"And backstabbing thief to boot."

"I'm hoping to avoid _that_ part, sis." He frowned and Lexi smiled. "Anyway, I'm pitching the name tonight."

"Make it in a couple days. For goodness sakes, Lathan, it's Christmas Eve."

"Wait, what? Holy shit, it is!" he exclaimed, his hand going to his forehead. "I can't believe I forgot. With everything going on—shoot, just wish everyone a happy holiday for me, okay? Damn, I was hoping to be down there, but I guess I'll manage up here."

"Namarra and I are still planning to leave the 26th so we'll see you then. But for now, Merry Christmas, bro."

"Merry Christmas, Lathan," Namarra said at the same time as Lexi.

After he signed off, the Natural stretched, her body contorting into something Lexi found herself jealous of. Either that or scared of because there was no way that particular move was good for her spine. "We'll sign the lease at the beginning of January and move into our new apartment when we get back to Orb. We'll have a base of operations for Earth at least."

"When we go up to see Lathan again we'll look for apartments too. We probably shouldn't bunk with the guys because I really don't want to get Heine in trouble _again_."

"Good thinking. So, did you wrap the presents?"

"No, you said you would."

Sighing, the girls just shrugged. "We'll buy gift bags on the way to the party."

* * *

_(Space. C.E. 72 January 3)_

It had been a long day. Even though the world was heading towards peace, security from Earth to space was a bitch. With the interrogations she received leaving the ground, her past association with the war now raising red flags despite her family's reputation—well, she was getting sick of it. Orb's opinion of her was still up in the air, bouncing back and forth much like one of those rubber balls the kids liked to play with at the orphanage. Because of that, she sometimes got through with no problems and other times she was stopped at every moment.

That happened to be one of those times.

"I need coffee," she grumbled as she walked to the sidewalk. Her and Namarra had been scavenging through Mendel for the past couple of days, but have come up dry every time. When Lathan called and asked her to meet a potential supplier in the PLANTs she jumped at the idea. Lathan had given Namarra a Hermes mission to do as well, so despite their need to find out some information on Berserkers, the only way to truly go about it was to take some time. _Besides,_ Lexi told herself. _I have to get Namarra's birthday present too. Hopefully this contact will let me pick out some kind of "good will" gift. _The meeting sounded easy enough and since both ZAFT and the Earth Alliance knew about Hermes, it wasn't going to be as covert as originally thought.

It was a crowded afternoon for a Sunday, but the weather was nice for New Years. She was used to warmer temperatures thanks to the months in Orb, but even in a winter setting a fall jacket did more than enough. Smiling, she sidestepped a child pushing his umbrella stroller wildly in front of his parents. The dad managed to correct the boy before he could go too far and he smiled an apology. Lexi shrugged in understanding and curved her neck to watch the family continue walking.

_It's been a while since I've seen that_, she thought, not looking where she was going. Years of paranoia had kept her from getting taken off guard completely, but she did get distracted. A guy was standing at a window looking at the shoes on display. She clipped his ass if anything, noticing her airheaded-ness at the last second. He turned, a younger man with darker hair and fair face. Based on his smooth hands—he had turned to try and catch her if he needed—he probably hadn't been in the field. Given his age, he would have been in the military, but there were so many positions she was convinced he had been in the war.

Until he smiled.

"Hey, you alright?" The smile was too genuine; too innocent. Either he was a really good faker or he hadn't seen anything grizzly.

"Yeah, fine. Sorry." Lexi smiled back, but more for courtesy's sake. He seemed to think it was fate, but Lexi saw something else far more ironic. Past the man, even back as far as the young family walked none other than Yzak Joule. He wore civilian clothes, but there was no mistaking that gait.

Slipping past the young man, she walked back the way she came, towards Yzak. He hadn't noticed her yet, but she wasn't exactly sure what she was going to say anyway. The last time she had had any contact with him, he had saved her life.

He paused at a window, but not for long. Something near her must have caught his attention because he turned and then saw her. It was one of those funny facial moments: recognition, questioning if that was really the person, looking harder, then making an appropriate reaction because it really was the person.

"Lexi?"

"Hey, I thought that was you. Day off?" She motioned to his attire.

"Mandatory day off. Anyone on the front line's been given holiday leave for the past couple months."

"Makes sense."

"What're you doing here? Dearka told me you were staying in Orb."

Where could she begin? "Here on business, you could say."

"And I've learned not to prod about that." They both smiled.

_Yzak wears maturity well,_ Lexi thought, even if only one moment meant about as much as eating only one potato chip.

"Well, does this business allow any free time?"

"I have a couple hours to kill."

"Great! Wanna grab a coffee?"

"Oh, thank God." He cocked an eyebrow and she grinned. "I've been craving one all day."

"You _do_ know it's not even noon yet, right? That's hardly all day."

"Damn, it feels like a day."

"Well, for the sake of everyone involved—mainly me—let's get you some black caffeine before you go berserk."

Lexi paused for a second, trying to figure out what he meant by that statement. She was pleasantly surprised, however, noting the smile trying to twitch up his lips. It had been a joke. The redhead was sure only her and Namarra could make fun of her malevolent self since it was practically a taboo topic among the others.

Definitely a nice change of pace.

* * *

_**A/N:**_ Wow, this is the last one For _Weapon's Waltz_, can you believe it? I actually finished a story on FanFiction. It was a good feeling to change the status to "Complete." Ah, I feel like a weight's lifted or something. Since I've written this over the past infinity of years, I'm not happy with some of the quality, but there are still moments I love.

Anyway, I'm gonna do a little stat update. The most viewed chapter (other than chapter one) is: Chapter 42 "Leaving Home to Go Home." I'm surprised that one was so popular, actually. Mainly because Lexi bashes Kira pretty bad and I got a little heat from it. Hm, maybe you guys would have a better answer for me.

Chapter with the most words: Chapter 57 "The New Mankind and Everyone Else." Okay, I know why that one was so long. MS battles...

Chapter(s) with the most reviews: Chapter 1 "Prologue and Lunar Eclipse" and Chapter 40 "The Dumb Luck of No Longer Existing" were tied at 13.

My favorite chapter title (going just by the title and not the content): It's a tie between, Chapter 47 "One Nuke Short of a Massacre" and Chapter 49 "Giving a Lot of Damn About Not Giving a Damn."

Favorite moments to write: Hand-to-hand combat (of course!) and the Berserkers (of course!). Oh, and Waltfeld was a blast!

Most frustrating moments: MS battles and all the mechanical mumbo-jumbo. I also hated watching all the _SEED_ episodes merely for research purposes (copying dialogue, etc.). I can finally watch them for fun again!

There might be a couple more things I can do stats on, but I think I'll just continue on with the author's note and finish _Waltz_.

What did you guys think? Sure, the beginning chapters need to be rewritten (badly) but is anyone out there gonna read my next installment? I have some of it written already (thanks to NaNoWriMo) and just have to put the first couple of chapters together. It'll be called _Sibling's Serenade_ so look for it!

Special thanks for my Betas who've stuck with me through this whole ordeal. I'm not sure what I would have done without their knowledge and useful comments. Not forgetting to mention their constant support on the review end. Hopefully, they'll stay with me for the long run, but since I have no idea how long that's actually going to be, I can't blame them for wanting to play a smaller role. :P Anyway, _Death-Scimitar_, _CSSStravag, _and _Maderfole_ deserve additional praise.

* * *

So, I guess I'll see some of you on my next story and if not, thank you for all your support. If I made any of your days a bit brighter then mission accomplished.

_Strata_


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